Top Group Of Five Conference College Football Playoff Contenders (2024)

Although the Power Four schools will dominate the playoffs, there will be one school from the former group of five which is guaranteed a playoff berth. Which one will it be?

With all the realignment that has gone on, there are fewer and fewer choices to pick from. We can no longer choose UCF, Cincinnati, or even BYU.

Below, we'll take a quick look at five schools with a path to make it into the first 12-team playoff field and a game against the five-seed. There's nothing like getting into the playoffs and playing what could be the second or third-best team in the country.

Appalachian State, Sun Belt

The Sun Belt has become the second-best group-of-five conference behind the Mountain West in recent years. This season, Appalachian State looks to be the class of the conference.

While App State has some tough games against the likes of James Madison and South Alabama, the biggest challenge for the Mountaineers could just be an out-of-conference game against another member of this list in Liberty. Luckily for App State fans, this game will be played in Boone rather than in Lynchburg.

It’s getting real.#GoApp pic.twitter.com/qYTTqNu3h1

— App State Football (@AppState_FB) August 11, 2024

If App State can beat the Flames and win the rest of its games in the conference, it will have a good chance to be the small-school representative in the playoffs.

Boise State, Mountain West

Of all the teams on this list, Boise State will have the most difficult path to an undefeated season.

An opening weekend game at Georgia Southern is not the most difficult. Following a trip across the country by immediately traveling to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks will be extremely tough. The Broncos will also take on the upstart UNLV and travel to Wyoming. Games against Oregon State and Washington State are also on the menu for Boise State.

If the Broncos get through this season with one loss and a Mountain West championship, there is no way the committee can keep them out...is there?

Liberty, C-USA

If Liberty wants to get into the College Football Playoff this season, it needs to do two things. First, it needs to go undefeated again and second, it needs the committee and the country to forget about the 45-6 drubbing it took against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl in January.

THE 2024 LIBERTY FLAMES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 📅 pic.twitter.com/pCS1dKdUfl

— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) February 1, 2024

Liberty has all the money it needs to be a good program. Coach Jamie Chadwell is the highest-paid coach in the G-5 at around $4.5 million per season and the program is funded to an extreme level. It must be for Conference USA or any other league to take a chance on bringing the Flames into the fold. But here they are, and they are running the conference now.

The biggest issue with Liberty and its chance to make it to the playoffs is the lack of anything close to a good team on its schedule. The Flames have not played a power conference team in two seasons. If all goes to plan, they will not play one again until at least the 2026 schedule is released.

Money or not, going through four straight years without being challenged on the field and a lack of ability to schedule teams who match up financially will take its toll on the committee. The members may not want to reward one of the worst schedules in America, even if it is an undefeated team.

Liberty still has a good chance to make it but its best bet is for all other teams on this list to have a minimum of two losses. Otherwise, any of the other teams with just one loss would get the nod over Liberty...and rightfully so.

Memphis, AAC

Everyone loves Memphis and there is a good reason. The AAC is a bit down and Memphis, with its newfound FedEx money, will be leading the pack in financial stability.

With Tulane losing coach Willie Fritz to Houston and UTSA losing five-year QB Frank Harris to retirement, the Tigers look like they could be the best of what is left in the conference.

Two key games for the Tigers will both come against teams from the Sunshine State. A game against the Florida State Seminoles will show what the Tigers can provide against a Power Four team. While this is not the same Seminoles team as 2023, it is still a top 15-ranked program entering the season. This will be key if Memphis wants to gain consideration for a playoff berth. A blowout loss to FSU and it could be lights out for their hopes.

The second game that Memphis will need to navigate is against another member of this list (USF). Coach Alex Golesh has turned the Bulls around in one season on the job. If he can continue the turnaround in Year 2, USF can easily provide the biggest challenge to the Tigers in the AAC. Whichever team wins the showdown will have an inside track on the conference championship game and a shot at the playoff.

USF, AAC

Alex Golesh took a Bulls team that finished with just one win in 2022 and completely turned it around in 2023.

After finishing the 2023 season with a record of 7-6 and a 45-0 win in the Boca Raton Bowl against Syracuse, USF will bring back 18 of 22 starters from last season’s team. This continuity will allow coach Golesh to continue to add more to an explosive offense that he brought with him from Tennessee where he was the offensive coordinator before taking the head coaching job.

After former coach Jeff Scott led the Bulls to two seasons with just one win in three years, it was time for a change. Golesh got the call as the eighth coach since 2003 for the Bulls and looks to be on track to bring the team out of futility.

With a high-powered offense and a solid defense, USF is well-positioned to be the sneaky team in the AAC.

Byrum Brown (QB-USF) surging to the top of my 2024 Heisman Watch...kid can flat out play: 3200 passing yards, 800 rushing yards and 37 all-purpose TDs as a RS-Freshman? Sign me up for more of this!
Video: 4TD 2nd half vs Rice- Threw for 2, ran for 1, caught 1 pic.twitter.com/DBzV4MRJMK

— Jason McGensy (@jpmcgensy) April 15, 2024

Currently, the fourth favorite based on odds to win the conference at +1600 on FanDuel, the Bulls have all the ingredients to be a playoff team. If they can win all their games outside their trip to Alabama in Week 2, this could be the best team for USF since that crazy 2007 season when the team reached No. 2 in the polls.

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