ESPN Names UC Among 20 Teams That Can Make College Football Playoff

The Bearcats were the first Group of Five program to make the field last season.

CINCINNATI — UC may have long odds to make a return trip to the College Football Playoff, but ESPN's Heather Dinich isn't counting them out.

"Perfection," Dinich bluntly answered to how UC can give itself a chance. "An undefeated season and a conference title is what it took last year, and that included a marquee win against the Irish. Cincy has a similar opportunity against Arkansas, a surging SEC West team that can finish in the CFP Top 25. Without a win against the Hogs, there won't be enough on the schedule to impress the committee.

"In addition to the obvious (a loss), a lack of star power. This team will look vastly different without Desmond Ridder, Sauce Gardner, and Jerome Ford. Pieces are in place up front on both sides of the ball for new stars to emerge, but the committee has shown in the past it values teams that rank in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency."

ESPN's FPI gives the Bearcats a 1% chance to make the CFP and less than a 0.1% chance to win the whole thing. They have the lowest percentage chance of any team in this 20-school list, but a chance is a chance.

The rest of the list went in this order: Ohio State (83.1% chance to make CFP), Alabama (79.7%), Georgia (75.2%), Clemson (58.2%), Notre Dame (17.9%), Michigan (17.6%), Texas (17.4%), Oklahoma (11.3%), Miami (8.8%), Utah (7.2%), Oklahoma State (4%), LSU (3.2%), Michigan State (2.2%), Auburn (2.1%), Texas A&M (2%), Penn State (1.8%), Pitt (1.3%), North Carolina (1.2%), Kentucky (1.1%).

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