College Football New Year’s Six Watch, Week 11: Will Group of 5 invade?

With Cincinnati, BYU and Liberty at the head of the Group of Five, could two teams make a run toward a college football New Year’s Six bowl?

Welcome to the watch. As we reach toward the home stretch of this college football season, the question on everyone’s mind is, “Does the Group of Five have a shot at the national semifinal?” That is not the easiest question to answer on balance. The Group of Five would need lots of help to make it to the national semifinal.

For example, no Power Five conference would get two teams into the playoff. Both Georgia and Alabama represented the SEC in 2017. The Pac-12 just started their season, and only time will tell how good the top tier programs are. With four slots and five conferences, it is hard for two conferences not to get teams in.

The question is, how should the 4th seed be used in the national semifinal. This has become a question because, most of the playoff’s short history, the fourth seed is a blowout most times.  The question is, should the fourth seed go to the fourth-best or most deserving?

One thing the Group of Five has going for itself is no Notre Dame factor this season. The Irish’s path to the playoff is through the ACC this season. With chalk holding this season the way it is, chaos seems unlikely. What fans should ask is whether or not the Group of Five can crash the New Year’s Six.

If the season ended now, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Notre Dame would be in the national semifinal. That would leave the Fiesta, Orange, Cotton and Peach bowls open. If Cincinnati wins the American, they take one slot. Do Liberty, BYU or Coastal Carolina have enough of a resume to take at least one more at-large bid? Time will tell.

Here is this week’s watch.