College Football: Relegating Worst Power Five Teams to Group of Five

College football should take a page from European soccer leagues and send their worst teams down a level – starting with the Power Five of the FBS.

It’s a common thing that is seen in sports leagues across the world – the idea that the worst team at the top level gets “relegated” each season to the next lowest league while that league’s best gets a promotion to the higher level. It’s something that has gone on for decades, sometimes even centuries – but not in most American sports, like college football.

That fact is truly a shame, since having such a system would have gotten rid of some bad teams a long time ago. When each season produces a FBS team that goes 0-12 but the FCS has one that goes 15-0 or 14-1, it would be a perfect time to send those who don’t deserve the right to play at the highest level down a peg.

While that might be a viable option one day, it would be an even better idea to take the worst team from each of the Power Five conferences and send them down to a Group of Five conference they correspond with based on geography. Just what would that look like based on the results from the 2016 season? It’s funny you asked…

ACC – Virginia for South Florida (AAC)

The Cavaliers, who were at one point one of the worst teams in the conference, quickly turned things around and had just one losing season under legendary head coach George Welsh. That has changed immensely since his departure after the 2000 season, as UVa has had just six winning campaigns in the last 16 seasons – including just one in the last nine years.

At the same time, the Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the Group of Five at this point. After two straight bowl seasons, including a 2016 season where they finished 11-2 with a No. 19 ranking, USF could be even better this season under new head coach Charlie Strong. Many have South Florida being the G5 rep in the New Years Six bowl games, plus they would fit in the ACC with fellow Sunshine State schools FSU and Miami.

Florida State Seminoles Football

Big Ten – Rutgers for Western Michigan (MAC)

It’s a little bit puzzling how the men from New Jersey got so bad, so quickly. From 2005 to 2014, the Scarlet Knights went to a bowl game nine of the 10 seasons., including their first in the Big Ten. Now, Big R is standing around being the punching bags for teams like Ohio State, Michigan and pretty much anyone not named Indiana.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have been to a bowl game each of the last three seasons – including a 13-0 regular season last year that resulted in a Cotton Bowl berth where they hung around with Big Ten opponent Wisconsin. I’m not saying they would come in and dominate their new home, but it can’t be much better than what Rutgers is doing right now.

Big 12 – Kansas for Western Kentucky (Conference USA)

I’m just going to leave this one right here – the Jayhawks area combined 2-22 over the past two seasons of FBS football. Over the past seven seasons, the men from Lawrence have two losses against FCS teams. There is no argument that the worst football in the FBS resides in this basketball hotbed.

Over the last two seasons, the Hilltoppers have gone to multiple bowl games and combined for just five losses – with two of them being against Alabama and LSU and the other three being by a combined seven points. Yes, they would get roughed around by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and others – but they are good for three wins over a two season span.

Pac 12 – Arizona for San Diego State (Mountain West)

This one might be the toughest out of the five to justify, since the Wildcats just had a bad season in 2016 that came after four straight winning seasons and bowl games – including a 10 win season in 2014 that resulted in a trip to the Fiesta Bowl. Still, rules are rules and Bear Down must suffer the consequences.

The Aztecs, on the other hand, have enjoyed seven straight winning seasons that have included the last six by head coach Rocky Long – including back to back 11 win campaigns over the last two years. They would fit right into the South Division, where they would get to play fellow Southern California schools like USC and UCLA on a consistent basis.

SEC – Missouri for Appalachian State (Sun Belt)

Some thought the Tigers were crazy to go over to the Southeastern Conference. In their second season, they won 11 games and the Cotton Bowl before winning 11 more the next year and the Citrus Bowl. The last two seasons have been how the other half lives, going a combined 9-15 to become the odd team out in our little experiment.

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Meanwhile, the three time FCS champion Mountaineers have been the main argument for this idea since they upset Michigan to start the 2007 season. They have gone bowling in their first two seasons of eligibility while going a combined 21-5. Let’s face it…with as bad as the SEC East has been of late, there is a legit chance that App State could make a run for the division title.