Happy Independence Day! As part of today’s celebration, it’s a perfect time to look at the Independent College Football teams that do not have a conference, but still compete at the FBS level. These teams are Notre Dame, UConn, and UMass.
Independent Teams Aren’t as Trendy As They Were a Few Years Ago
Independence has always for the most part been the outcast group of the FBS The teams have normally consisted of teams that either can’t find a conference, or are unhappy with their conference and want to look for better opportunities.
For most of FBS history, being an Independent team was terrible. But between the 2010-2020 years, being Independent wasn’t so bad. In fact, in 2018, the Independent teams were actually a pretty formidable group. Here were their standings:
- Notre Dame 12-1
- Army 11-2
- BYU 7-6
- Liberty 6-6
- UMass 4-8
- New Mexico State 3-9
There began to be talks about forming an alliance, where each team would play each other over the course of a few seasons, and it looked like being Independent was a solid option for teams unhappy with their current situations.
That is no longer the case. Today, outside of Notre Dame (who is happy), only UMass and UConn remain, and because of the new playoff format, they want to get out as quick as possible. In fact, UMass will be joining the MAC next year.
Independent Teams Are In a Tough Spot to Make the College Football Playoff
Today, the Independent teams consist of UMass, UConn, and Notre Dame. While Notre Dame is happy to be Independent, UMass and UConn find themselves in a situation where they desperatly are needing to find a home, and quick. Under the new College Football Playoff system, the only realistic way that a G5 team makes the CFP is if they are the highest ranked G5 champion. The problem of course, is that Independent teams don’t have a conference champion, so they have to rely on being ranked high enough for an at-large spot.
For Notre Dame, it’s not too big of a deal. Go 10-2 or better, and be in the field. For UMass and UConn, it would probably take a 12-0 season, and then still hope there aren’t multiple 9-3 SEC/Big 10 teams. If these were to go to a conference, they realistically could go 11-1, win a conference championship and be in the Playoff.
A 14-team playoff model is being socialized that would grant 3 AQs each to Big Ten/SEC, 2 AQs each to Big 12/ACC, 1 AQ to G5 + 3 at-large, sources tell @YahooSports.
The model is not finalized & is not the only option. More discussion/vetting is expectedhttps://t.co/n5TUg76jRQ
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 28, 2024
Ranking the Independents
- Notre Dame: There is no question that Notre Dame is the top Independent team. They have an outside shot of making the Playoff this year, and will certainly have opportunities to impress the committee with games against Texas A&M, Florida State, and USC. The issue is, they also play a lot of bad teams, including Miami (OH), Virginia, Northern Illinois, and Army. A slip here could put their at-large hopes in jeopordy.
- UConn – Normally football success brings an uptick in basketball recruiting, but we may be seeing a rare case where the opposite is true. For their first few years as an Independent, UConn was the bottom of the FBS colllege football barrell. However, they seem to be turning things around, at least a little bit. Last year, despite a 3-9 record, they lost by one possession or less four times. Go 2-2 in those games, and UConn is a 5-7 team. Not great, but not the worst in college football. It also helps the UConn has the 74th rated transfer portal ranking, which for G5 teams is really high (14th overall). Also, they beat UMass convincingly last season.
- UMass – UMass literally has been the worst college football team since they joined the FBS in 2012 going a combined 24-113. Their best seasons have been years they have gone 4-8. If there is any silver lining, it is that like UConn, they actually pulled in a decent transfer portal class at 79 (18th among G5’s). Do I believe UMass will win six games? Probably not. But could they possibly get to 5? It’s possible, especially with two FCS opponents and a MAC heavey schedule.
Oregon State and Washington State
Many believe that Oregon State and Washington State are both Independent teams now that the Pac-12 has collapsed, and while they may end up being Independent this time next year, as it currently stands, they are still in the Pac-12, and actually have a lot of control with the naming rights and brand. There are rumors that the two schools are currently working out a deal with the top G5 teams in the nation to build up the Pac-12 again, and perhaps even be considered a Power Conference.
The teams have this year to figure things out, or at least to get to at least eight teams, otherwise they will not be a recoginzied conference starting next year. In the meantine, they have made an agreement with the Mountain West to play six games each this season against MWC teams.