It’s time to discuss putting two Group of Five teams in the playoff

As college football enters the final few weeks of the regular season, all anyone can talk about is the upcoming 12-team playoff that will be making its much-anticipated debut. One of the main reasons for that anticipation is the potential for March Madness-style Cinderella runs. This year alone, we have not one, but two candidates with the potential for upset bids and bracket-busting potential.

Contender No. 1, from the Mountain West, the Boise State Broncos. Contender No. 2, in their first season as a member of the American Athletic, the Army Black Knights.

In the latest College Football Playoff Rankings, Boise State came in at No. 13 in the rankings, whereas Army came in at No. 24. Both teams have a compelling case for the playoffs, and if certain dominoes fall a certain way, both can end up with byes. You want chaos? Two Group of Five teams getting byes might break the entire system during its inception. That is probably total chaos, however, but it’s nice to dream.

As I said before, both teams have a compelling case for the playoffs. For Army, the road is clear. The Black Knights need to win their upcoming game against No. 8 Notre Dame and then beat UTSA finishing the regular season undefeated. The next step would be to win the AAC Championship.

Their final resume would include a 13-0 record, a conference championship and a signature win over a top 10 team. All of that should be enough for the final auto-bid as the fifth conference champion securing the No. 12 seed in the playoffs. Boise St. has an incredibly similar path in that they need to win all their remaining games and the Mountain West Championship.

Realistically, Boise St. has an easier path than Army, but neither team has an impossible path.

Now how can both teams get in? I’m so glad you asked. Obviously both teams need to follow the blue prints, at least for Boise St., I have outlined for each of them above. Beyond that, they need some help from other conference champions.

Unfortunately, the Big 10 and SEC aren’t going to cooperate, so the help will likely need to come from the Big 12 or the ACC. Thankfully, the ACC in particular appears more than eager to aid in this cause. Currently, SMU, Miami and Clemson all stand a chance to reach the conference championship game, and whoever not only gets there probably needs at least two losses.

Clemson is already obliged in that department, and Miami and SMU are halfway there. Knowing Miami, and considering they just lost to a below-average Georgia Tech team, a loss to Wake Forest or on the road vs Syracuse is not impossible.

Remember this is the same Miami program that lost to Pitt on the last day of the regular season in 2017, ending their undefeated season. As for SMU, they have three games left, with the most difficult one being against Cal at home in Week 14.

The other helper could be the Big 12. Every team has at least two losses outside of BYU, and the Cougars don’t look prone to slip-ups as they almost lost to an uninspiring Utah on the road earlier this season. As long as someone other than BYU wins the conference, the Group of Five might hit the first-ever 12-team CFP with a tag team combo breaker.

Regardless of what happens in college football over the next three weeks, one of these teams will make the playoffs. Hopefully, both can make the playoffs. Whatever happens, a Group of Five teams will have a chance to get college football and its postseason some of that special magic we see in March.

Nate Johns is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jzn5275@psu.edu.