Baltimore Ravens, College Football Playoff

Miles Boykin doubts College Football Playoff Selection Committee will take Cincinnati seriously

Former Notre Dame star and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Miles Boykin has his doubts about the College Football Playoff Selection Committee putting the Cincinnati Bearcats in this season.

Though he knows first-hand how talented the Cincinnati Bearcats are, former Notre Dame star and current Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Miles Boykin questions if the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will have the stomach to put the Group of Five behemoth in this season.

Boykin, who spoke with FanSided on behalf of the NFL and the American Cancer Society’s Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer campaign, is not ruling out the Bearcats being the first Group of Five team to make the four-team field entirely, but does have a great deal of skepticism on the Selection Committee to actually do it. No. 5 Cincinnati is 5-0 and beat Notre Dame 24-13 two weeks ago.

“I think there’s a chance,” said Boykin. “The only reason why I don’t think it will happen is I think the [Selection] Committee is not going to take them seriously, even if Cincinnati goes undefeated, just because they beat us.”

“I just think they’re going to take a fourth team from a Power Five. But I would definitely love to see Cincinnati get a chance, obviously, because they beat us. I still want the Irish to be a playoff team. No, I think the playoff should be expanded. I want it to be expanded so a team like [Cincinnati] will definitely get in there.”

In the first seven years of the College Football Playoff, no Group of Five team has ever cracked the four-team field. They have only had one team make the New Year’s Six annually as the Group of Five automatic qualifier.

Miles Boykin doubts Cincinnati’s shot of getting into the College Football Playoff

While the Bearcats have two wins over Power Five teams in the non-conference, the Indiana Hoosiers do not look to be a factor this year and Notre Dame is going through a bit of a transition at the quarterback position with Ian Book turning pro. For Cincinnati to get in, the Bearcats have to be 13-0, win the AAC and hope teams like the SMU Mustangs have phenomenal years as well.

What makes this mid-season Cincinnati debate so interesting is the Bearcats will move up from No. 5 after top-ranked Alabama’s shocking loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night. Look for Cincinnati to be ranked as high as No. 3 next week, behind the likes of Georgia and Iowa. The only defeat Luke Fickell’s team has had over the last two seasons was to Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

As far as Boykin saying the Selection Committee would put a fourth Power Five team over Cincinnati, that could very well happen. The Big Ten champion is getting in. The SEC may get two teams in. While the ACC is probably eliminated at this point outside of Wake Forest, Cincinnati would be battling with the likes of a Big 12 champion, a Pac-12 champion or another at-large.

While the AP voters may be high on Cincinnati, the Selection Committee will reset everything.

Miles Boykin spoke with FanSided on behalf of the NFL and the American Cancer Society’s Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer campaign. Oct. 11 is the Ravens Crucial Catch Monday, where the team will honor those who are fighting against cancer. Monday’s Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts game will honor CHANGE Grant recipients and their nurses.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

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