What must Group of Five teams do to reach College Football Playoff?

2. Finish regular season among the top 15 in both offense and defense

Back in 2009, TCU would have reached a four-team playoff if the BCS had included a plus-one opportunity. The Horned Frogs finished No. 6 in the final BCS standings as an undefeated Mountain West champion. They were ranked behind only unbeaten SEC champ Alabama, unbeaten Big 12 champ Texas, and unbeaten Big East champ Cincinnati and ahead of losing SEC finalist Florida.

That same year, Boise State was No. 6 in the BCS standings as the unbeaten kings of the Western Athletic Conference. What allowed both teams to be so highly ranked was not just their perfect records but also their dominants both with the ball and when they were on defense.

Looking at offensive and defensive S&P+ ratings from 2009, TCU’s offense was rated No. 11 and their defense was ninth in the country. Boise State boasted the second-best offense in the FBS and ended the year No. 14 in defensive S&P+.

Not only did Boise State and TCU pass they eyeball test, but they featured a dominant offense paired with a dominant defense. That makes it harder to write off a Group of Five program as incapable of matching up against the nation’s top teams. While UCF has boasted one of the best offenses in the country the past few years, they have lacked a defense at a similar level to what the 2009 Horned Frogs or Broncos brought to the table.