Just glancing at early previews and teams (no, I don’t have enough time to look at every team) and the 15-25 spots in the rankings could be taken over by the G5 this coming season:

Cincy (this is almost a Top 10 team)
UCF
Louisiana
Coastal or App
Liberty (not in G5 conf but I would put them in that perception)
Boise
UAB (say homer if you like, but UAB returns nearly everyone)

I would assume at least one team comes out of nowhere...happens every year. Even if not, that’s 7-8 teams likely to be knocking of the door of top 25 this season.

Looking at the UAB schedule I dont think UAB get 2 games over .500 till last game of the season.

(05-25-2021 07:26 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Looking at the UAB schedule I dont think UAB get 2 games over .500 till last game of the season.

Ok. Not the place for a long debate about one team, but 5th preseason verse, same as the first. On topic, is there a CUSA team outside of UAB you see pushing Top 25?

EDIT: You know, I'm not going to let that go without a retort. UAB returns 17 starters (including the entire OL) - 8 on Off, 7 on Def - after winning the West & the CUSA championship. We won the West beating Rice with only around 40 scholarship players due to COVID. I just wanted to throw that trivia out there.

Now please don't make this about one team. I'm just saying we could see more G5s in the Top 25 this coming season than we ever have. Cincy will likely be Top 10.

(05-25-2021 09:15 PM)blazr Wrote:  

(05-25-2021 07:26 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Looking at the UAB schedule I dont think UAB get 2 games over .500 till last game of the season.

Ok. Not the place for a long debate about one team, but 5th preseason verse, same as the first. On topic, is there a CUSA team outside of UAB you see pushing Top 25?

EDIT: You know, I'm not going to let that go without a retort. UAB returns 17 starters (including the entire OL) - 8 on Off, 7 on Def - after winning the West & the CUSA championship. We won the West beating Rice with only around 40 scholarship players due to COVID. I just wanted to throw that trivia out there.

Now please don't make this about one team. I'm just saying we could see more G5s in the Top 25 this coming season than we ever have. Cincy will likely be Top 10.

If its a yes or no answer then its a no on anyone from CUSA being top 25. UAB has a very good running game and it doesnt depend on just one back. Mr INT played a very good championship game. I was actually impressed with him in that game.

That one game could be a stepping stone confidence builder...sometimes that's all it takes. But I'm betting on Tyler Johnston III, to pick right back up with the INTs. If UAB cant hit the deep balls it makes it a lot easier to stop their running game.

The UAB defense played great back to back games...Rice and Marshall. But Rice has never been a good offensive team since Western joined CUSA. Marshall was shell shocked on offense way before the championship game.

CUSA as a whole last year was not a very good offensive conference. I personally believe the conference steps it up on offense this coming season. Western had around 17 or 18 players returning last year from a 9 win team...

offense matters and Western was one of the worse offensives in football

UAB plays 3 out of the first 4 on the road and the 5th and 6th games wont be easy home games. UAB will not win at UGA and if UNT improves on defense that could very easily be a L and a 1-2 start. I think UAB will be very lucky to be 2-2 after the first 4 games. If UAB going into North Texas and Tulane and win both....

I will be very surprised

Then UAB plays Liberty and FAU and neither game should be easy...great offensive system in Liberty and a very good defensive team in FAU. FAU's season will depend on how much improvement they have on offense.

Doesnt take much effort to see UAB 3-3 after 6 games

S. Miss should be a very improved team on offense this season. Their season is going to depend on who fast they adapt to new systems. But this game is @S. Miss

I think UAB beats Rice and splits vs Tech and @Marshall. If UTSA builds off what they were doing last season. I dont see UAB getting a win @UTSA. Dont know who they have coming back but if they dont lose a ton. USTA is my pick to come out of the West. I thought they were the best tea in CUSA, last year, but struggle through QB injuries early...set them back.

I think UAB beats UTEP

Nothing I wrote has anything to do with my dislike of Dirty Bill Clark. Its my honest opinion on UAB's schedule. With that if Mr INT plays like he did in the championship game and UAB's defense steps up. UAB could come out of the first four at 3-1 and that changes everything...

confidence and good QB play and good defense can get UAB back to the championship game. Preseason I dont think that happens

I agree that the schedule is tough for UAB.
At GA and Tulane and Marshall and UTSA and USM and N Texas.
And home vs Liberty, FAU, Rice and La Tech.
Neutral vs FCS power Jax St.
I think the home game vs UTEP is the most winnable.
The balance of the schedule will be tough.
Go Blazers!

Johnston had 7 tds and 1 int last season...

Ok, now on to G5 teams crashing the Top 25

A few more teams you didn’t list:

San Jose State
Memphis
Some MAC team, maybe Ball State?

I think Cincy, Louisiana and Liberty are the most likely of the bunch to finish the season ranked.

(05-25-2021 09:15 PM)blazr Wrote:  Ok. Not the place for a long debate about one team, but 5th preseason verse, same as the first. On topic, is there a CUSA team outside of UAB you see pushing Top 25?

Lol!

Uh, we were #15 last year until the team fell apart. We got rid of the cancer and have many coming back. So, yeah, Marshall could easily be in the conversation. We were in ranked to start the season until we beat App. Same opportunity is there for us this year with Navy. That’s why I never get all hyped up on preseason rankings.

Over the last 8 seasons, there has definitely been a trend of non-P5 teams breaking more into the Top 25. There were 8 G5/independent teams in the final AP Top 25 in football this year

#8 Cincinnati
#11 BYU
#14 Coastal Carolina
#15 Louisiana
#17 Liberty
#23 Ball State
#24 San Jose State
#25 Buffalo

In 2014, there were 3. In 2017, there were 4. In 2018, there were 6. In 2019, there were 7. Definitely a trend.

(05-26-2021 09:53 AM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  

(05-25-2021 09:15 PM)blazr Wrote:  Ok. Not the place for a long debate about one team, but 5th preseason verse, same as the first. On topic, is there a CUSA team outside of UAB you see pushing Top 25?

Lol!

Uh, we were #15 last year until the team fell apart. We got rid of the cancer and have many coming back. So, yeah, Marshall could easily be in the conversation. We were in ranked to start the season until we beat App. Same opportunity is there for us this year with Navy. That’s why I never get all hyped up on preseason rankings.

No reason to lol...I didn’t single out any team and UAB was already discussed.

FAU is returning almost everyone and there is a hope of a legitimate QB leading the offense.

(05-26-2021 09:57 AM)CoachMaclid Wrote:  Over the last 8 seasons, there has definitely been a trend of non-P5 teams breaking more into the Top 25. There were 8 G5/independent teams in the final AP Top 25 in football this year

#8 Cincinnati
#11 BYU
#14 Coastal Carolina
#15 Louisiana
#17 Liberty
#23 Ball State
#24 San Jose State
#25 Buffalo

In 2014, there were 3. In 2017, there were 4. In 2018, there were 6. In 2019, there were 7. Definitely a trend.

Personally, I consider BYU a P5 Independent.

(05-25-2021 07:11 PM)blazr Wrote:  Just glancing at early previews and teams (no, I don’t have enough time to look at every team) and the 15-25 spots in the rankings could be taken over by the G5 this coming season:

Cincy (this is almost a Top 10 team)
UCF
Louisiana
Coastal or App
Liberty (not in G5 conf but I would put them in that perception)
Boise
UAB (say homer if you like, but UAB returns nearly everyone)

I would assume at least one team comes out of nowhere...happens every year. Even if not, that’s 7-8 teams likely to be knocking of the door of top 25 this season.

There might be another top 25 team from the AAC, since there were 4 in 2019, and another from the MWC, since they've averaged 2 per season.

In addition, BYU might have a shot. They have 7 P5 teams on their schedule, but could finish in the top 25, given that they finished at #16 last season.

As noted above, the non-P5 teams have been on a steady, upward, multi-year trend which could continue, either in the form of an increase in the number of top 25 non-P5 teams, or in the average ranking of the top 10 non-P5 teams.

Not only were there more non-P5 teams in the final AP Top 25 last season, but there were far more non-P5 teams in the final AP Top 15 than there have been since the P5 split in 2012-13.

Unless I'm mistaken, 2020 was the first season that ended with more than 1 non-P5 team in the final AP Top 15 (there were 4 non-P5 teams in the final AP top 15 in 2020).

.

(05-26-2021 08:50 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  Johnston had 7 tds and 1 int last season...

Yes. That’s why it’s Mr. INT (singular, just had the ONE).


At first I thought he was talking about a DB :)

Rice will be one of those teams to come out of nowhere and show up in the top 25

I’ve been saying this for about 30 years now, gonna happen eventually

You can put a big, very, very, big * for last season because 2 P5 conference and the MWC started so late. If every conference started play on the same date...

most of the G5 schools, ranked early in the season would have went the whole season unranked or only been ranked, late into the season. 8 to 10 games into the season.

(05-28-2021 06:25 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  You can put a big, very, very, big * for last season because 2 P5 conference and the MWC started so late. If every conference started play on the same date...

most of the G5 schools, ranked early in the season would have went the whole season unranked or only been ranked, late into the season. 8 to 10 games into the season.

100% true, especially when 2020 is viewed in isolation; 2020 was certainly an anomaly in some respects.

However, the trajectory in terms of the number of final AP Top 25 teams fits perfectly with the multi-year trend (6 in 2018, 7 in 2019, 8 in 2020), suggesting that while 2020 certainly may have been an anomaly with respect to how many non-P5s there were in the final top 15, it wasn't an anomaly with respect to how many non-P5s there were in the top 25.

These are fun trends to watch for the non-P5 football fans.

.

B1G schools were in the rankings even when they weren’t playing.

(05-28-2021 06:25 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  Rice will be one of those teams to come out of nowhere and show up in the top 25

I’ve been saying this for about 30 years now, gonna happen eventually

The sun shines on a dog’s ass once in awhile.