A look at the hottest Group of Five teams across college football heading into Week 9
• 4 min read
One of the best stories so far this college football season has been ULM and coach Bryant Vincent. The former UAB offensive coordinator (and interim coach) has the Warhawks experiencing one of their best seasons in quite a while. ULM is 5-1 on the season, undefeated in Sun Belt play with a major upset of James Madison, and off to its best start since their 1987 national championship team as a member of the FCS.
But what has really made this season a special one is the way Vincent has not only galvanized a team, but an athletics program and community as well. The Warhawks have seen their home attendance jump each game, doubling from 11,145 in the home opener vs. Jackson State to 22,645 for homecoming against Southern Miss two weeks ago.
This weekend, they are betting underdogs at college football sportsbooks at South Alabama. For the rest of the season, the Warhawks have a chance to do something special with games still against Auburn and the red-hot Ragin’ Cajuns in their annual rivalry game at the end of the season. If they are able to take care of business, the Warhawks could end up with their best season since 2012 when they finished 8-5 and earned a trip to the Independence Bowl.
There’s still a lot of football left to be played, but for this week, the Warhawks have earned a spot in our Group of Five Power Rankings.
Group of Five rankings remain important. Though these conferences get a significantly lower financial guarantee from the new 12-team CFP, they are on a more equitable field when it comes to the competition: The four highest ranked conference champions get byes, and the five highest ranked champs get auto-bids, but nothing is to say that the supposed “Power Four” are guaranteed those four byes or four of those five spots; if a Group of Five team were to outrank, hypothetically, the Big 12 champion, it would get a bye and home game. And with those spots comes financial windfalls based on success in the tournament.
What are the season outlooks for the best Group of Five teams? Use Caesars promo code to view the latest odds and get in the game.
Group of Five Power Rankings
Dropped out: James Madison, Sam Houston
