The underdog, Cinderella teams are celebrated in college basketball, but they’re never viewed as worthy in college football.
At least they weren’t until the University of Cincinnati’s football team crashed the College Football Playoff. They’re the first non-Power Five team to earn a spot in the national semifinal since the sport moved to its current playoff format in 2014.
Labeling the Bearcats as a Cinderella team, however, is probably shortchanging their accomplishments. They’ve won 22 of their 23 games over the last two seasons, losing to Georgia on a last-second field goal in last year’s Peach Bowl.