Only 13 programs have reached the College Football Playoff in the format’s eight years of existence. Last season, Cincinnati and Michigan became the two newest teams to join the club.
While there was plenty of justifiable skepticism that a Group of Five program like Cincinnati could ever reach the CFP, the Bearcats were expected to be very good and at least be in the playoff conversation. Michigan, on the other hand, came out of nowhere.
The Wolverines went 2-4 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, putting immense pressure on Jim Harbaugh’s group to rebound in a big way.