After years of Group of Five teams being snubbed from the College Football Playoff, Cincinnati finally got to represent the non-Power Five conferences against Alabama today. But their inaugural appearance hasn’t gone the way they hoped.
Despite keeping the game a low-scoring affair, Cincinnati have not been able to score a touchdown against Alabama’s defense. Meanwhile, their own defense couldn’t get a stop in the first half, allowing the Tide to take a 17-3 halftime lead.
Amid Cincinnati’s struggles, the ESPN cameras spotted one Cincinnati fan who brought an interesting sign with them. The fan’s sign says “Power 5 is opinion / 13-0 is fact,” referring to the Bearcats’ undefeated record.
As the only remaining unbeaten team in the NCAA, Cincinnati earned its spot in the College Football Playoff. But like many teams that made it as the fourth seed, they’re being run out of the building.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) December 31, 2021
There’s a pretty wide talent gap between Alabama and Cincinnati. Though in fairness, Alabama has a talent gap against all but a handful of teams on a year-to-year basis.
Rightfully or not, a Cincinnati loss today will probably result in a cooldown period of Group of Five teams getting College Football Playoff consideration.
But at least the Bearcats can hold their heads high for breaking the glass ceiling for Group of Five teams.
The game is being played on ESPN. Alabama lead 24-3 with 13:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
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