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The Underdogs Poll is a weekly ranking of college football's top non-power FBS teams. Voters come from SB Nation sites Bull Run, Hustle Belt, Miner Rush, Mountain West Connection, Underdog Dynasty, Vanquish The Foe, and Voodoo Five.
Mountain folk are invading the Underdogs Poll. Four of the top five teams in this week's poll hail from the MWC's Mountain Division. Let that sink in for a minute. I'll meet up with you again after the poll:
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshall (10) | 246 | 1 |
| 2 | Colorado State (5) | 239 | 2 |
| 3 | Boise State (2) | 229 | 3 |
| 4 | Utah State | 173 | 6 |
| 5 | Air Force | 164 | 9 |
| 6 | NIU | 153 | 8 |
| 7 | Memphis | 147 | 10 |
| 8 | ECU | 111 | 4 |
| 9 | Georgia Southern | 97 | 5 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 92 | 15 |
| 11 | Louisiana Tech | 86 | 11 |
| 12 | UCF | 81 | 12 |
| 13 | Nevada | 67 | 7 |
| 14 | BYU | 51 | 13 |
| 15 | UL Lafayette | 35 | 17 |
| Dropped out: Toledo | Others receiving votes: WMU (23), BGSU (22), Toledo (12), Rice (9), Houston (1), UTEP (1), Navy (1) | |||
Marshall is on top because Marshall is still undefeated. Before people start griping about Marshall's schedule (we already know it's weak), let's get that out the way. Yes, it's weak, but Marshall is winning the right way: BIG. That said, the MWC is really putting the squeeze on the Thundering Herd.
At this point, anything less than spectacular performances by Rakeem Cato and co. in these next few weeks could result in a backwards slide, even if they go 12-0.
Who would be the most likely to shove the Thundering Herd out of their seat? Well, really, no one outside the MWC has a legit shot at that now. Georgia Southern's rise up the polls came to a halt when the Eagles once again got demolished in a non-conferencee game; just another black eye on a weak Sun Belt. Speaking of black eyes, the MAC is an absolute mess this season, so no, NIU probably isn't getting to the No. 1 spot. Conference USA? HA! Aside from Marshall losing to a conference mate in these next few weeks,d that isn't happening. The AAC? I suppose Memphis has an outside shot, but with the conference devouring one another each week, it's slim.
But, then there's this beautiful cluster of Mountain teams. Each plays another member of that group over the last two weeks. Air Force and Colorado State face off on Black Friday, while Utah State goes to Boise State the following day. Even with loses, the MWC could keep its stranglehold on the top five heading into bowl season.