2019 College Football Forecast: Top Group of 5 Teams

2019 College Football Forecast – Top Group of 5 Teams: While the top teams from college football’s Power 5 conferences are focused on making the College Football Playoff and competing for a national title, teams from the Group of 5 conferences have to accept that they have a different ceiling. As UCF knows all too well, even an undefeated season probably won’t be enough for a Group of 5 team to earn a playoff bid, but there is still an incentive to being the best of the rest so to speak. The top-ranked Group of 5 team is guaranteed a spot in one of the New Year’s Six bowl game at the end of the year with a chance to prove themselves against one of the top Power 5 teams in the country. With the 2019 College Football season just around the corner, let’s take a look at some of the best Group of 5 teams.

2019 College Football Forecast: Top Group of 5 Teams

1. Boise State Broncos

Losing starting quarterback Brett Rypien and running back Alexander Mattison to the NFL isn’t ideal, but the Broncos have plenty of other pieces back from a squad that went 10-3 last season. In fact, Boise State returns its entire offensive line and eight starters in the defensive side of the ball. The Broncos are going to own the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball and make opponents earn every point. Non-conference games against Florida State and Marshall to open the year are tough, but if the Broncos can just earn a split and then run the table in the Mountain West, they should have the inside track to the New Year’s Six bowl bid.

2. UCF Knights

The Knights have earned the Group of 5 bid to the New Year’s Six Bowl in each of the last two seasons, running the table and “winning” the national title two years ago. Former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush needs to provide steady play, but UCF has plenty of offensive firepower otherwise, and the defense should be stout. Out-of-conference matchups against Stanford and Pittsburgh will be must wins if the Knights want to try to shake up the College Football Playoff, but they can afford a loss and still claim the New Year’s Six bid. The bigger issue could be navigating a tough conference slate that includes road games against Cincinnati and Temple and home games against Houston and South Florida. UCF is talented enough to run the table, but the Knights will have to earn it.

3. Fresno State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are coming off a 12-2 campaign that included a pair of road wins against Boise State to secure the Mountain West title and a bowl win over Arizona State. Fresno State will have to break in a new quarterback, but Jordan Mims and Ronnie Rivers form a dynamic running back combo, and the Bulldogs should be strong in the trenches. A road game against the USC Trojans to open the year will be a tall order, but an out-of-conference meeting with Minnesota is more than winnable. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs dodge Boise State during the regular season, so there is a good chance that they meet the Broncos in the Mountain West title game with the New Year’s Six bowl bid on the line.

4. Houston Cougars

Former West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen brings his high-powered offense to the Cougars, and he has the perfect player to run the show in quarterback D’Eriq King. The dual-threat touchdown machine is a dark horse candidate, and Houston should be scoring in bunches this season. The problem could be stopping opponents from doing the same, and with non-conference games against Oklahoma and Washington State on tap, that’s a major concern. Conferences matchups against Cincinnati and UCF are major hurdles, as well. Houston has the star power and the firepower to challenge any team its faces, but the schedule does them no favors.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati went 11-2 last season and capped the year with a win over Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl. Quarterback Desmond Ridder and running back Michael Warren II are back to anchor the offense, and head coach Luke Fickell has the Bearcats trending up in a big way. The problem facing Fickell’s bunch this year is the schedule. Playing in the American East Division, Temple, UCF and South Florida are regulars on the schedule. This year, Cincinnati also goes on the road to face Memphis and Houston from the West Division. A home game against UCLA won’t be a walk in the park, and road games against Marshall and Ohio State round out a brutal out-of-conference slate. There is a decent chance that more than one loss will eliminate teams from New Year’s Six consideration, and the Bearcats are going to have a hard time avoiding multiple losses with this minefield to navigate.

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