With this topsy turvy season finally underway and the emergence of non-powers in the AP Top 25, we decided at 18S to have a top 10 G5 Poll in parallel with the usual top 20 on a weekly basis. This season has been a fun one for the non-power schools, with many of the teams in the below top 10 knocking off P5 schools and asserting themselves on the national stage. Some are even making a bigger push towards the CFP than other teams in the past have.
18 Stripes G5 Top 10 Poll
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | LAST WEEK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati | 7-0 | 55-17 Win vs. East Carolina |
| 2 | BYU | 8-0 | BYE |
| 3 | Coastal Carolina | 7-0 | PPD at Troy |
| 4 | Marshall | 7-0 | 42-14 Win vs. Middle Tennessee |
| 5 | Tulsa | 4-1 | 28-24 Win vs. SMU |
| 6 | Liberty | 8-0 | 58-14 Win vs. Western Carolina |
| 7 | Louisiana | 7-1 | 38-10 Win vs. South Alabama |
| 8 | Appalachian State | 6-1 | 17-13 Win vs. Georgia State |
| 9 | Buffalo | 2-0 | 42-14 Win vs. Miami (OH) |
| 10 | Boise State | 3-1 | 52-21 Win vs. Colorado St |
Also Considered: Nevada, Western Michigan, Army, SMU
Week 11 Recap
The biggest game of the weekend in terms of this poll was Tulsa making a second-half comeback at home against previously ranked SMU. The Golden Hurricane have been on the precipice of making the AP Poll all season, but have been facing a rocky schedule with many cancellations and postponements. However, with their win over the Ponies, Tulsa puts some distance between themselves and the rest of the AAC for the second spot in the hypothetical AAC Championship. Cincinnati continued to roll over their competition, crushing East Carolina. Tulane notched a big win in their season by knocking off Army, which was sealed with this onside kick gaff by West Point.
The finish of the weekend happened on Wednesday in Kalamazoo, where Western Michigan overcame a 10 point deficit in under a minute with missed kicks, onside kicks, and fake spikes over Toledo. Elsewhere in the  MAC, Buffalo asserted its dominance and took an early hold of the MAC East with a drubbing of Miami (OH). With a BVG defense standing in front of the Bulls next, I expect Buffalo to continue to roll in the condensed MAC season.
In the Sun Belt, App State survived a scare from Georgia State, who shut down the Mountaineer offense for almost three quarters, before QB Zac Thomas and RB Camerun Thomas kept App State undefeated in conference play. Liberty blew the doors off of FCS Western Carolina. Nevada, San Jose St, and Boise State all kept their conference records unblemished in the Mountain West with fairly easy victories. In what was the coolest moment of the weekend, Marshall honored the 75 victims of the fateful crash on the 50th anniversary of the fateful day by wearing the number 75 on their helmets and black uniforms. The Herd knocked of MTSU 42-14 in a career day from QB Grant Wells (336 Yards 5 TDs).
Week 12 Games to Watch
Western Michigan at Central Michigan (-2)
Two of the directional Michigan schools battle it out for early supremacy of the MAC East Division. Central came into the season as favorites by the media looks to continue its undefeated early season while Western looks to continue its dramatic finish a week ago to potentially hold tiebreakers over both of the assumed frontrunners for the division.
Appalachian State at Coastal Carolina (-4)
With Louisiana already wrapped up the West Division with their win over South Alabama, the eyes of the conference take a look at this collision of powers. The top two scoring defenses in the conference face off in Conway with the winner in the driver’s seat for the Sun Belt East and a look at to see how Coastal can do against the recent, unquestioned top dog in the conference.
Cincinnati at UCF (PK)
What appeared to be a preview for the AAC Championship coming into the season has arrived. While it may not have the same stakes as it did in pre-season, this game provides a litmus test for the Bearcats. The Knights provide the most balanced and explosive offense the Bearcats have faced and may face until a potential CFP bowl game (or dare I say it, a Playoff game). UCF still has an outside shot at an AAC Championship and needs this game to get there.
San Diego State (-1) at Nevada/San Jose State at Fresno State (-2)
I combined these two games as the Mountain West conference, despite being a couple of games into their season, still has some shaking out to do to determine which teams belong in the top tier. We can assume Boise St will be there, and these two games will help determine the others. San Jose State is also the only one of these four teams that has to face Boise St before a MWC Championship Game so these games have even bigger stakes connected to them. Nevada and San Jose St have started out hot in conference and SDSU and Fresno St have had one slip up (San Jose St and Hawaii respectively), basically creating a logjam at the top of the standings.
Liberty at NC State (-4)
Liberty has famously already taken down some ACC opponents on its schedule this season on the road to its current undefeated season. Can they add the Wolfpack to the list? The Wolfpack may prove to be the best challenger to Liberty thus far. NC State seems to be in that third tier behind the top tier of Clemson and Notre Dame and Miami as one of the 9-3/8-4 type teams this season and I think they have a good shot to give Hugh Freeze’s squad their first loss of 2020.
Luke is doing a great job at Cincy — if he wants to move up, he’ll have a few HC options. Also, all I really heard about Hugh Freeze in the past was the scandals / negative coverage, so I was surprised (a) to see him land at a school like Liberty, and (b) to see him doing so well. I wonder if either of these two will be coaching that school up north?
Scandal is kinda Liberty’s thing. That said, it would be hilarious seeing Hugh Freeze at Michigan.
I kinda personally think Freeze is the top contender for the now open South Carolina job only because they are probably going to want a guy with SEC experience and these football coaches almost always fail upwards so it just seems like a matter of time for him.
How does BVG have a job at this point? I think I’d rather promote a GA to DC than let him do it.
How did BVG get 2 different in 2 differennt years “Assistant Coach of the Year” awards (and by his D record at UG earned them) and then go into a downward spiral in effectiveness?
He also had very good D squads for the Falcons.
He was working for the Jets under Rex Ryan right before he came to ND. I think they poisoned his brain with their hyper-complex defense that everyone else figured out in about two years — same thing that happened at ND.
Also, dude’s resume suggests he might be a pretty difficult person to work with. He’s moved jobs almost every single year since about 1987.
It’s kind of weird that Hugh Freeze just signed a contract extension, right? Basically everybody is predicting he’s about to leave Liberty, and then he goes and signs an extension?
Freeze could be a good fit at Syracuse. They’ve already got a worm coaching their basketball team, might as well throw him in there to replace Babers too (woof, what a dramatic falloff he’s had from that 10 win season 2 years ago).
Would Michigan hire Fickell? I don’t see how they can justify keeping Harbaugh past this season, and I can’t see a great P5 coach wanting to leave for that program now.
I have a really hard time seeing Freeze’s sleazy preacher act working anywhere outside the south.