The Group of Five is now the Group of Six, but the opportunity remains the same for the teams in each of those leagues: You can make the College Football Playoff.
The five highest-ranked conference champions in the College Football Playoff rankings make the 12-team bracket, which means at least one Group of Six team will participate this season.
Boise State did it a year ago, entertaining the country all season with the theatrics of Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos are once again poised to contend for a playoff spot. DraftKings has them listed as the betting to take the Group of Six’s automatic bid at +180. favorite But they’re far from the only contender.
Eight other teams from the Group of Six drew preseason Top 25 votes, and plenty of others enter the season with hopes of winning their league and making a run.
Ahead of the 2025 season these are the CBS Sports expert picks for the Group of Six. They include all of our picks per league and also everyone’s selection for the team that will reach the playoff.
SEC expert picks 2025: Most overrated and underrated teams, projected order of finish, bold predictions
Brandon Marcello
Top Group of Six teams
Group of Six CFP bid
Boise State: With 13 starters back — including four along the offensive line — and a schedule conducive to double-digit wins, Boise State looks like a potential playoff contender. Outside of the trip to Notre Dame in October, the Broncos should be favored in every game and are positioned to cruise through the Mountain West. Last season’s loss at Oregon did not keep them out of the expanded bracket, and a setback against the Fighting Irish won’t either if the rest of the slate goes as expected. — Brad Crawford (also Tom Fornelli, David Cobb, Chris Hummer)
Tulane: The Green Wave pushed to the edge of the playoff in Jon Sumrall’s first season and have another chance to break through this year. Games against Northwestern, Duke and Ole Miss will be difficult, but they also provide opportunities for momentum. The key addition is quarterback Jake Retzlaff from BYU, who can generate consistent offense both through the air and on the ground. If Tulane goes 2-1 in nonconference play and beats Memphis and UTSA on the road, a playoff berth is possible. — Shehan Jeyarajah (Chip Patterson, John Talty, Brandon Marcello)
James Madison: QB issue? Yeah, I know there’s a lot of uncertainty about Alonza Barnett’s health, but I’m confident that this staff could make a two-headed monster of Camden Coleman And Matthew Sluka work. Bob Chesney just wins, he’s done it at every level including at JMU, but it’s the defense that I think can lead the Dukes to some meaningful late December football. — Richard Johnson
Read the full article here
