Most dangerous Group of Five teams in 2024: Schools who can ruin somebody's season -- and make the CFP
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Remember when any article about UNLV was for the bottom 5.
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Unbelievable transformation in no time. Still have to prove it on the field. But Odom has proven that slow growth is just an excuse to lose.Most dangerous Group of Five teams in 2024: Schools who can ruin somebody's season -- and make the CFP
The College Football Playoff now guarantees one slot for a Group of Five representativewww.cbssports.com
I remember when it was a good week when we left the Bottom 10. Those Mondays waiting for the release was such torture
CBS Sports Bottom 10. They were funny synopses of those teams except when it came to us. Ugh. Those were brutal!
I thought it was ESPN. Regardless, it was easily one of the best written articles on that website.
Liberty really avoid scheduling any challenge. Should not be include in this group of teams
Even now that there are 12 playoff teams there will a lot complaints about a G5 getting a bid. For example last year Liberty was the righest rated G5 school and I think they were 21 and got their asses handed to them in the Fiesta Bowl by Oregon. So in reality the playoffs are top 11 plus one. Im ok with giving a G5 a bid, most years, really every year in CFB there arent 12 teams that have a shot to win the NC anyway so throw a bone to the G5. I think more times than not the 5 seed will boat race the 12 seed G5 school but every now and then a good game may happen.
I remember, sitting with crossed fingers …. Watching UNLV play Bethesda, hoping we could battle. And we would, for 20 minutes. Still have hope, only down 17-7, if we can creep closer, have some luck, get some breaks, a big play, maybe the other side will feel some pressure … who knows? UNLV driving, inside the 40. Fumble. Third and 14, we got a shot. Personal foul on an incomplete pass.
20 minutes later it’s 38-7.
Even though I lives in FL, I dont know much about USF football team. I have not watch them much or keep up with their progressions. Heard they do have a very solid team. Boise State if USC QB transfer plays to his capabilities plus their supporting cast will be very strong. Perhaps the strongest. Jeanty is the real deal. UNLV have a ceiling maybe higher than Boise because of Coach Odom and Marion. The unknown is how the players gel together as a unit. And play with confidence. Hard to play with confidence when you have this many new parts. One game at a time. Houston first.
The storm is coming over UNLV football. The schedule is tough. Standing in the middle of the wind of the hurricane. Either stand up and survive or wait to be swept away. Let's go Rebs!
UNLV is the only team that scheduled three group of four teams as well as Oregon State, South Florida scheduled two, and the rest of the teams either one or none.
Yessir, UNLV is the only one. And I believe UNLV will beat Houston soundly too. Then Utah Tech or something. Kansas will be tough. It is the sound of the UNLV storm that be resounding.
Boise and OU one of the best games ever
Are they going to still determine the seeding order and who plays who based on the seeding (i.e #1 plays #12)? How do they determine the seeding order, or is the G5 team automatically #12 as a seed? If the G5 is a #12 seed, how will they explain that if the G5 ends up as a top 10 team going into the playoffs? I just get this gut feeling that they will put the G5 team in a position that will make it hard for them to even win the first game.
As it stands, basically the G5 team that goes unbeaten will be in that slot, regardless if they played a crap schedule ala Liberty. Who will then go into a real game and get murdered. This needs to be fixed. Maybe a separate top 10 G5 ranking.
I think they got New Mexico State on their schedule this year? If they do, they won't go undefeated.
Addendum: They are playing UNMSU in NM. Las Cruces? Man, that is a sorry ass schedule....
2025-26 Liberty Flames Schedule - College Football
Full Liberty Flames schedule for the 2025-26 season including dates, opponents, game time and game result information. Find out the latest game information for your favorite NCAAF team on CBSSports.com.
www.cbssports.com
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I am not so sure that going undefeated would get them an invite based on such a weak schedule. I believe the highest rated G5 would get the invite, and it may be tough for them to be the highest rated with a weak schedule.I think they got New Mexico State on their schedule this year? If they do, they won't go undefeated.
Addendum: They are playing UNMSU in NM. Las Cruces? Man, that is a sorry ass schedule....
2025-26 Liberty Flames Schedule - College Football
Full Liberty Flames schedule for the 2025-26 season including dates, opponents, game time and game result information. Find out the latest game information for your favorite NCAAF team on CBSSports.com.www.cbssports.com
Nelson couldn't even beat out Madsen... Boise was mediocre last year till Madsen got hurt and they replaced him with Green... alot of the Boise hype was over Nelson at QB and as of right now, that's not happening...
It will happen. Madsen won’t be starting by the of the season.
I think they got New Mexico State on their schedule this year? If they do, they won't go undefeated.
Addendum: They are playing UNMSU in NM. Las Cruces? Man, that is a sorry ass schedule....
2025-26 Liberty Flames Schedule - College Football
Full Liberty Flames schedule for the 2025-26 season including dates, opponents, game time and game result information. Find out the latest game information for your favorite NCAAF team on CBSSports.com.www.cbssports.com
UNMSU
University of New Mexico State University
Like the kid in my wife’s HS class that announced on signing day that he would be playing football at the University of Boston College.
Maybe, but maybe not. Liberty got the call because there were a lot of teams beating each other up in the upper echelon of G5 last year. The MW, usually one of the best G5 conferences beat each other up. AAC, though lost a lot, still had a relatively down year. Liberty was undefeated in a bad conference. There were FCS teams with stronger SOS.
It looks like they are having a similar approach this year. I don't think they jump a 1 or even 2 loss MW champion this season.
Yeah, you kind of have to throw out the old rules with regards to the G5 arguments. It wont just be based off "who is undefeated in a weak conference and played a weak schedule." Theres a ranking system for the SOS like an at large bid in the tournament. They did this because no one wants to see a weak undefeated G5 team get shellacked in a playoff game just so they can say "look where we got".. The MWC will be ranked above the other G5s just over the type of schedule MWC program play. Then you get into the arguments of WMC champ with 2 losses vs undefeated weak conference champ... Thats where the new rules come in.
It's not what they do now. The G5s are ranked in with the Top25. And the only G5s that climb up the ladder are unbeatens. Once they get beaten, it's bye Felicia to the top 25 almost every time. I mentioned a separate G5 poll which would basically be what you addressed.
I think UNLV has a strong enough schedule that they could lose to Kansas and still end up in the top 25 this next season.
Being undefeated does help with the polls, but the CFB ranking system is a bit more than that..
"Unlike other polls, the College Football Playoff rankings come out only until well into the season. And unlike other polls, it's the only one that really matters, as it's for the 12-team playoff. For a decade, the CFP was only a four-team playoff. Starting with the 2024 season, it moved up to 12 teams. The CFP Selection Committee ranks its own top 25, using factors like strength of schedule, results, championships won, common opponents and more."
I'm sure the 2 polls will influence these rankings, but I doubt that Liberty gets back in it this year if there is a 2 loss team from the MW, maybe even a 3 loss team. The fact that they got curbstomped probably hurt them from repeating.
Not to say that a MW team in the same situation wouldn't also be curbstomped, but it seems like top MW teams have faired a little better than that when they have played top schools in the past.
UNLV lost at #1 Michigan 35-7 and Liberty lost to #6 Oregon on a neutral field 45-6. UNLV didn't even win the MWC tournament. I think 2 or 3 teams in the MWC were better than Liberty last season. I believe whomever wins the MWC championship game is very likely going to make it into the national championship tournament.
It really depends. I don’t see a 3 or 4 loss MWC champ making it. Of course it depends on how the other G5 champs fare, but I’d be surprised if there aren’t some that only end up with 0-2 losses.
I could see a 2 loss team get in over a Liberty but when was the last 2 loss season by a MWC team? Not counting Covid 10 years? It won’t be easy.
Most years at least one team in the MWC has a two loss season prior to the bowl games (this doesn't look at any of the schools that left the conference or prior to Boise State joining):
San Diego State 2021 12-2 including win in bowl game
Boise State 2019 12-2 including loss in bowl game
Air Force 2019 11-2 including win in bowl game
Fresno State 2018 12-2 including win in bowl game
Utah State 2018 11-2 including win in bowl game
San Diego State 2017 10-3 including loss in bowl game
Boise State 2014 12-2 including win in bowl game
Colorado State 2014 10-3 including loss in bowl game
Fresno State 2013 11-2 including loss in bowl game
Boise State 2012 11-2 including win in bowl game
Boise State 2011 12-1 including win in bowl game
There have also been another dozen plus games where teams have had 3 loses going into bowl games.
You got it a little backwards: BSU was mediocre with Green at QB. They looked better with Madsen. No sooner did Madsen get the starting job, tho, he suffered a season-ending injury. That's why CJ Tiller (now at USU) started their bowl game, and Green is at Arkansas. Madsen's advantage is his familiarity with the offense, and that's what landed him the starting job in Week 1. All the arm talent in the world won't save you if you're throwing it to the wrong team, and Koetter won't let that happen. By the same token, if Nelson gets a firm grasp on the offense they won't hesitate to put him in. If BSU is blowing out GA Southern, or Madsen struggles against Oregon, I'm sure Nelson will see some time. Regardless, I don't think we're too far into conference play before the job belongs to Malachi.
Lets hope we dont return to the bottom 5 list anytime soon.
The home loses to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona were brutal. It was tough being in the locker room after those games.
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