Can the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers win out and make the College Football Playoff after playing the Boston College Eagles close in Week 5? It might be an uphill battle for the lower-conference squad, but the Hilltoppers have, at the very least, earned respect.
Can Western Kentucky Still Contend for a Playoff Spot By Winning Out?
Western Kentucky kicked off its 2024 campaign with a brutal 63-0 shutout loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Since then, however, they were lights out heading into Week 5.
After the Alabama game, the Hilltoppers beat Eastern Kentucky 31-0, beat Middle Tennessee State 49-21, and beat a hard-nosed Toledo team 26-21.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
In Week 5, the Hilltoppers faced a Boston College squad that, not long ago, had been listed in the top 25 rankings. The Eagles beat a heavily anticipated Florida State squad earlier in the year, and they fought tooth-and-nail with the 11th-ranked Missouri Tigers not long ago.
Western Kentucky held a 20-7 lead on Boston College heading into the fourth quarter, but the Eagles ended up winning the game after scoring 14 unanswered points in the final period.
Now the Hilltoppers are 3-2 but 1-0 in conference play. Where do they stand in the postseason race after their admirable, yet heartbreaking, loss to BC?
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ Remaining 2024 Schedule and Projections
The following data came from CFN’s Football Power Meter.
- Week 7 vs. UTEP Miners
- Spread: -10.5 | Projection: Win
- Week 8 at Sam Houston Bearkats
- Spread: -5.5 | Projection: Win
- Week 10 vs. Kennesaw State Owls
- Spread: -9 | Projection: Win
- Week 11 at New Mexico State Aggies
- Spread: -7.5 | Projection: Win
- Week 12 vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
- Spread: -9.5 | Projection: Win
- Week 13 at Liberty Flames
- Spread: +8.5 | Projection: Loss
- Week 14 vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
- Spread: -6.5 | Projection: Win
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Record Projection: 9-3 (7-1)
The current projections for Western Kentucky have them closing out the season at a strong record of 9-3, with a 7-1 record in the Conference USA.
The Hilltoppers are safely in the running for bowl contention, and they should be able to make a postseason appearance as a result. However, the College Football Playoff is essentially an impossibility.
Not only does Western Kentucky have two damning losses — one against a likely CFB Playoff attendee and another against a respectable Power Four squad — but they’re also projected to lose against the Liberty Flames, who are led on offense by all-conference quarterback Kaidon Salter.
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The Flames went 12-0 in the regular season last year and ended up winning the CUSA Football Championship Game in 2023. Though it’s early, they’re firmly in the mix to repeat, with a 4-0 overall record and a 2-0 conference record to start the season.
As long as Western Kentucky stays steady outside of that Liberty game, they could feasibly earn a place in the CUSA championship game. However, even with a conference title, the Hilltoppers would not be in the running for the CFB Playoff with their Power Four record.
Even so, that doesn’t mean there aren’t meaningful games on the horizon for the Hilltoppers. Their steely performance against Boston College was a barometer for their standing among lower-conference teams, and wins against UTEP, Sam Houston State, Kennesaw State, and others should be attainable.
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