We’re not even to the halfway point of the 2021 college football season, but it seems Alabama and Georgia fans can begin making their travel arrangements to Indianapolis, or at least Atlanta.
While the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs seem like the best bets right now to reach the College Football Playoff, there is plenty of chaos behind them. Through five weeks of the season, 34 ranked teams have already lost, the most through that span in the history of the AP poll, which dates to 1936, according to data from ESPN Stats & Information. Eighteen ranked teams have lost to unranked opponents, tied with the 1974 and 2007 seasons for the most through Week 5.
So, before you completely give up on your team, keep in mind you’re not alone and there’s plenty of football left to play.
Here are some other overreactions through five weeks:
Cincinnati is a CFP contender
After taking down Indiana and Notre Dame in consecutive games, there is suddenly a widely held narrative that Cincinnati is in prime position to become the first team from a Group of 5 league to make the College Football Playoff. Maybe the Bearcats should have scheduled Purdue just to be safe.
With its 24-13 victory at Notre Dame, which ended the Fighting Irish’s 26-game home-winning streak, the Bearcats now have a 32% chance to reach the CFP, sixth-best among FBS teams, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. ESPN’s FPI gives them a 33% chance to finish 13-0, the highest of any FBS team. If Cincinnati finishes unbeaten in the regular season and wins the AAC title game, its chances of reaching the CFP increase to 82%.
“It’s still midseason,” Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder said Saturday. “We have a lot of games left to play. It honestly is a big win against a Top 10 team. I think [Notre Dame] will finish in the top 10 at…
Source : espn
