Like It Or Not, Tulane & JMU – Two Group of Five Teams – Are In The College Football Playoff

It seemed improbable at different points in the season. But two Group of Five teams in the College Football Playoff is now reality.

Tulane, ranked at No. 20, and James Madison, ranked at No. 24, made the CFP on Sunday. Both were among the five highest-ranked conference champions and therefore made the field – a system many now have issues with.

But like it or not, Tulane and JMU did what they had to do to earn a spot in the CFP. The Green Wave are the 11th seed after winning the American and will get a rematch with Ole Miss in the first round. The Dukes, as the 12th seed, will play at Oregon.

Tulane had a pretty solid strength of schedule, per ESPN, compared to the rest of the G5.

And it’s tough to argue against what Tulane has done this year with that schedule, especially against non-conference opponents. The Green Wave, led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff and a tough defense, beat Northwestern 23-3 and Duke, which won the ACC on Saturday evening, 34-27 earlier this year. 

But Tulane also has two losses. That includes a 45-10 defeat at Ole Miss. The Green Wave also fell 48-26 to UTSA, which is 6-6.

However, Tulane also beat bowl-eligible American Conference teams like East Carolina, Army, and Memphis to earn a spot in the league championship. Then the Green Wave won in convincing fashion, 34-21, over No. 24-ranked North Texas to win their league title and clinch a CFP spot. 

James Madison’s CFP berth wasn’t as certain going into Sunday, as it basically hinged on Duke beating Virginia in the ACC title game. But JMU was ranked higher than Duke, so JMU made the CFP as the fifth highest-ranked champ. 

The Dukes didn’t have the strength of schedule that Tulane did – though it looked good going into the season. Nonetheless, the Dukes have been mostly dominant all year. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III and running back Wayne Knight have been electric, and JMU’s defense is second in the country in total defense (247.6 yards per game allowed) and scoring defense (15.8 points per game allowed).

After beating Weber State to start, the Dukes were competitive with a good Louisville team and were leading at halftime before eventually falling 28-14. But that Week 2 loss is JMU’s last and only loss of the year thus far.

The Dukes have won 11 straight games, and all but two of those contests were decided by double digits. One of those matchups was a 24-20 victory over Washington State.

JMU couldn’t control how some of its opponents, like Texas State and Liberty, haven’t lived up to preseason expectations. But the Dukes could control how they win. They’re sixth in the country in average scoring margin (plus-20.3 points per game).

And with a 31-14 victory over Troy in the Sun Belt Championship, the Dukes earned a spot in the CFP just four years after jumping up to the FBS from the FCS.