Final 2021 college footbll rankings after Georgia beats Alabama to win national championship

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats were an inspiration to the story of the underdog this season. They broke ground making the College Football Playoff from the Group of Five and while they got hammered by Alabama, they kept fighting.

They deserve to finish the season in the top five despite the loss. Where they end up will be interesting as Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan should be ranked ahead of them. Will a school on the outside looking in jump the Bearcats?

Regardless, they made the College Football Playoff and that’s all that matters to the program. It unfortunately came in a year where two programs were just head and shoulders better than everyone else.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

This might be controversial to some, but it probably shouldn’t be. It’s okay to rank the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of Cincinnati. Ohio State finished the season with a big win in the Rose Bowl and probably can get the bump over Cincinnati.

It won’t get the nod over Michigan due to the head to the head battle however. Ohio State rallied to defeat Utah in what was one of the more exciting Rose Bowls in recent memory.

The Buckeyes are the leader of the pack in the group on the outside looking in this season. They didn’t make the playoff, but they took care of business and can add another Rose Bowl victory to the resume.