Around the Group of Five: Week 6
The Group of Five has been very entertaining in 2022, with the bid for a New Year’s Six seemingly wide open through the first half of the season. With big wins to come, drama can be expected throughout the remainder of the season.
The Group of Five has been monopolized by the American conference for the last few years, and specifically by the Cincinnati Bearcats. Ever since Luke Fickell has taken over in Cincinnati, the Bearcats have been a power and 2022 seems to be no different.
The Bearcats sit at 5-1 in the early going, with their only loss coming on the road against Arkansas. Cincinnati did get a scare from USF at home last week, surviving the upset bid with a 28-24 win. The Bearcats enter a bye this week, before returning to action October 22 in Dallas against SMU.
Maybe the most entertaining conference to watch in this season has been the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt is a fun conference that seems wide open so far in 2022.
One team that has stood out so far is James Madison, who is playing their first season at the FBS level.The Dukes are 5-0, and looked very impressive in their 42-20 win over Arkansas State.
Along with their impressive wins, they have been battle tested as well.The Dukes trailed 28-3 in a game earlier this year against Sun Belt foe Appalachian State, before rallying back to win 32-28.
The Dukes continue to fight in their first season in FBS, and will look to keep their momentum going when they travel to Statesboro, Georgia to take on Georgia Southern.
James Madison has been impressive, but are still in a tight race for the Sun Belt as Coastal Carolina sits undefeated as well on the season. The Chanticleers have been consistently near the top of the conference since head coach Jamey Chadwell took over in Conway, South Carolina.
The Chanticleers undefeated record has been tough to come by, as they have played in a lot of close games early in the season. They will be tested again on Saturday when Old Dominion travels to Coastal Carolina.
Old Dominion has played in big games throughout the 2022 season, and has some tough losses against Virginia and Liberty most notably. The Monarchs also have some key wins, their biggest coming in the first game of the season when they defeated Virginia Tech 20-17.
Old Dominion continues to be motivated by its unofficial mascot Hudson, a service dog in-training. The Monarchs have been very competitive throughout the year, and have embraced Hudson as they travel to Coastal Carolina hoping to get back on track after a loss last week to Liberty.
The Group of Five is always competitive, and the race for the New Year’s Six bid will continue throughout the season. Teams will continue to get better, and fans can expect an exciting race to the finish line in the Group of Five.
Adam Sheetz is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.
