Group of 5 Top 4: Mid-season Review
RELATED ARTICLES: CFP TEAMS, GOPHERS UPDATE, W7 PREVIEW
We're (about) halfway through the season, and it's time to take a look at each teams' status in the Top 4. We will also take a look at teams that are on the outside looking in from each conference as well. It's nice to be able to see each team's resume and discuss the results now that the season has progressed. There has been plenty of fluctuation amongst the top four teams, and most of them still have over half of their games to play.
SAN DIEGO STATE
W, UC-Davis 38-17
W, at Arizona State 30-20
W, Stanford 20-17
W, at Air Force 28-24
W, Northern Illinois 34-28
W, at UNLV 41-10
Wins against two Pac 12 opponents allowed the Aztecs to attain the top spot. The win against Air Force was sloppy, but playing in puddle will do that. Fending off a tough Northern Illinois team was a good win as well.
UCF
W, FIU 61-17
W, at Maryland 38-10
W, Memphis 40-13
W, at Cincinnati 51-23
I've yet to see how defenses can stop the Knights offense. Against Cincinnati, they scored at will before the game had to be called due to weather. Scott Frost paired an upset win over Maryland with a domination of another AAC contender in Memphis. His defense is proving they can compete with anyone as well.
USF
W, at San Jose State 42-22
W, Stony Brook 31-17
W, Illinois 47-23
W, Temple 43-7
W, at ECU 61-31
They've proven they can score, but it's just been a matter of time. Slow starts have plagued the Bulls, and it appears that problem may have been fixed. So far, the quality of competition has been awful, which has allowed USF to start slow and figure things out. That won't be the case in the second half of their schedule, where they start playing actual competition.
TROY
L, at Boise State 24-13
W, Alabama State 34-7
W, at New Mexico State 27-24
W, Akron 22-17
W, at LSU 24-21
The loss to Boise State didn't look good, but the Trojans have improved ever since. A close win against a 2-4 New Mexico State team might not look great, but the Aggies are better than their record indicates. The BIG win came last week in Death Valley. The Trojans pulled off a monumental upset, and held the Tigers in check for most of the game.
TOLEDO
W, Elon 47-13
W, at Nevada 37-24
W, Tulsa 54-51
L, at Miami (FL) 52-30
W, Eastern Michigan, 20-15
The defense didn't look good for a two week stretch, allowing 103 points in those two games. Losing receiver Cody Thompson on offense hurts quite a bit as well. Last week's win against EMU didn't look great, but this is still a solid team.
NAVY
W, at FAU 42-19
W, Tulane 23-21
W, Cincinnati 42-32
W, at Tulsa 31-21
W, Air Force 48-45
Like USF, the resume doesn't looked overly impressive. Navy is undefeated, but they've played average competition and haven't won comfortable in a long time. We will find out soon enough how good this team actually is.
Each of the five conferences has teams on the outside looking in, and we'll look at which teams are still in the running for the Top 4.
AAC
It's just UCF and USF in the East, but the West has multiple teams that are in contention. Houston (4-1) has struggled at times, but their lone loss is to Texas Tech. Memphis (4-1) upset UCLA, and has one of the best offenses in college football. SMU (4-2) couldn't quite upset Houston this past weekend, but has a good team and a dangerous offense. Tulane (3-2) has been the surprise of the conference so far, and could be in contention as well.
CONFERENCE USA
Marshall (4-1) looks like they're on a mission to erase the memory of 2016. Florida Atlantic (3-3) has been inconsistent, but has fans intrigued in Lane Kiffin's first year as head coach. FIU (3-2), Western Kentucky (3-2) and Middle Tennessee (3-3) are all hanging around, making the East tough for the first two.
In the West, nothing is certain. North Texas, UAB, and Southern Mississippi are all 3-2, Louisiana Tech is 3-3, and UTSA is 3-1. The only teams that are out of consideration are Rice, Charlotte, and UTEP, who are a combined 1-17.
MAC
Don't look now, but Western Michigan (4-2) is still hanging around despite losing PJ Fleck. Another don't look now as Northern Illinois (3-2) appears to be an improved team from last year. Ohio finds themselves in the middle of the MAC East despite having the best record. Akron (3-3) has been inconsistent, Buffalo (3-3) has shown promise after a 2-10 season last year. Don't forget about Central Michigan (3-3) or Eastern Michigan (2-3), either.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Colorado State (4-2) and Boise State (3-2) showed a lot of promise early in the year, but have taken a back seat to San Diego State for now. The Broncos get the first crack at the Aztecs this weekend, and the Rams won't get that opportunity unless they make the conference championship game. Wyoming (3-2) and New Mexico (3-2) have been surpising average after coming into 2017 with so much potential. Utah State (3-3) is right behind them as well. Fresno State (3-2) has been a surprise thus far, while Hawai'i (2-4), has been a disappointment but has the talent to turn things around.
SUN BELT
Troy leads the conference for now, but we know things can change quickly. Appalachian State (3-2) has two losses, but they were to Power 5 teams. The Trojans expect the Mountaineers to be at the top of the conference competition. UL-Monroe (3-2) could be undefeated if not for slow starts in their first two games, and has been a surprise with Caleb Evans running the offense. Arkansas State (2-2) has an explosive offense that could cause issues. New Mexico State (2-4) has shown immense improvement despite their record, and only four teams are really out of contention.
