Quote:For Group of Five fans, 2024 feels like a light at the end of a tunnel. After this season, the College Football Playoff is set to expand to 12 teams, which means Group of Five programs will have access to the most prestigious postseason event in college football.

The current iteration of the playoff features just four teams, and Cincinnati’s 2021 squad is the lone G5 program to qualify for the playoff. The Bearcats struggled offensively in a loss to Alabama, for what it’s worth.

While 2024 will bring with it unbridled optimism for Group of Five fans, there’s still one season left of the four-team playoff. Can any G5 team crash the party one final time before it expands? Let’s take a look at the top candidates, in no particular order.

UTSA
To make the College Football Playoff as a Group of Five team, it takes a strong reputation entering the season, an undefeated record, and a respectable strength of schedule. That’s not out of the question for UTSA in 2023.

With Frank Harris returning at quarterback, the Roadrunners are expected to boast a dynamic offensive attack. They’ve won 30 games in three seasons under head coach Jeff Traylor, and they’re recruiting quite well. UTSA is a top-tier Group of Five team entering the 2023 season.

UTSA’s schedule also features road games against Houston, Tennessee, and Tulane. If UTSA runs the table, the Roadrunners will have a wildly impressive resume. Going undefeated, however, will be a massive test.

https://herosports.com/fbs-group-of-five...yoff-bcbc/

We've had a couple solid years. I think if we can do it again in 2023, we can start to be "legitimized" in the minds of the decision makers.

The Houston game will tell us a lot.