Cotton Bowl Race:
The committee currently has Cincinnati one spot behind Boise State. If Memphis wins the AAC Championship Game, then the Tigers will play in the Cotton Bowl. What if Cincinnati wins? Let’s compare the resumes. (Remember, these are the resumes at this moment, so Boise State would be adding a win over Hawaii, and Cincinnati would be adding a win over Memphis.)
| Team | vs 1-10 | vs 11-25 | vs 26-40 | vs 41-80 | vs 81+ | SOS Range | Wins over
+.500 |
Off YPP
(rank) |
Def YPP
(rank) |
| Cincinnati | 0-1 | 0-1 | 2-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 | 30-70 | 4 | 5.3 (86) | 5.0 (31) |
UCF has spoiled us the past few years, but this is a typically strong Group of 5 resume. Having any SOS numbers near 30 is always outstanding for a Group of 5 team, and three Top 40 wins will be solid. Cincinnati had the misfortunate of playing Houston and Tulsa cross-divisionally. If the Bearcats had played SMU or Navy, this resume could be even stronger.
| Team | vs 1-10 | vs 11-25 | vs 26-40 | vs 41-80 | vs 81+ | SOS Range | Wins over
+.500 |
Off YPP
(rank) |
Def YPP
(rank) |
| Boise State | 0-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 5-1 | 5-0 | 85-90 | 5 | 5.9 (38) | 5.2 (39) |
This pretty clearly shows why I have Cincinnati ahead of Boise State if the Bearcats can beat Memphis. Boise State has one ranked win (Air Force), which the Bearcats could match by beating Memphis. After that, Boise State has no wins of note, while Cincinnati has Top 40 wins over UCF and Temple. All in all, Boise State’s only claim to be ahead of Cincinnati is that the Bearcats have two losses. And since the Bearcats played Ohio State, I don’t know how fair that is. I’m not saying to reward Cincinnati for playing the Buckeyes. I’m saying remove that game from the equation entirely. Because when you do, and then you compare the resumes, it’s not even close.