When the College Football Playoff decided to expand to 12 teams two years ago, one of the driving forces was that it would provide postseason access to teams that normally wouldn’t be garnering a mention in the national title chase. While that has undoubtedly infused hope this season among fan bases like the Iowa State Cyclones, BYU Cougars and Indiana Hoosiers, teams in the Group of 5 conferences have the most to gain from the new format.
For those in need of a refresher, the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a bid to the playoff alongside the seven highest-ranked at-large teams remaining in the CFP selection committee’s final ranking. The top four conference champions will receive a first-round bye while the fifth—the highest-ranked conference champion from one of the Group of 5 conferences most years—will be in one of the four first-round games hosted on the campuses of teams ranked No. 5 through No. 8.
