College Football: Group of 5 teams with playoff chances in 2021

The College Football Playoff has yet to see a Group of 5 team compete. Which teams have the best shot to break into the final four?

In the seven-year history of the College Football Playoff, not a single group of 5 team has been given a chance to compete for a title. The main reason behind this is the simple idea that most G5 teams do not schedule difficult enough opponents to be considered.

The general argument against this is the fact that Clemson is allowed into the playoff each year without coming up against top-25 competition throughout the season. That being said, Clemson also has a history of performing well against top-level programs. Despite the fact that the Tigers consistently have the worst argument out of any of the four teams considered, there is no G5 team whose resume has stacked up against Clemson’s.

That being said, there is no rule against allowing a G5 team into the playoff. In my eyes, the only thing keeping one of things teams out is the fact that there hasn’t been a bad year from teams like Clemson, Alabama, and Ohio State that falls during the same season. If more than one of these teams were to pick up multiple losses, the door may open for a new-look College Football Playoff.

So even though it may seem redundant to even have a conversation about Group of 5 teams with a shot at making the playoff, the possibility will always be looming. It’s a very important part of college football to at least ponder the idea of one of these teams making an appearance. So for the sake of the brand, here are five Group of 5 teams with a chance to make the College Football Playoff, ranked from least likely to most likely.