Group of Five New Year’s Six Watch 2021: Cincinnati the frontrunner again

Welcome to the first edition of the 2021 New Year’s Six watch list. The highest-ranked Group of Five team receives an at-large invitation to a New Year’s Six bowl game during the postseason. Who will survive until January to represent the Group of Five?

Last season’s race to the Group of Five had lots of drama. Last season came down to the wire from teams dealing with COVID-19 to Coastal Carolina’s meteoric rise (and the Sun Belt’s rise as a conference). It was Cincinnati who represented the Group of Five in the Peach Bowl.

This season, the Bearcats return as the favorite to get back to the New Year’s Six.  First, Cincinnati has the schedule that puts them to move up the rankings when they win. Cincy has two Power Five teams (Notre Dame and Indiana) on their schedule.

The American is the highest-rated Group of Five conference, edging out the Sun Belt. BYU and Army, both independents, likely have to run the table to make the New Year’s Six since they do not have a conference title game.

Keep an eye on Coastal Carolina which only has Kansas on its schedule from the Power Five, but if Cincinnati or UCF falter, the Chants could sneak in the NY6.

Here is the first New Year’s Six watch. Winter is coming.