Tag: Group of Five

Countdown to Kickoff: 7 best Group of Five players

The countdown to kickoff continues with the seven best Group of Five players in the country.

Through College Sports Wire’s countdown to kickoff, the Power Five has been overwhelming the focus, and rightfully so. It’s time to look at the Group of Five and its top seven players entering this fall.

The Group of Five’s place in today’s college football landscape is interesting. Thanks to the transfer portal, many of the top players from Group of Five player programs eventually end up at Power Five programs. This was one major worry about the transfer portal and its potential impacts.

There are Groups of Five stars who still have chosen to stay at their respective programs – which is excellent news for college football. While the Group of Five has rarely produced true competitors for national championships, it remains a vital part of college football and what makes the sport special.

This caliber of players choosing to stay at Group of Five programs will only ensure that college football, despite widespread changes, remains healthy from top to bottom.

Honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut in today’s list include Southern Mississippi’s Frank Gore Jr., Colorado State’s Tory Horton, and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley,

Notre Dame-Miami game scheduled for 2024 pushed to 2026

Apologies to those who love to recall Catholics vs. Convicts.

Those who followed Notre Dame in the late 1980s remember the games against Miami all too well, particularly Catholics vs. Convicts. However, the programs haven’t met since the Hurricanes crushed the Irish, 41-8, in 2017. The good news is the rivalry finally will be renewed later this decade. The bad news is it now will take a year later than originally scheduled as reported by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson:

This is perfectly understandable from the Hurricanes’ perspective. They aren’t going to drop any games against in-state rivals, and they sure won’t give up a home against Ball State just so they can go to South Bend. You don’t want to put yourself at any kind of scheduling disadvantage.

As for the Irish, they now need to find another home opponent for 2024. The remaining ones from the ACC are Louisville, Florida State and Virginia, and the Irish also play Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Pittsburgh and Wake Forest come to Notre Dame Stadium this upcoming season, so you can cross them off the list. 2025 will bring visits from NC State and Syracuse.

Maybe Boston College fills the spot since the Irish already are scheduled to travel to them in 2025? Or another Power Five school that has a 2024 opening? Perhaps a Group of Five school that’s never been to South Bend will get its chance? The speculation will run wild until a new opponent can be determined.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

College 12-Pack previews top teams in the Group of Five

Butch Jones, Tom Herman, and Tulane are among the top storylines in the Group of Five.

We kick off the discussion by breaking down the top choices for College GameDay’s feature matchup. ESPN announced they would visit Charlotte, North Carolina, for a neutral site showdown.

As the team sat down to record this episode the Colorado Buffaloes were still expecting to be in the Pac-12 beyond this upcoming season. That was all out the window just hours later with reports surfacing that the school would join the Big 12 as soon as 2024.

Perhaps the lack of a media deal was the main driving force that sent the Buffs back to the conference they called home from 1996 to 2010.

The main course of this ‘College 12-Pack’ episode revolved around the noteworthy Group of Five teams that could stand out in 2022. The American Athletic Conference has a handful of teams to monitor despite Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF heading to the Big 12. Can Tulane, UTSA, or SMU take advantage of this opportunity?

Two coaches that will take center stage for different reasons are Butch Jones of Arkansas State and Tom Herman of Florida Atlantic. Listen in as the guys discuss 10 different Group of Five programs in this preview episode.

Notre Dame-Marshall named third-worst Group of Five loss in CFP era

Like you needed a reminder of how bad that loss was.

We all knew that when Notre Dame lost to Marshall in Week 2 of the 2022 season, any College Football Playoff hopes for the year were cooked. But just how bad was it in the big picture? Well, Twitter user Big Game Boomer has offered one opinion. The college football list aficionado lists the Irish’s 26-21 loss to the Thundering Herd as the third-worst loss by any Power Five program to a Group of Five program since the College Football Playoff began:

The good news for the Irish is that they appear only once on this list. But the fact that they appear in such a prominent spot on the list shows how much they should not have lost to the Herd. They probably weren’t going to the playoff anyway in 2022, but it was an awful feeling to have those hopes dashed so early into the season. It was both a reminder and a hard lesson not to take any opponent for granted.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

The looming bowl controversy which could leave USC and Pac-12 in the cold

Tulane lost to Southern Miss at home. #USC lost to Utah on the road. Tulane could get a Cotton Bowl berth over USC. That seems wrong.

We need to talk about a possible bowl controversy which could emerge one month from now. We’re just about to begin the month of November. In early December, the bowl selections will be revealed.

One scenario could leave USC and the Pac-12 in the lurch, and it would be one more black eye for the Trojans as they linger in the conference before moving to the Big Ten.

You probably know that one of the New Year’s Six bowl slots is reserved for the Group of Five champion, the highest-ranked conference champion from the AAC, Mountain West, C-USA, MAC, and Sun Belt.

The reason for this Group of Five slot is reasonable, obvious and good: Giving the smaller schools and conferences a big bowl game with a substantial payout. Nothing wrong with that.

However: The Group of Five is really bad this year … and that could take a New Year’s Six bowl slot from USC and the Pac-12. Let’s go through the details:

Super-conferences will ruin college football as we know it

This all sucks so badly.

For years now, word has been brewing that college football supremacy will be challenged for only by a select few. A major step in that direction has been taken with the reported defection of USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. That appears to only be the beginning as other Pac-12 schools could follow suit. USA TODAY’S Paul Myerberg believes this all eventually will lead to the Big Ten and SEC becoming two super-conferences at the expense of the remaining Power Five conferences.

All I can say is this absolutely sucks. Never mind what this might mean for Notre Dame. What about college football as a whole? Geographical regions and rivalries suddenly mean far less than who can make the most money out of having ESPN, Fox and whatever other network or streaming service pay for showing the games to audiences.

What happened to the thrill of preparing to beat an opponent only a few hundred miles away? Are we really going to see Rutgers travel to Los Angeles for a game that kicks off at 9 a.m. local time? This is an absolutely ridiculous thought, and one that inexplicably is about to become reality. Say goodbye to team buses for most conference games and hello to being jet lagged during those games on a regular basis.

Yes, I know this is all about money, and I know players are allowed to make it through NIL deals now. But this is where we have to bring up the cliche of money being the root of all evil. In this case, it’s destroying everything that has made college football beautiful for over a century. The future of the sport appears to be a professional league disguised as college football, and that’s not what it’s supposed to be about.

You might remember the major backlash when the European Super League was announced a year ago. Pretty much everyone who loved soccer demonstrated such an outrage over it that the league ultimately ended before it even began. Where’s the anger over this? It’s probably too late, but if fans don’t put up the slightest fuss, this will become our new reality:

If this has to be our new reality, there needs to be a complete realignment of the levels of college football. The idea that all Football Bowl Subdivision teams are under the same umbrella has been laughable at best and an outright lie at worst for some time now. When this all comes to pass, any remaining Power Five programs need to compete for their own championship, as do all Group of Five programs. No one from that latter group ever is going to make the College Football Playoff anyway, so why keep stringing them along?

This latest proposal means that the sport future generations watch will not be the one we, our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents watched. Only the most prominent college football programs will be allowed to compete for the mountaintop, and every other school can forget about ever ascending to that level. Very few of the best players in the country are going to Group of Five schools now, and this will ensure that none of them will go there because they want a chance to go all the way, and they want the most exposure possible.

If none of this bothers you even a little bit, I don’t know how you possibly can enjoy watching the rich get richer. It’s not like college football has a whole lot of integrity these days, and this will annihilate whatever is left of it. We are at a tipping point, and history will remember it as such. That is, if history hasn’t been bought and paid for by another power entity that will ruin that, too.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Where does Oklahoma fall in ESPN’s College Football Playoff picks after week 1?

How did the Sooners fare in ESPN’s College Football Playoff picks after week 1’s win over the Tulane Green Wave?

National observers haven’t taken kindly to the Oklahoma Sooners second-half let down in their matchup with Tulane on Saturday. ESPN and Pro Football Focus dropped Oklahoma in their power rankings, and CBS expects the Sooners to dip in the polls when they’re released on Tuesday.

It’s not surprising. Analysts and experts can be a fickle bunch, often swaying week-to-week as the results on the field change the view of college football teams across the country. It was a poor second-half showing against Tulane. Of that, there is no doubt. However, there was a lot to like in the first half that can propel the Sooners if they can keep their minds right moving forward.

In ESPN’s latest College Football Playoff projections, the ESPN college football staff voted the Sooners fourth. Landing on the ballot of five of their 12 analysts, the Sooners come in behind Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. Alabama and Georgia each received votes on all 12 ballots, while the Buckeyes were selected on 11 of 12 ballots.

Here’s what ESPN had to say.

Unlike Georgia and Alabama, Oklahoma struggled out of the gates but held on to beat Tulane 40-35 in the season opener. Due to the close call, the Sooners land in only five of 12 lists. – ESPN

It isn’t surprising that some analysts chose to leave Oklahoma off their ballots. National observers have been looking for a reason to knock the Sooners after failing to advance in College Football Playoff appearances of the past.

However, when you look at the teams that did get votes, it just doesn’t make sense.

I can see an argument for Clemson, even if their week one performance was a letdown. They played a strong Georgia team, and their ACC schedule should provide them an opportunity to win the conference and be one of the top teams in the nation by the season’s end. There’s plenty of time to make people forget how bad you looked in your week one loss to Georgia.

Texas A&M, I can understand a bit as they were one of the hot teams. They finished just outside of the college football playoff after their lone loss to Alabama last season. In a tough SEC West, they’ll have a chance to make their case as one of the best four teams if they can navigate it relatively unblemished.

Those two teams are highly thought of squads. Clemson a recent two-time national champion, and A&M an SEC darling. But UCLA and Cincinnati, I struggle to understand.

Sure, UCLA looked good in their blowout win over LSU. But is LSU really that good? Their 5-5 record from 2020 seems to indicate they’re not very good. Are we ready to say that Chip Kelly is back? That UCLA is for real? That seems like a stretch after a half-decade of below .500 play.

Cincinnati is a really good Group of Five team that could one day be in the Big 12, but are they really a better squad than Oklahoma? Desmond Ridder will keep the Bearcats in the national title picture in a solid AAC, but it’s hard to make an argument that they’re better than the Sooners, despite OU’s second-half performance against Tulane.

That’s why expanding the playoff will make this all so much more fun. Instead of debating resumes and worthiness, the best teams will get to decide it on the field.

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Stream college football games from the SEC, Big 12, The American, and more on ESPN+

 

Should Group of Five schools conduct their own championship?

Why are we keeping the Group of Five under the same umbrella as the Power Five?

Talk of Big 12 schools leaving the conference for greener pastures means the future of college football has become a hot topic yet again. There’s speculation that longtime rivals Texas and Oklahoma will leave for the SEC. We’ve also heard of Kansas and Iowa State heading to the Big Ten. It makes one wonder if the Big 12 even has a future as a Power Five conference.

Then, amidst all that discussion, you see tweets like this from Statistically Speaking Podcast host Kyle Umlang:

Notre Dame no longer being an independent aside, this graphic gives you pause. Note that some Group of Five schools have been bumped up to Power Five status. “Some” is the key word here. Most of them remain on the outside looking in.

The point is the Power Five conferences only are going to get bigger as time goes on. Unless they eventually admit all Group of Five schools, which is unlikely, what’s even the point of those schools trying to compete with the big boys? Invitations to major bowls already are hard to come by for them, and the new College Football Playoff proposal only serves to benefit the Power Five even more.

Given all of this, there is only one solution: Break the Group of Five conferences away from the Power Five, and let them compete for their own championship. The likes of Northern Illinois and UAB have no hope of winning a national championship under the current or future structure. A new playoff system just for them would at least give them a shot at adding serious hardware to their trophy case. No reasonable college football observer can say they have one now.

Power Five schools still would be allowed to schedule Group of Five schools if they wish, just like they currently do with Football Championship Subdivision Schools. After all, Nick Saban is well within his right to schedule lesser opponents just ahead of the Iron Bowl, as cheap as that is. However, it no longer does any good for the Power Five and Group of Five to compete under the same umbrella. The Group of Five schools barely ever has a shot at New Year’s Six bowls anymore, let alone a national title. That structure is keeping these programs from growing, and they’re stuck where they are as a result.

Let’s discontinue this charade of all Football Bowl Subdivision schools being on equal footing. It’s not true, and everyone knows it. By starting a new playoff for the Group of Five, there would be more opportunities for those schools to play for high stakes, and that would be better for the development of both the players and coaches. When the best you realistically can hope for is a conference championship, something is amiss. At least with March Madness, every Division I conference has a shot at standing above the rest.

Let’s add yet another champion to the college football season. Some might call it a cheap move, but is it any better than what we have now? Heck, the new Division I subdivision can take some of the bowls its team already gets sent to. Would it really bother the Power Five schools if they didn’t get to go to the New Orleans Bowl or Bahamas Bowl?

The national championship is the goal for every team. Give the Group of Five teams a chance. It’s time to set them free from the grips of the Power Five.

Should Group of Five schools conduct their own championship?

Why are we keeping the Group of Five under the same umbrella as the Power Five?

Talk of Big 12 schools leaving the conference for greener pastures means the future of college football has become a hot topic yet again. There’s speculation that longtime rivals Texas and Oklahoma will leave for the SEC. We’ve also heard of Kansas and Iowa State heading to the Big Ten. It makes one wonder if the Big 12 even has a future as a Power Five conference.

Then, amidst all that discussion, you see tweets like this from Statistically Speaking Podcast host Kyle Umlang:

Notre Dame no longer being an independent aside, this graphic gives you pause. Note that some Group of Five schools have been bumped up to Power Five status. “Some” is the key word here. Most of them remain on the outside looking in.

The point is the Power Five conferences only are going to get bigger as time goes on. Unless they eventually admit all Group of Five schools, which is unlikely, what’s even the point of those schools trying to compete with the big boys? Invitations to major bowls already are hard to come by for them, and the new College Football Playoff proposal only serves to benefit the Power Five even more.

Given all of this, there is only one solution: Break the Group of Five conferences away from the Power Five, and let them compete for their own championship. The likes of Northern Illinois and UAB have no hope of winning a national championship under the current or future structure. A new playoff system just for them would at least give them a shot at adding serious hardware to their trophy case. No reasonable college football observer can say they have one now.

Power Five schools still would be allowed to schedule Group of Five schools if they wish, just like they currently do with Football Championship Subdivision Schools. After all, Nick Saban is well within his right to schedule lesser opponents just ahead of the Iron Bowl, as cheap as that is. However, it no longer does any good for the Power Five and Group of Five to compete under the same umbrella. The Group of Five schools barely ever has a shot at New Year’s Six bowls anymore, let alone a national title. That structure is keeping these programs from growing, and they’re stuck where they are as a result.

Let’s discontinue this charade of all Football Bowl Subdivision schools being on equal footing. It’s not true, and everyone knows it. By starting a new playoff for the Group of Five, there would be more opportunities for those schools to play for high stakes, and that would be better for the development of both the players and coaches. When the best you realistically can hope for is a conference championship, something is amiss. At least with March Madness, every Division I conference has a shot at standing above the rest.

Let’s add yet another champion to the college football season. Some might call it a cheap move, but is it any better than what we have now? Heck, the new Division I subdivision can take some of the bowls its team already gets sent to. Would it really bother the Power Five schools if they didn’t get to go to the New Orleans Bowl or Bahamas Bowl?

The national championship is the goal for every team. Give the Group of Five teams a chance. It’s time to set them free from the grips of the Power Five.

Five ways to improve the College Football Playoff

After this season, it’s obvious that the College Football Playoff system needs a fix. Here are five ways the power conferences can do so.

Alabama‘s national championship in 2011 over LSU was the moment that everyone knew the BCS was a broken system. This year’s College Football Playoff is similar in the fact that the sport needs a change for the better.

There are many different opinions as to what improvements need to be made. Ultimately, the FBS conferences will follow whatever gives them the opportunity to make the most money. That may be a sad reality, but it will always be what drives commissioners and the sport’s biggest influencers.

The current College Football Playoff contract runs through the 2025 season. However, we have seen how quickly things can change. For the betterment of college football, the playoff system needs a fix.

Here are five ways they can do that.