Cincinnati’s College Football Playoff bid officially has entered the realm of the possible. Perhaps even probable. The Bearcats could be two wins away from breaking the Power 5 conferences’s 28-for-28 CFP bid stranglehold.
After nearly two full seasons of doing Cincinnati no favors, the selection committee slotted the undefeated Bearcats at No. 4 Tuesday night—the highest ranking for a Group of 5 conference team in the playoff’s seven-year history. With games remaining at East Carolina Friday and against Houston in the American Athletic Conference championship game, it would appear that Cincinnati controls its own destiny. Committee chair Gary Barta cited the Bearcats’ 48–14 rout of an 8–3 SMU team as a boost to their credibility.