The chase for New Year’s Six Bowl game: Memphis can make a statement vs. Ole Miss

We enter Week 5 of college football and there are plenty of games that will have a race in what Group of Five team can remain in the discussion for the coveted automatic bid for a New Year’s Six Bowl game.

UConn at No. 6 Houston 8 PM ET, September 29 (ESPN) - Houston is a huge 27-point favorite in this game, but this makes the list because the Huskies upset the Cougars last year. However, Houston QB Greg Ward, Jr., was out for this game last year on the road. If UConn wants another upset they need to stop Ward who is in the running for the Heisman and leading the Cougars to not just a big money bowl game but maybe even a playoff appearance. The Huskies defense is just average at 55th in the country in yards allowed per game, and to win they need to be a top-10 unit.

Toledo at BYU, 10:15 PM, September 30 (ESPN2) - The Cougars have been a divisive team around these parts, as they are still ranked in our poll despite a lackluster 1-3 start to the year. To be fair, they play one of the tougher schedules in the Group of 5, and it may not get much tougher than Friday night's tilt against the Rockets.

Logan Woodside is off to a very hot start to the season, as he currently leads the FBS in quarterback rating (200.22), and BYU will need to find a way to slow him down in other to stem their slide toward a potential losing record.

Memphis at #16 Ole Miss, 7:00 PM, October 1 (SECN Alt. or ESPN2)- When the Tigers dominated the Rebels at home in 2015, it proved to be one of the biggest upsets of the season. Now, off to a 3-0 start, Memphis will hope to find that same winning mojo in Oxford.

They've gotten very good play from the quarterback who replaced Paxton Lynch, junior Riley Ferguson, who's completed 67% of his passes and currently ranks 8th in the FBS in QB rating himself. However, the Tigers to date have played Southeast Missouri State, Kansas and Bowling Green -- not exactly a murderer's row of opponents -- so there will be a severe jump in degree of difficulty for he and the Tigers to manage.

Western Michigan at Central Michigan, 7 PM, October 1 (CBS Sports Network) - This is a huge battle in the MAC with the Broncos undefeated and the only loss that the Chippewas came to Virginia this past week. Western Michigan has a lot of offense and has scored 22, 70 (against FCS team), 34 and 49. The first game was against Northwestern and third game Illinois.

Central Michigan beat Oklahoma State — yes, the refs blew a call, but the Chips were in the game the whole time — and have one of the better quarterbacks in the MAC in Cooper Rush who has 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions so far in September.

No. 19 San Diego State at South Alabama, 8 PM, October 1 (ESPNEWS) - The Aztecs are a 19.5-point favorite and the reason this game is listed is because last year South Alabama went on the road and overcame a double-digit deficit to upset the Aztecs in overtime. Also, the Jaguars upset Mississippi State in the opener and will show up for big games.

San Diego State should be very much motivated and run away with this game behind another big game by Donnel Pumphrey.