Group of 5 Power Rankings Week 14: James Madison Holds Steady

The final week of the regular season is upon us. Who are the top-10 teams in the Group of 5 team’s in our power rankings as we head into Week 14, and what games should you be keeping an eye on? Let’s talk about it.

*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 14

1. James Madison Dukes (10-1)

• Last Week: 24-20 Win vs. Washington State
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 29 at Coastal Carolina (6-5)

The James Madison Dukes come in at No. 1 yet again in this week’s rankings. The Dukes survived on Saturday against a very underrated Washington State team. Alonza Barnett III struggled on Saturday, but running back Wayne Knight picked up the slack with 126 rushing yards and a touchdown.

When their offense is struggling, they have the luxury of leaning on their physical and stellar defense. The Dukes’ final test in the regular season is traveling to Conway on Saturday for a showdown against the (6-5) Chanticleers from Coastal Carolina. Since about week 10, every James Madison game has been arguably the most important in the Dukes’ history, and Saturday is no different. If the Dukes win out, they have the best odds of making the playoffs from the G5. Saturday is another step towards that.

2. North Texas Mean Green (10-1)

• Last Week: 56-24 Win at Rice
• This Week: Friday, Nov. 28 vs. Temple (5-6)

North Texas also stays put at No. 2 in this week’s rankings. The Mean Green outgained Rice, 640-397, on Saturday. North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 469 yards and three touchdowns. The Mean Green continue to put up explosive offensive numbers week after week, and have the best offense in the entire G5. It’s an offense that can put points on anyone regardless of who they are, and their defense continues to improve.

Their final regular-season game sees them travel to Philadelphia to take on the Owls from Temple. North Texas must stay focused against a team looking to become bowl-eligible. They can’t look ahead to next week, to the American Conference Championship, or potentially even further out to the playoffs.

3. Tulane Green Wave (9-2)

• Last Week: 37-13 Win at Temple
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 29 vs. Charlotte (1-10)

Tulane comes in at No. 3 this week after a 37-13 win over Temple. Jake Retzlaff threw for 231 and two touchdowns on Saturday and added a touchdown on the ground as well. We’ve talked about it in previous weeks, but this team goes as Retzlaff goes. When he plays great, the team plays great. When he struggles, so does the team.

Tulane has a great resume outside their losses to Ole Miss and UTSA. One could argue that they are the most complete G5 team when rolling. They have a matchup against the Charlotte 49ers (1-10), a team that has struggled mightily this year. If Tulane takes care of business, they’ll have the all-important matchup next week against North Texas in the conference championship game.

4. Navy Midshipmen (8-2)

• Last Week: Bye
• This Week: Thursday, Nov. 27 at Memphis (8-3)

Coming in at No. 4 this week is the Navy Midshipmen. They are led by quarterback Blake Horvath, who had the benefit of a bye week last week to help heal his injuries. As always, they have a rushing attack that is hard for anyone to stop, and have an elite athlete in Eli Heidenreich.

They have one of the best Group of 5 wins all year over the USF Bulls. Meanwhile, their losses coming against a phenomenal Notre Dame team and North Texas. They have an important game this weekend against Memphis, and will need a Tulane loss to make it to the American Championship game.

5. USF Bulls (8-3)

• Last Week: 48-18 Win at UAB
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 29 vs. Rice (5-6)

Rounding out and re-entering the top-5 are the USF Bulls. Quarterback Byrum Brown is a cheat code, and they still can play with anyone. The uncertainty surrounding Alex Golesh has hurt this team’s focus a bit, but they still have talent for days.

An American Conference championship is out of the picture, and so is the playoff. However, finishing off with a win this weekend against Rice is still a great season when you consider where this program was only a few short years ago. Rice will be fighting to make a bowl game, so it’s imperative that USF remains as focused as possible and takes care of business on Saturday.

Honorable Mentions

6.) San Diego State (9-2)

• Last Week: 25-3 Win vs. San Jose State
• This Week: Friday, Nov. 28 at New Mexico (8-3)

7.) UConn (9-3)

• Last Week: 48-45 Win at FAU
• This Week: Bye

8.) Old Dominion (8-3)

• Last Week: 45-10 Win at Georgia Southern
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 29 Georgia State

9.)  East Carolina Pirates (7-4)

• Last Week: 58-24 Loss at UTSA
• This Week: Saturday, Nov. 29 at FAU (4-7) 

10.) Memphis (8-3)

• Last Week: Bye
• This Week: Thursday, Nov. 27 vs. Navy (8-2)

Three G5 Games to Watch in Week 14

San Diego State at New Mexico: Friday, Nov. 28

The game of the year in the Mountain West Conference is on Friday, November 28. It’s simple for the San Diego State Aztecs. If they win they’re playing for a conference championship. For New Mexico, it’s not as simple as win and in, but picking up a win to start with is a must. They’ll need some help from Boise State and others, but this matchup could potentially happen two weeks in a row.

Both teams are amidst one of their best seasons in program history, and Albuquerque will be rocking on Saturday night. The key to this game is the Aztecs controlling their emotion and crowd noise, and Jayden Denegal taking care of the ball. This will be a low-scoring defensive slugfest. Whichever team can create more explosive plays will come out with a win.

Navy at Memphis: Thursday, Nov. 27

A great game and a top-10 matchup between Navy and Memphis breaks out on Thursday. Navy still has a chance to sneak into the American Conference Championship game and potentially a playoff. However, they are going to need some help.

This game is not only important for Navy, but for Memphis as well. The Tigers being able to bounce back after two straight losses is key. However, they did get the benefit of a late-season bye in Week 13. The key to this game is if Navy can get stops; and especially if Navy can get off the field on third down. The Midshipmen can struggle defensively, so possessing the ball with their running game and keeping the Tigers’ offense on the sidelines is a must.

Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State: Saturday, Nov. 29

The winner of this game will be playing in the Conference USA Championship game next week. That’s what’s at stake for both these teams.

Both programs are currently coming off losses. Western Kentucky is coming off a hard-fought slugfest game against LSU, a game they lost 13-10. Meanwhile, Jacksonville State is coming off a brutal loss to FIU, 27-21.

The key to this matchup is whether Jacksonville State can come away with points once they cross midfield. Western Kentucky has a bend-don’t-break defense, so Jacksonville State will have the opportunity to put together quality drives. They just need to capitalize on them when they have those drives.

Honorable Mention

Troy at Southern Miss: Saturday, Nov. 29

Another win and you’re in scenario to a conference championship game. This time, it’s a Sun Belt matchup. The winner of this game wins the Sun Belt West and gets to take on James Madison for a Sun Belt Conference Championship. The key to this contest is whether Southern Miss can get stops defensively, an area they have struggled in during their two-game losing streak. Troy isn’t a world-beater offensively, so it should help the Golden Eagles get back on track. A fun midday matchup on ESPN+ that football fans should be keeping an eye on.