AP Poll: SMU #22, Liberty #25 In Final Top 25 For 2023

With the Tuesday release of the the AP Top 25, signifying the organization's final rankings for the 2023-2024 college football season, G5 fans have a reassurance of who the top two teams in that category are.

The SMU Mustangs were the top-ranked team from the Group of Five at #22. Rhett Lashlee's squad were the champions of the American Athletic Conference and posted an 11-3 record. They ended their season with a loss to Boston College in the Fenway Bowl. It's the the first time the Mustangs have been included in a postseason AP Poll since 1984.

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In Conference USA, the league champion Liberty Flames also managed to land at #25 following a year with 13 wins and one loss. That singular loss came in the Fiesta Bowl to an Oregon team that tied with Florida State for #6 in the poll. It's the second time that Liberty have been included in a postseason AP Poll since they reached #17 in the 2020 postseason poll.

Both teams were in the top 20 prior to their respective bowl losses. 

Tulane and James Madison, both suffering fairly heavy losses due to injury and the transfer portal, also lost their bowl games. Both of those teams were included in the Top 25 prior to bowl season, but fell out of the final rankings.

Other G5 Teams Receiving Votes:

Tulane 76, James Madison 52, Memphis 32,  Troy 10, Air Force 8, Toledo 7, Miami (Ohio) 4, UTSA 3, Wyoming 2