ESPN Projects UC to Make 12-Team Playoff in 2024

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats won't be making consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff after Saturday's loss to Arkansas—but one major outlet thinks they'll be back in 2024 if the sport implements a 12-team playoff by then.

ESPN's Bill Connelly has Cincinnati as the Big 12 Champion in 2024 and slotted them into the four-seed, with a bye into the quarterfinals. They would play in the Fiesta Bowl against the winner of Notre Dame-SMU.

That would be quite the matchup, and it highlights how much UC can keep improving with the recruiting classes they are putting together over the next few years. Saturday was a frustrating, sobering loss for the Bearcats that caps the 2022 ceiling.

That being said, it would've taken another miracle to make the playoff, now they can focus entirely on winning a third-straight conference title and being the highest-ranked Group of Five school one last time.

The Big 12—and a bigger stage—is calling in 2023 and beyond.

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