Sam Houston's first season as an FBS member in 2023 was rough overall but promising in the margins. The Bearkats finished with a 3-9 record (2-6 in C-USA play), but it became evident towards the end of the season the team was playing better. K.C. Keeler's group were in a lot of close ball games and posted a 3-1 record during the last four weeks of the season.
This year, they are off to a 4-1 start following a thrilling 40-39 upset over Texas State, the program's second-longest rival dating back to 1915. The two sides hadn't played since the Bobcats moved up to the FBS in 2013.
The Bearkats are in second place in Conference USA and are in prime position to challenge for the conference title this season. The College Football Playoff as the Group of Five representative is the sky-high goal, but getting to a bowl game would also be a huge feat.
What a fun story coming out of Huntsville, Texas.
Also, how bout those Ragin' Cajuns!
After a heartbreaking loss to Tulane two weeks ago, America's Cajuns took their explosive offense on the road to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to take on Wake Forest. In an impressive show of both dominance and grit, the Cajuns never trailed and overcame some late-game adversity to pull off the upset -- its first over an ACC opponent -- with a game-winning field goal. And a day shy of coach Michael Desormeaux's 39th birthday. Just an awesome birthday gift for the former standout Ragin' Cajun QB and one of the youngest head coaches in college football.
Group of Five rankings remain important. Though these conferences get a significantly lower financial guarantee from the new 12-team CFP, they are on a more equitable field when it comes to the competition: The four highest ranked conference champions get byes, and the five highest ranked champs get auto-bids, but nothing is to say that the supposed "Power Four" are guaranteed those four byes or four of those five spots; if a Group of Five team were to outrank, hypothetically, the Big 12 champion, it would get a bye and home game. And with those spots comes financial windfalls based on success in the tournament.
| 1 |  |
| What a showing by the Rebels and new starting QB Hajj-Malik Williams. He played sensationally against Fresno State. Now, can he keep it going for the rest of the season? Or was that a one-off emotional performance by UNLV? (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 |  |
| Coach Bob Chesney's Dukes continue to impress. They avoided a letdown last weekend against Ball State by blowing out the Cardinals 63-7. A much stiffer test this week against ULM, which is off to a 3-1 start to the season. (LW: 3) | |
| 3 |  |
| There are not enough ways to describe Ashton Jeanty's production this season. In last week's 45-24 win over Washington State, Jeanty rushed for 259 yards on 26 carries with four touchdowns. He has the Doak Walker Award locked up in my eyes, but can he bring home the Heisman as well? (LW: 4) | |
| 4 |  |
| Last weekend's game vs. Appalachian State was canceled due to Hurricane Helene. Tough to lose out on that game, since the Flames may not get a true test until late in the season vs. Western Kentucky on Nov. 23. (LW: 2) | |
| 5 |  |
| Don't focus on the schedule, but rather on how Army is dominating these games. Army is well-coached, disciplined and explosive on both sides of the ball. What we're seeing from them this season is nothing short of impressive. (LW: 5) | |
| 6 |  |
| A huge game against Air Force awaits the Midshipmen this weekend. These academy games are always tough and competitive. QB Blake Horvath continues to put up monster rushing numbers and explosive passing highlights, which is a big reason why they are undefeated. (LW: 7) | |
| 7 |  |
| The Tigers were able to bounce back after the loss to Navy and defeat Middle Tennessee. They are off this week and take on a pesky South Florida team in two weeks. (LW: 8) | |
| 8 |  |
| America's Ragin Cajuns are fresh off of a 41-38 win over Wake Forest to return to the power rankings. QB Ben Wooldridge looked like a true field general in the win. With QB-turned-WR Lance Legendre's big day, the duo connected six times for 123 yards and two scores. Now, can the Cajuns finally beat Southern Miss, a team they've lost to 11 straight times dating back to 1994. (LW: Not Ranked) | |
| 9 |  |
| The Spartans had to sit on that tough loss to Washington State for two weeks. They now get back on the field this weekend against Nevada. I would expect to see them play arguably their best game of the year against the Wolf Pack. (LW: 10) | |
| 10 |  |
| Quietly but quickly, coach K.C. Keeler has turned around this Bearkats squad in their FBS transition. They are 4-1, coming off of a huge win against Texas State, and sit in second place in the C-USA standings. Don't look now, but Sam Houston could be a player in the conference by season's end. (LW: NR) | |
No longer ranked: Fresno State, Texas State
