Football Rankings of the G5 Teams and Week 1 Update

Here’s the NCAA G5 Football Rankings and Week 1 Update. Many teams played weak opponents, but a couple of teams had substantial wins early. This is an update and also a short preview of important G5 matchups this week.

5. Memphis did nothing to hurt their ranking with a dominant win over UT-Chattanooga 45-10. No lasting injuries, no great difficulties with a weaker opponent. And AAC hopes went up with a loss by Army. Memphis plays at Georgia State in their first road game. If they handle business there, QB Brendon Lewis (transfer from Nevada) could have them at 3-0 by the time of their first tough game of the year. That big clash will be Arkansas from the SEC: a victory then could put then on the national map.

4. James Madison University looked good in a win over Weber State, 45-10. They have to put the helmets on tight as they face Louisville in Louisville this weekend. Tough, tough early season matchup. On the good side, if they win they might be favored in all the rest of their games. Only close one, maybe a toss-up against Liberty.

3. Tulane led off the year with a thumping at Northwestern. The last time they beat a Power 5 opening week on the road was during the Nixon times. No, not the 70s; it’s when Nixon was the vice-president back in 1956. So yeah they’re loaded and have continuity from last year. They’ll face a significantly overmatched South Alabama squad this weekend and should start 2-0 before a big test against Duke in Week 3.

2. Liberty beat the Main Black Bears 28-7. They pulled away at the end. Liberty has a solid squad, but their schedule keeps them high on this list. Liberty needs to step it up as they travel to Jacksonville State. It’s a conference game and they’re favored.

1. BYU leads the pack early, via a 69-0 shellacking of Portland State. Reminder, Portland State is perennially a bottom-dweller in their conference. But early returns put BYU as the top rushing team in the country with 468 rushing yards. They’ll get an early challenge against Stanford, which probably will bring them to earth. But the BYU squad was 26th in the AP poll, just outside the top 25.

Remember to check weekly for G5 updates. The best team gets a CFP playoff slot; that’s the rankings I’m giving here. Follow me @ajayxemem on Twitter, or email any questions or comments to g5@theforkball.com