College Football Playoff: Top 15 Programs To Not Make the CFP
T10. UCF
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2017, 13-0, AAC champion, won Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: Medium-low
Bottom Line: 2017 and 2018 UCF helped pave the way for 2022 Cincinnati to be a more palatable option. The Knights stirred the pot with two unbeaten regular seasons without a College Football Playoff appearance. Do that in the Big 12 in 2023, and it’ll get in – and it would probably get the call if it goes unbeaten this season, too. How good has UCF been in the CFP era? It’s this high up in the win rankings with an 0-12 2015 season.
UCF Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
T10. Texas A&M
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2020, 9-1, won Orange Bowl
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: Medium
Bottom Line: It’s coming soon. The 2020 team probably deserved to be in the College Football Playoff over Notre Dame – its only crime was losing on the road to an Alabama team that rolled to the national championship – but overall it’s been underwhelming in the CFP era. The talent is there from a few epic recruiting classes to be deep in the playoff chase over the next few seasons.
Texas A&M Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis
T10. Marshall
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2014, 13-1, Conference USA champion, won Boca Raton Bowl
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: None
Bottom Line: The program hasn’t slipped that much, but it hasn’t been as strong as it was in the mid-2010s. The wins have come in, and there are plenty of bowl appearances, but no one from Conference USA was going to have any chance at the CFP. Now the Thundering Herd get a shot to make some noise in the Sun Belt – and they have a big date at Notre Dame early on.
Marshall Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
T10. Louisiana
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2021, 13-1, Sun Belt champion, won New Orleans Bowl
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: None
Bottom Line: There’s a reason Billy Napier is off to Florida. He turned Louisiana into a ranked program with 45 wins over the last two seasons. As good as it was in 2021, even if it beat Texas on the way to a 13-0 regular season with a Sun Belt title, it wouldn’t have made it into the CFP.
Louisiana Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
T10. Florida
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2019, 11-2, won Orange Bowl
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: Medium
Bottom Line: It’s up to new head coach Billy Napier to pivot the power-program back into the elite, but it’s probably not going to happen right away. Dan Mullen got the Gators to the 2020 SEC Championship, and now-Central Michigan head man Jim McElwain coached them up to appearances in the conference title game in both 2015 and 2016. Even so, there haven’t been any shots at the CFP in the last eight years even with all the wins.
Florida Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule Analysis
T10. BYU
Wins Since 2014: 65
Best Season in CFP Era: 2020, 11-1, Boca Raton Bowl win
Realistic Chance To Make College Football Playoff This Season: Possible with three big wins
Bottom Line: There would’ve been an interesting debate if BYU had pulled off the win over Coastal Carolina on the way to an unbeaten 2020 regular season. There weren’t any wins over Power Five teams, but the Cougars would’ve been in the discussion.
Next year they’ll be in the Big 12, where they’ll have a real shot at getting into the CFP. This year it’s possible if they can win at Oregon, in Las Vegas against Notre Dame, take out Arkansas, and beat everyone else – no big deal. It won’t happen, but hey’ll be in if they go 12-0.
BYU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule