Yes it's that time of the year again. It's ranking season. Hate it, love it, dismiss it or simply don't care for it, it is upon us like the summers oppressive heat and uncomfortable mosquito bites. This year, like last year(2014 G5 Rankings) the G5 get ranked. This year the MWC takes the top spot away from the AAC and the Sun Belt find its self in the dog house.
( Not in the mood to read( we are sports fans after all) then why not listen to the rankings on this podcast. Just click and listen:G5 Rankings Podcast no subscription needed)
1. MWC
Last year I ranked the AAC as the best among the G5. This year that distinction goes to the Mountain West. With Boise State winning the Access Bowl and the Mountain West sending 3 teams to the NCAA basketball tournament it is hard to argue against the MWC as the top of the G5. With Boise State looking like the Access Bowl front runner again this year and with good football being played by Utah State, Colorado State and Nevada it will be difficult to knock the MWC from its top perch. MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson has his conference in tip top shape at the moment. Look for another good year for the MWC in 2015-2016.
2. AAC
This time last year the AAC roared into the 2014 Football season with Tostitos Bowl Champion UCF, and with strong football schools in ECU,Houston and Cincy. The season started strongly for the AAC with a ranked ECU looking like it would easily claim the newly formed Access Bowl slot for the league. When the Pirates hit a few road bumps mid way in the season , no one in the AAC stepped forward to take the baton from ECU and capture the Bowl game. Basketball also proved to be less than stellar as the AAC sent only two teams to the NCAA tournament. It is safe to say that last year produced disappointing results for the conference. While the AAC still has tremendous potential they will need to win the Access Bowl slot in order to regain their number one position among the G5. For more on the AAC click here: AAC Issues
3. CONFERENCE USA
The only thing keeping Conference USA from claiming the number two spot in the rankings this year is their lack of competitive basketball . Until the league can send more than one team to the NCAA tournament it will struggle to be seen as the top dog. In terms of football, Marshall carried the league last year and missed the Access Bowl largely because they lacked competitive teams on their schedule. Last year I was critical of the conference as I believed they would not be able to rise above the significant hit they took during realignment. I was wrong as the league proved it belonged as a top contender among the G5 . They now need Southern Miss, UAB(basketball) and new comers ODU and WKU to make noise on a national level.
4. THE MAC
The MAC continues to do what the MAC does best, that is they are the very model of consistency. The MAC has never been sexy or glamorous and this seems quite alright with its member schools. They have earned their place as mid week football darlings and ESPN loves them for it. It is not as if the MAC is without good football. With schools like NIU and Ohio, the MAC can hold their own with many if not most of the other G5 schools. The problem for the MAC is that slow and steady rarely wins the race at the collegiate level. In the end, none of this probably matters to MAC schools or the conference leadership as they are virtually guaranteed stable if not great tv income from ESPN win or lose. As long as they are willing to play on Tuesday night, they can be as slow and steady as they want.
5.THE SUN BELT
This was my biggest ranking mistake last year. I gave the Sun Belt the number 3 spot which turned out to be to high. I was wrong and owe Conference USA an apology. While I still believe the Sun Belt has great potential and that they have more football centric schools than the MAC or Conference USA, they simply did not perform well last year. While there were a couple of stand outs, noticeably Georgia Southern(See Georgia Southern)their most promising football school ,ULL(See ULL,) missed the mark. Call me a glutton for punishment but I still believe the Sun Belt can be a very good conference and I believe that they will make a nice rebound this year. With App State poised for a good year, and Ark State as one of my dark horse Access Bowl candidates, the Sun Belt can certainly do better than they did last year. Until that happens however, I am going to keep them at number 5.
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