Paul Finebaum G5 teams in new playoff format: 'They are simply going to be sacrificial lambs'

For the first time in the College Football Playoff era, there is a route to automatically be included. Not just for power conference teams but Group of Five programs will have a path too. The top five conference champions automatically qualify and will become one of the 12 teams to compete for a national championship.

How those playoff games involving G5 schools turn out has yet to be seen. For ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, he believes it will be a disaster. In what might be a short era of the 12-team playoff, he does not believe the G5 will be able to compete when against some of the best teams in college football.

“There is no way they can compete,” Finebaum said. “They are simply going to be sacrificial lambs.”

Using On3’s Jesse Simonton‘s way-too-early top 25 from mid-February, Oregon would be the No. 5 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Since Ohio State was a spot higher, they are the presumed Big Ten Champion and knocking the Ducks out of a top-four bye.

Oregon would then host whoever winds up being the fifth conference champion. This is a game we actually got to see play out this past season in the Fiesta Bowl. Liberty had the honor of playing Oregon after going 12-0 and the CFP committee placed them ahead of SMU in the final rankings.

The score ended 45-6 with Oregon scoring all 45 unanswered.

“I felt bad for Liberty this year,” Finebaum said. “They had a great season and it seemed like it got torched on that final game.”

So why is the Group of Five being included in all of this? Finebaum is not sure.

Commissioners are looking to help each other out and giving the G5 a spot at the table is not something Finebaum would be willing to do.

“Knowing these commissioners, they try to be collegial,” Finebaum said. “I wouldn’t be. You wouldn’t be. But that’s why we’re in the fields that we’re in and they are able to get people to coalesce in a room around them like that.”

Just once did a G5 member make the College Football Playoff during the four-team era. Cincinnati faced Alabama in 2021, with the Crimson Tide rolling to a 27-6 victory. An undefeated season plus a head-to-head victory over Notre Dame got Cincinnati over the hump.

But for at least the time being, we will see an elite team vs. a G5 program on an annual basis. Finebaum does not believe the results will be too kind.