NCAA adds another bowl game ahead of conference championship week

The NCAA is adding a 42nd bowl game for the 2021 postseason that will be played in the state of Texas, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

The Football Oversight Committee approved the addition of the 42nd game on Thursday. The game will be played between two Group of Five teams.

The move comes as the NCAA attempts to make room for all teams that have reached six wins this season. This year, a whopping 84 teams reached .500.

The Lone Star State already has the Cotton Bowl, the Texas Bowl, the Tony the Tiger Bowl, the Alamo Bowl, the Armed Forces Bowl and the Frisco Bowl.

A date for the new Texas-based bowl game has not been revealed yet. However, sources told McMurphy that it would be broadcast on ESPN.

Prior to the addition, the oversight committee would have had to exclude two six-win teams from the group. Ball State, Hawaii, Miami (Ohio), North Texas, ODU or Wyoming are all six-win teams. Now, Hawaii can play in the Hawaii bowl versus Memphis.

Penultimate CFP rankings

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee revealed its penultimate 2021 CFP rankings ahead of a loaded conference championship week slate. The committee ranked the top contenders for the four-team playoff and those with a chance at the New Year’s Six bowls during ESPN’s Tuesday night reveal show.

With big movement after Saturday’s big wins and upset losses during rivalry week, the penultimate 2021 CFP rankings offer a new look at where the committee views each team, with some teams preparing for a title and others in the clubhouse. As the season winds down, the committee looks at each data point for evenly matched teams.

The undefeated Georgia Bulldogs remain on top, again making them unanimous across the AP poll, coaches’ poll and CFP rankings. Georgia’s dominance continues to be the one thing all analysts can agree on this season. With an SEC Championship date against Alabama looming, the SEC can shake up the rankings over the final week.

The remainder of the top four continue to show what this version of the CFP Selection Committee values. With debate over head coaching changes, conference value and strength of schedule reach the forefront in the end.

Georgia, Michigan, Alabama and Cincinnati make up the new-look top-four. However, Oklahoma State and Notre Dame are right on the edge. The Bulldogs and Cincinnati are the only undefeated teams that remain undefeated at the conclusion of the regular season. After another exciting slate of college football games, take a look at the penultimate 2021 CFP rankings.