College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (9/18/17): Post Week Three

Well, that was a productive week for the G5. Two national wins over top 25 opponents from the G5 and one of the best and wildest games of the season between Tulsa and Toledo highlighted this week. As it is early in the season, the rankings are all over the place from week to week as teams attempt to prove their worth to the nation.

1. South Florida (3-0): Hey Coach Strong. The Bulls finally looked like that team everyone expected heading into the year. Quinton Flowers was dominant, the defense looked solid to good and they easily took care of an Illinois team that easily dispatched WKU last week. The Bulls are back. Up Next: Temple.
2. San Diego State (3-0): There is no team in the G5 that has a better set of back to back wins than the Aztecs. Sure, Arizona State isn’t that good, but going on the road and winning that game followed by a home win over Stanford is damn impressive. Up Next: At Air Force.
3. Memphis (2-0): Pump the brakes a bit on the hype train for the Tigers. Sure, they beat UCLA and have arguably the most impressive wide receiver in the G5 at this moment (sorry, Richie James), but an undefeated season is a long stroll into the future. Just win the games you should and the nation will be paying attention to that September 30 matchup with UCF. Up Next: Southern Illinois.
4. Toledo (3-0): It’s slightly unfair to the Rockets to drop them from second to fourth after winning. Alas, Memphis and San Diego State are also undefeated and deserve the early praise. Don’t worry about the Rockets as they seriously have a chance to go undefeated and make an NY6 Bowl if they can make a statement and beat Miami on the road. Up Next: Miami.
5. Boise State (2-1): It was clear in the 28-14 win over New Mexico that the Broncos need a good Brett Rypien to get through the next month. They have Virginia, BYU, San Diego State, and Wyoming with only one bye week. That is a make or break portion of the schedule. Up Next: Virginia.
6. Houston (2-0): In case anyone forgot about the third team in the AAC, Houston is again among the elite. It was nice of Applewhite and company to call the horses off of a terrible Rice team when they could have put up 60 or more. If they can get by Texas Tech, we could see a battle of the unbeaten when Memphis comes to town in late October. Up Next: Texas Tech.
7. UTSA (2-0): The Roadrunners just keep moving up the list. They are now #7 and the highest ranked team in Conference USA. Their remaining schedule is not that great, save Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech, but UTSA could actually start seeing votes for the top 25 with a few more wins. Up Next: At Texas State.
8. Arkansas State (1-1): I did it. I made the jump and put the Red Wolves over the Mountaineers. I like the way they are playing and think the schedule sets them up for at least nine regular season wins. It would be nice to see them pick up a 12^th game after missing out on a chance to face Miami. Up Next: SMU.  
9. Appalachian State (2-1): I am starting to worry about the Mountaineers after watching them slip by Texas State by a single yard. The running game has been disappointing and Taylor Lamb must pick up his play. Saturday’s matchup is not easy as they host a Wake Forest team that is 3-0 for the second straight year. Up Next: Wake Forest.
10. Louisiana Tech (2-1): I want to like this team, but I am wary. They looked good for a while versus Mississippi State and then fell apart. They played an uneven game and beat a disappointing WKU squad. They haven’t played at all up to their ability. This week will show us just how close the Bulldogs are to the elite of the G5. Up Next: At South Carolina.

Others considered: Navy, Central Florida, WKU, MTSU, Army, CMU, EMU, Ohio, NIU, Troy, Air Force, Colorado State.