The undefeated University of Cincinnati football team entered the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2021 season at No. 6.
The ranking, which was released Tuesday night as part of the 13-member CFP selection committee's first of six rankings this season, is the highest for a Group of Five team since the rankings began in 2014.
The committee had never ranked a Group of Five team higher than No. 7, which was the Bearcats' ceiling last year, before ultimately finishing No. 8.
Cincinnati (8-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) crashed through that ceiling Tuesday but is still outside of the four-team playoff despite being ranked No.