College Football Preseason Power Rankings (2019)
The NCAAF regular season gets underway this Saturday night with a pair of intriguing tilts. The floodgates open for good next Thursday, followed by a boatload of games over the next few days.
Our weekends are about to be full of pigskin. As our research for another busy season continues, it’s time to look at our inaugural power rankings for the 2019 campaign.
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1. Clemson Tigers
The defending national champions are among the favorites to do it again. The team lost a good amount of talent to the NFL, but the cupboards have been restocked. Trevor Lawrence has another year of seasoning to lead the way for a team which could have an undefeated regular season.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Last year’s thrashing at the hands of Clemson in the title tilt serves as additional motivation for the Crimson Tide. Tua Tagovailoa and wideout Jerry Jeudy spearhead what should be a prolific offense. Alabama should squarely be in the mix for a berth in the College Football Playoffs.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
For the Bulldogs to make it to the CFP, they likely need to get past Alabama in the SEC title game. Anything less than an appearance in that contest will be a huge letdown for this talented program. If one of the top two happens to stumble, Georgia could be the biggest beneficiary.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts will line up behind center for the potent Lincoln Riley offense. The Big 12 shapes up to be even more competitive this season, so a conference crown is far from a given. For now, the Sooners are looking like the 4th best team in the nation.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
Big changes are on tap for Ohio State. Ryan Day is on board as head coach, while Georgia transfer Justin Fields slides in as the new starting QB. It should be a neck-and-neck race in the Big Ten for the Buckeyes and the number six team in our rankings.
6. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines were starting to like like the real deal in 2018, but a shellacking at the hands of Ohio State took care of that. The program is loaded with talent once again, but the pressure is mounting on head coach Jim Harbaugh to get over the hump.
7. LSU Tigers
The Tigers are in the conversation for 3rd best team in the SEC, and they are poised to pounce if Alabama or Georgia fail to live up to expectations. Either way, this is a team that no one wants to see on the docket in 2019.
8. Florida Gators
A solid 2018 season and a hammering of Michigan in the Peach Bowl have ramped up optimism for the Gators this time around. However, that doesn’t mean the team has what it takes to get past Georgia in the SEC East.
9. Texas Longhorns
A return to relevancy for the Longhorns has been scratched off the to-do list. They’ll be the biggest challenge in the Big 12 to Oklahoma, a team they took down in last year’s Red River Showdown.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
It’s going to be tough for Notre Dame to return to the CFP. The program has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but the schedule is daunting. Either way, this remains a top program.
11. Washington Huskies
Last year’s Pac-12 champs are among the favorites to do it again. Georgia transfer Jason Eason will be the man behind center, and there’s plenty of buzz surrounding what he can do in the Chris Petersen offense.
12. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks have a Heisman Trophy contender in Justin Herbert, but there’s plenty of talent elsewhere. The Pac-12 has been shut out of the CFP the last two years, but the conference may be on its way back.
13. Texas A&M Aggies
This is another squad that returned to relevancy last year. The Aggies could take another leap forward in the second year of the Jimbo Fisher era. This is the sleeper team to watch in the SEC.
14. Penn State Nittany Lions
If Ohio State or Michigan unexpectedly struggle this season, Penn State slots in as the next-best team in the Big Ten East. It’s tough to see them wrestling the division from those two heavyweights.
15. Utah Utes
The Pac-12 should be a three-team race, and the Utes aren’t that far behind Washington and Oregon. Nice talent on both sides of the ball points to a solid season in Utah.
16. Auburn Tigers
Gus Malzahn is back for another go after he found his seat getting warm last year. Improvement on last year’s 8-5 mark is possible, but the team looks stuck in the middle of the powerful SEC.
17. UCF Knights
The Knights will look to hold onto the crown of best Group of Five program in the nation. While the schedule is manageable, that’s far from a sure thing.
18. Wisconsin Badgers
The Big Ten West looks pretty wide open this year, but Wisconsin is looking like the favorite in advance of the season. Stud RB Jonathan Taylor could be in the Heisman conversation.
19. Michigan State Spartans
It was a disappointing 7-6 campaign for the Spartans last year, but the team remains a tough matchup for many. The offense may be better this year, so that could result in a few more wins.
20. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa will also be in the running for the Big Ten West. There’s a good amount of returning talent, but a tough schedule somewhat tempers enthusiasm.
21. Washington State Huskies
Gab Gubrud takes over at QB now that Gardner Minshew is off to the pros. It’s a tough act to follow, but the Mike Leach Air Raid offense should be just fine.
22. Iowa State Cyclones
While a final record of 8-5 may not reflect it, the Cyclones were a team no one wanted to play in 2018. They’ll have something to say about how the Big 12 turns out this year.
23. Syracuse Orange
The Orange gave Clemson perhaps its toughest test of 2018. They’ll play host to the Tigers this time around. An upset would be stunning, but another competitive contest wouldn’t be.
24. Stanford Cardinal
It’s a brutal early-season schedule for the Cardinal, including a tough home opener versus Northwestern. Breaking nine wins would have to be considered a success.
25. Nebraska Cornhuskers
This is perhaps the biggest ‘it’ team heading into the NCAAF season. We concur that the Cornhuskers should improve a lot, but we’ll also tap the brakes until we see them on the field.
Teams Knocking on the Door: Northwestern, Mississippi State, Army, Miami, Boise State
Any of the above five squads can make an appearance in the top 25 before the year is through, as can a number of other programs. It shapes up to be another exciting season, and we’ll be back with updated power rankings each and every week.
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Christopher Feery is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Christopher, check out his archive and follow him @cmfeery.