Group of 5 Power Rankings Week 13: North Texas Moves Up

As we head into the 13th Saturday of college football, there has been a major shakeup in the Group of 5 Power Rankings. So, who made the cut, and which games should you be keeping an eye on this week? Let’s take a look.

*Disclaimer: These are power rankings with a lot of different factors involved, including strength of schedule, head-to-head, metrics, overall resume, and who would win on a neutral field.*

Group of 5 Power Rankings: Week 13

1.) James Madison Dukes (9-1)

• Last Week: 58-10 Win vs. App State
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 Washington State (5-5)

The James Madison Dukes find themselves No. 1 in our power rankings for another week. The Dukes are coming off a dominant 58-10 victory against App State on Saturday, in a game where they had 627 total yards. The Dukes haven’t shown much of any weakness this season, and Bob Chesney has them prepared every single week.

With USF’s loss to Navy on Saturday, there is extra pressure on the Dukes as they are now in the driver’s seat to make the college football playoff. How they handle that pressure against a dangerous Cougar team on Saturday is key. If the Dukes can continue to win and impress, they most likely will see their name on the 12-team playoff bracket come selection Sunday, December 7.

2.) North Texas Mean Green (9-1)

• Last Week: 53-24 Win at UAB
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at Rice (5-5)

North Texas moves up a spot this week to No. 2 after another dominant win on Saturday. They have arguably one of the best offenses in the entire country, led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Their high-powered offense gives them the chance to hang with anyone. However, it’s their defense that is the question mark. They have great wins over Navy and Washington State, and their only hiccup this year came against USF, in a game where their defense couldn’t stop anything.

The Mean Green’s defense has been improving, and they have a chance to show that on Saturday against a sneaky good Rice team.

3.) Tulane Green Wave (8-2)

• Last Week: 35-24 Win vs. FAU
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at Temple (5-5)

Tulane also sees itself move up a spot after a fairly comfortable win against Florida Atlantic on Saturday. They have great wins over Northwestern, Duke, Memphis, and East Carolina. Their best ball is as good as anyone in the G5.

However, the UTSA loss shows the other side of this Green Wave team. The physicality and speed are undeniable, but the mental lapses and poor play from Jake Retzlaff at times bring them in at No. 4.

Head coach Jon Sumrall has this team in the hunt for an American Conference Championship game appearance, and will need to pick up a victory against a Temple team looking to become bowl eligible.

4.) East Carolina Pirates (7-3)

• Last Week: 31-27 Win vs. Memphis
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at UTSA (5-5)

After a huge win at home against Memphis, East Carolina enters the top-5 of the Group of 5 Power Rankings for the first time this year. They are led by a suffocating defense and a quarterback who makes winning plays in Katin Houser. The Pirates have looked impressive in all their wins, with the most notable victory coming this past Saturday against the Tigers.

They’ve suffered close losses to NC State and Tulane, and fought hard the entire game against BYU in Week 4. They’re in the American Championship game hunt and will be taking on a streaky UTSA team in the Alamodome in Week 13, a place where UTSA plays quite well. The Pirates can’t have a letdown of a performance after an emotional victory against the Tigers on Saturday.

5.) Navy Midshipmen (8-2)

• Last Week: 41-38 Win vs. USF
• This Week: Bye

Reentering the rankings and rounding out our top-5 this week is the Navy Midshipmen. Navy secured one of the biggest wins in the G5 this year beating USF, while also putting the playoff dreams to rest for the Bulls.

Starting quarterback Blake Horvath has dealt with some injuries this year, but the Midshipmen still sport their vaunted rushing attack that everyone struggles to stop. They also have elite athlete Eli Heidenreich, who can do pretty much anything you ask him to do on a football field. Navy is one of the four teams with 1 loss in the American, fighting for a chance to make it to the championship game. The Midshipmen have the benefit of a bye this week before traveling to Memphis in week 14 for a massive showdown against the Tigers.

Honorable Mentions

6.) USF (7-3)

• Last Week: 41-38 Loss at Navy
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at UAB (3-7)

7.) UConn (8-3)

• Last Week: 26-16 Win vs. Air Force
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at FAU (4-6)

 8.) San Diego State (8-2)

• Last Week: 17-7 Win vs. Boise State
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 San Jose State (3-7)

9.) Memphis (8-3)

• Last Week: 31-27 Loss at East Carolina
• This Week: Bye

 10.) Old Dominion (7-3)

• Last Week: 33-0 Win vs. Troy
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 22 at Georgia Southern (5-5)

Three G5 Games to Watch in Week 13

Washington State at James Madison: Saturday, Nov. 22

The game of the week in the G5 is the matchup between Washington State and James Madison. There was a slight rumor this weekend that College GameDay could have went there on Saturday – that isn’t happening. However, it doesn’t mean this matchup is any less important.

James Madison is fighting for a playoff berth, and they’ll be taking on a feisty and dangerous Cougar team Saturday afternoon. The Dukes’ offense has improved tremendously as the year has gone on, and it will be tested on Saturday.

The Cougars have a great defense, one that held teams like Ole Miss and Virginia under 24 points. The question is, can the Dukes keep up their offense explosion that has happened the past couple of weeks, and can the Cougars move the ball against the vaunted James Madison defense?

Hawaii at UNLV: Friday, Nov. 21

If you’re a fan of offense, you’ll be a fan of this late-night matchup in Las Vegas on Friday. Both teams are averaging more than 30 points per game and have a chance at making the Mountain West Conference Championship game. The key to this contest will be which defense can make more stops. More specifically, which defense can get off the field on third down. It’s an exciting matchup between two teams vying for a conference championship that are just on the outside looking in, our top-10.

North Texas at Rice: Saturday, Nov. 22

North Texas struggles defensively at times, and they are going up against one of the more unique offenses in college football on Saturday. Rice sports the “Gun Option Attack” offense, or to put it more simply, a modern version of the triple option. Rice is 16th in the country in rushing yards per game at 211 yards. The big question is, can the Mean Green stop the run? They’ll easily be able to put points on the board on Saturday, but whether or not they can get stops will be key. It’s an interesting matchup as North Texas continues its push towards a college football playoff birth.