Group of Five Teams In New Year’s Six Bowl Hunt: 21 For 2021 Preview Topics

21 for 2021 preseason topics: No. 10. The top Group of Five college football teams that should be in the New Year’s Six bowl chase.

21 for 2021 preseason topics: No. 10. The top Group of Five college football teams that should be in the New Year’s Six bowl chase.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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This piece is almost certainly going to be wrong.

Two years ago we didn’t get Memphis – who ended up getting the New Year’s Six Bowl nod – and last season we weren’t even in the right zip code when it came to the rise of Coastal Carolina and Louisiana.

But we did have Cincinnati on the 2020 list.

So far in the College Football Playoff era, six teams from the Group of Five conferences – the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt – have been the highest-ranked conference champion in the final CFP rankings to get the New Year’s Six spot. None of them have been able to get into the playoff, but if the tournament expands, that will change.

Boise State beat Arizona in the first shot for the Group of Five, and Houston followed it up with a win over Florida State. Western Michigan, Memphis, Cincinnati, and UCF (twice) are the other schools to get the big spotlight game, going 3-4 overall and generally playing very, very well in the losses.

This year, the Group of Five champion – if it’s not in the College Football Playoff – will either play in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl or the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.


21 for 2021 Preview Topics (so far)  
21. Thoughts, Wishes, Hopes for 2021
20. Best Teams To Not Make CFP
19: Teams That Will Rebound Big
18. Teams That Will Fall Back
17: Every Power 5 Team’s Letdown Game
16. Expectations For New Head Coaches
15. Expectations For 2nd Year Head Coaches
14. Power 5 Hot Seat Coach Rankings
13. 21 Key Transfers You Need To Know
12. Group of 5 over Power 5 Upset Alerts
11. 5 of College Football’s New Superstars

CFN 2021 Preview: All 130 Team Previews


So what does it take for a Group of Five program to get that New Year’s Six slot? Realistically – but not technically – 1) needs to go unbeaten or finish with just one loss, 2) it should have at least one signature win to impress the College Football Playoff committee that does the rankings, and 3), as part of the requirement, it has to win its conference championship.

Here’s hoping that a few teams will rise up and shock the world, but assume that one of these teams will likely have the best shot at getting the New Year’s Six nod.

Let’s start with a total cop-out.

College Football Group of Five Programs in the New Year’s Six Hunt

5. San Jose State at Nevada winner

CFN 2021 San Jose State Preview

Boise State is always the instant pick from the Mountain West to have a shot at the New Year’s Six bowl bid, but this year’s team is undergoing a coaching overhaul and it has a few tweaks it has to make, but there are three problems …

Non-conference schedule, non-conference schedule, non-conference schedule.

The Broncos should be strong enough in a relatively weak Mountain Division to get to the Mountain West title game, but they have to start the season at UCF, host Oklahoma State, and they have to go to BYU.

If they win all three they should probably be No. 1 on this list, if they win two of the three they’ll be in the hunt, and if they win just one, forget it. Throw in the road games at San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State, and it’s a tough ask.

CFN 2021 Nevada Preview

From the West, Fresno State will be dangerous, San Diego State always has a puncher’s chance to get to the NY6, and Hawaii will be plucky, but it should – like last year – come down to the showdown between San Jose State and Nevada.

The Spartans have to go to USC, but they other three non-conference games are against Western Michigan, New Mexico State and Southern Utah. If they’re good enough to win the Mountain West title, they’ll be good enough to win all three of those.

They don’t have to play Boise State and get San Diego State and Fresno State at home. However, they start November with a trip to Reno.

The Wolf Pack are loaded with high-octane offensive talent, the overall experience is in place, and the coaching staff is hitting its stride. They have to at least split the road games against Cal and Kansas State, and they follow that up with a trip to Boise State. Throw in road games at San Diego State and Fresno State, and there’s a problem.

However, get by San Jose State, go on to win the Mountain West title, and they should be in the hunt.

NEXT: Group Of Five Teams In New Year’s Six Bowl Hunt, No. 5

Toledo Football Schedule 2021

Toledo Rockets 2021 football schedule, analysis, and what MAC teams they miss.

Toledo Rockets 2021 football schedule, analysis, and what MAC teams they miss.


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Toledo Football Schedule 2021

2021 MAC Football Schedule

Sept. 4 Norfolk State

Sept. 11 at Notre Dame

Sept. 18 Colorado State

Sept. 25 at Ball State

Oct. 2 at UMass

Oct. 9 Northern Illinois

Oct. 16 at Central Michigan

Oct. 23 Western Michigan

Oct. 30 OPEN DATE

Nov. 2 Eastern Michigan

Nov. 10 at Bowling Green

Nov. 16 at Ohio

Nov. 27 Akron

MAC Teams Missed From West: Buffalo, Kent State, Miami University

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College Football News Preview 2020: Toledo Rockets

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Toledo Rockets season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Toledo Rockets season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Schedule Analysis
– Toledo Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 6-6 overall, 3-5 in MAC
Head Coach: Jason Candle, 5th year, 34-19
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 110
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 73
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 93

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Toledo Rockets Offense 3 Things To Know

The 2016 Toledo offense ripped off over 6,700 yards. The 2017 attack flirted with 7,000 yards. 2018 was a down year with 5,770 yards and without the same pop, and then came 2019.

5,209 yards.

The Toledo O wasn’t all that bad by most standards – especially with the MAC’s second-best running game – but the passing attack wasn’t consistent or efficient enough, and the scoring wasn’t always there.

Two years ago, Toledo cranked up 525 points, scoring 24 or more in every game but two. Last year’s offense came up with 327 points and failed to get more than 14 in three of the last seven. With eight starters returning, there’s hope to be a whole lot better.


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– Senior Eli Peters will still have to push for the job, but he has the inside track after getting work in half the season with 828 passing yards with six scores and three picks. Sophomore Carter Bradley is a bit of a bigger option, and a slew of underclassmen will get their shot.

The receivers are there to make the passing game a whole lot stronger. Senior Bryce Miller averaged over 19 yards per catch with a team-high 679 yards, and speedy Danzel McKinley-Lewis tied for the team lead with 36 grabs, averaging over 17 yards per catch. 6-4, 240-pound senior Drew Rosi is a nice tight end who can do a lot more than 18 catches.

The running game was strong. Bryant Koback led the way with 1,187 yards with 12 scores – averaging over six yards per carry – and 215-pound senior Shakif Seymour is back as a strong No. 2 back in the rotation.

Four starters are back on the offensive front after a rough year in pass protection, but they’ll once again be great for the ground game. Sophomore guard Nick Rosi is the best of the bunch, but the line should be a strength.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Toledo Rockets Defense 3 Things To Know

Former Michigan State football coach Mark Staten hired at Toledo

Staten is the third Dantonio assistant to find a new job within the FBS.

Former Michigan State offensive line and tight end coach Mark Staten will be back on the sidelines in Spartan Stadium this fall . . . just not on the side he is used to.

Staten has been hired to coach tight ends and offensive tackles by Toledo, the school’s head coach Jason Candle announced on Twitter.

The Toledo Rockets are currently scheduled to play at Michigan State on September 19 should the football season go on as planned.

Staten was a mainstay on the staffs of Mark Dantonio, working with him at Cincinnati and all 13 of Dantonio’s years at Michigan State. Staten spent most of his team at MSU coaching the offensive line before switching to tight ends coach and special teams coordinator prior to the 2019 season.

Staten is the third former Dantonio assistant to land a new gig–excluding the ones still on staff under Mel Tucker at MSU. Former receivers coach Terrance Samuel took the same role at UNLV in addition to being named passing game coordinator. Paul Haynes, who coached defensive backs at MSU from 2018-19, took the same position at Minnesota shortly after Dantonio resigned in February.

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