2019 College Football Season Predictions

This should be a fun season to watch! Will Clemson repeat as National Champions led by Heisman Trophy favorite Trevor Lawrence? Will an SEC contender emerge as a new National Champion such as Alabama or Georgia? Here are my predictions for the 2019 College Football season.

AAC
- East
1. UCF (8-4; 6-2)2. East Carolina (8-4; 5-3)3. South Florida (6-6; 4-4)4. Cincinnati (7-5; 4-4)5. Temple (6-6; 3-5)6. Connecticut (1-11; 0-8)

- West1. Houston (9-3; 6-2)2. Memphis (9-3; 5-3)3. Navy (7-5; 5-3)4. SMU (6-6; 4-4)5. Tulane (6-6; 4-4)6. Tulsa (4-8; 2-6)

The AAC is an interesting league this season among the Group Of 5's. The UCF Knights are my pick to win the East division again. New quarterback Brandon Wimbush should put up some stats with weaker opponents coming over from Notre Dame. Their defense should be solid led by star safety Richie Grant. The East Carolina Pirates will surprise folks in this conference this season led by breakout quarterback Holton Ahlers. The South Florida Bulls are a team that could be better than my projection, but I'm not in love with how their schedule breaks for them although they will put up a fair share of points led by quarterback Blake Barnett. The Cincinnati Bearcats will be an interesting team this season too with a good head coach in Luke Fickell and a solid quarterback in Desmond Rudder. The Temple Owls are an interesting team too, but I don't love that they had turnover in their coaching staff yet again although their defense returns some guys and that will be keeping them in games. The Connecticut Huskies are just a flat out mess with Randy Edsall in his second tenure there and I will be surprised if they win a conference game this season. In the West division, I like the Houston Cougars with new coach Dana Holgersen and a very good quarterback in D'Eriq King. The Memphis Tigers can actually win this conference with a really good offense led by quarterback Brady White. The Navy Midshipmen will have a bounce back season and get back in a bowl game with their offense being improved from a season ago led by quarterback Malcolm Perry. The SMU Mustangs will be better too with new quarterback Sam Buchele coming over from Texas. The Tulane Green Wave will be improved this season despite a revamped offensive line, but they have two very good receivers in Darnell Mooney and Jalen McCleskey. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane could surprise some with quarterback Zach Smith coming over from Baylor, but I'm not buying it and coach Phillip Montgomery is on the hot seat.

AAC Championship Game: Houston over UCF


ACC- Atlantic1. Clemson (12-0; 8-0)2. Florida State (9-3; 5-3)3. NC State (8-4; 5-3)4. Syracuse (8-4; 4-4)5. Wake Forest (8-4; 4-4)6. Boston College (6-6; 3-5)7. Louisville (4-8; 2-6)

- Coastal1. Pitt (8-4; 5-3)2. Miami (8-4; 5-3)3. Virginia (8-4; 5-3)4. Virginia Tech (8-4; 5-3)5. Duke (6-6; 4-4)6. North Carolina (3-9; 2-6)7. Georgia Tech (1-11; 0-8)

There is no doubt about it that the reigning National Champion Clemson Tigers are the team to beat in the ACC. Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback in the country and he has a loaded offense around him featuring running back Travis Etenne and wideout Justyn Ross. Their defense loses a lot of pieces, but defensive lineman Xavier Thomas looks like a breakout star on the defensive line. The Florida State Seminoles I expect a big bounce back season from with running back Cam Akers back in the fold although the offensive line isn't very good. The North Carolina State Wolfpack aren't a bad team at all and their defense has eight starters returning. The Syracuse Orange are a popular sleeper team with a good coach in Dino Babers and quarterback Tommy DeVito coming back. The Wake Forest Demon Decons can surprise folks with a favorable schedule and actually has some depth at the quarterback position. The Boston College Eagles are under some pressure to break through this season with quarterback Anthony Brown and talented running back AJ Dillon back in the fold. The Louisville Cardinals are in a transition period with a new coach in Scott Satterfield and not much talent on the roster. In the Coastal Divison, I like a few teams, but the team I see emerging due to some projected tie breakers and schedule breaks is the Pittsburgh Panthers. Quarterback Kenny Pickett will improve in his sophomore season, but the defense has a lot of questions. The Miami Hurricanes probably have the most talent in the Coastal led by freshman quarterback Jarren Williams and a very solid defense too. The Virginia Cavaliers are a popular pick to win the Coastal thanks to quarterback Bryce Perkins returning as well as good defense. The Duke Blue Devils see some turnover with Daniel Jones gone and a whole new set of skill position guys sans some talent on defense. The North Carolina Tar Heels have Mack Brown back in the fold for his second tenure with the school, but he has his work cut out for him. The Georgia Tech Bulldogs also have a new coach in Geoff Collins with his work cut out for him too.

ACC Championship Game: Clemson over Pittsburgh


Big-10- East1. Ohio State (11-1; 8-1)2. Michigan (9-3; 6-3)3. Michigan State (9-3; 6-3)4. Penn State (7-5; 4-5)5. Maryland (6-6; 3-6)6. Indiana (5-7; 2-7)7. Rutgers (1-11; 0-9)

- West1. Wisconsin (9-3; 7-2)2. Minnesota (8-4; 6-3)3. Nebraska (8-4; 5-4)4. Northwestern (7-5; 5-4)5. Iowa (7-5; 5-4)6. Purdue (7-5; 5-4)7. Illinois (4-8; 1-8)

Yes Urban Meyer is gone and Ryan Day is replacing him, but the Ohio State Buckeyes are my pick to win the Big-10 East division. They have a good young transfer quarterback with Justin Fields from Georgia and still have loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball such as talented pass rusher Chase Young. The Michigan Wolverines are the popular pick in this conference and division with Shea Patterson returning at quarterback, but their defense loses a lot of key pieces to the NFL. The Michigan State Spartans are a sleeper team in this conference with a great coach in Mark D'Antonio and a healthy Brian Lewerke at quarterback and they can do some damage. The Penn State Nittany Lions will take a step back due to some key departures although this team has some upside with some talent returning on both sides of the ball. The Maryland Terrapins could be a surprise bowl team with a new coach in Mike Locksley and a solid quarterback in Justin Jackson coming over form Virginia Tech. The Hoosiers could make a bowl game, but their schedule is not favorable at all although I think their offense will be solid led by quarterback Peyton Ramsey. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are just awful and are the worst power five team and coach Chris Ash could be coaching for his job. In the West division, my pick is the Wisconsin Badgers. Running back Jonathan Taylor returns and they have a solid defense too. The Minnesota Golden Gophers could surprise folks here with a favorable schedule and I like their deep backfield and star wideout Tyler Johnson. The Nebraska Cornhuskers are a popular pick to win the West division in Scott Frost's second season and folks like sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez. The Northwestern Wildcats are the team that won this division a season ago and tend to overachieve when expectations are lowered, but they'll miss Clayton Thorson and the schedule is difficult. The Iowa Hawkeyes are a team that folks like in this division led by quarterback Nathan Stanley and a good defense led by pass rusher AJ Epenesa. The Purdue Boilermakers are a team that has a difficult schedule too, but I'm a fan of wideout Rondale Moore and that loaded offense. The Illinois Fighting Illini are just a mess and Lovie Smith is coaching for his job.

Big-10 Championship: Ohio State over Wisconsin


Big-121. Oklahoma (10-2; 7-2)2. Texas (9-3; 6-3)3. Baylor (9-3; 6-3)4. Iowa State (9-3; 6-3)5. Oklahoma State (8-4; 5-4)6. TCU (8-4; 5-4)7. West Virginia (7-5; 5-4)8. Kansas State (5-7; 3-6)9. Texas Tech (4-8; 2-7)10. Kansas (2-10; 0-9)

The Oklahoma Sooners are still the team to beat in the Big-12 after winning the conference the past 4 seasons. Jalen Hurts comes over from Alabama and replaces Kyler Murray and that is a drop off. The defense still isn't great although new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch could bring out a lot in the unit as a whole. The Texas Longhorns are a team people expect to improve with quarterback Sam Ehlinger back and expected to make a jump. The Baylor Bears are a sleeper team that I like in this conference to make things interesting with quarterback Charlie Brewer and a defense that returns six starters. The Iowa State Cyclones are another team I think can make some noise. Brock Purdy returns at quarterback and the defense is solid. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are a team that can sneak up on some folks with Freshman redshirt Spencer Sanders and talent around him with running back Chuba Hubbard and wideout Tylan Wallace. The TCU Horn Frogs can't be slept on in this conference too since Gary Patterson can flat out coach although there are some question marks on both sides of the ball. The West Virginia Mountaineers can surprise some folks in Neal Brown's first season in Morgantown thanks to a favorable home schedule and a competent transfer in Austin Kendall from Oklahoma, despite roster turnover. The Kansas State Wildcats have a new coach in Chris Klieman, but their schedule is not favorable at all despite quarterback Skylar Thompson returning as well as eight defensive starters. The Texas Tech Red Raiders also have a new coach in Matt Wells and have a rising quarterback in Alan Bowman with a good offensive line, but their schedule does not do them any favors. The Kansas Jayhawks now have Les Miles running the show, but I don't see them being relevant for a while.

Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma over Texas


Conference-USA- East1. FAU (10-2; 8-0)2. Marshall (8-4; 6-2)3. FIU (6-6; 4-4)4. Middle Tennessee (5-7; 4-4)5. Old Dominion (4-8; 3-5)6. WKU (3-9; 2-6)7. Charlotte (3-9; 1-7)

- West1. Louisiana Tech (9-3; 6-2)2. Southern Miss (7-5; 6-2)3. North Texas (7-5; 6-2)4. UAB (7-5; 5–3)5. UTEP (3-9; 2-6)6. UTSA (3-9; 2-6)7. Rice (1-11; 1-7)

The Florida Atlantic Owls are my pick to win the East division due to some key transfers coming in such as former Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois. The Marshall Thundering Herd should be solid again led by rising quarterback Isaiah Green and a solid backfield. The Florida International Panthers should be good offensively led by quarterback James Morgan. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders only return eleven starters from a season ago so they're facing a bit of a transition. The Old Dominion Demon Decons won't be good although they have a good transfer wideout coming in Eric Kumah. The Western Kentucky Hilltopers are in a transition with a new coach in Tyson Helton. The Charlotte 49ers showed flashes of improvement a season ago, but they have a difficult schedule in front of them. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are my pick to come out of the West division with a favorable schedule and an offense that should improve from a year ago with a good standout receiver in Adrian Hardy and a good defense led by defensive back Amik Robertson. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are a team that has a very good defense, which will carry them in games. The North Texas Mean Green return their quarterback in Mason Fine and are certainly capable of winning this division. The UAB Blazers people are mixed on, but I am a fan of coach Bill Clark and he has a rising star quarterback in Tyler Johnston. The bottom three teams in the division in UTEP, UTSA, and Rice are all a mess and it would be a surprise if one of them cracked five wins on the season.

Conference-USA Championship: FAU over Louisiana Tech


Independents1. Army (13-2)2. Notre Dame (9-3)3. Liberty (7-5)4. BYU (6-6)5. Massachusetts (4-8)6. New Mexico State (2-10)

The Independents are all interesting this season. The Army Black Knights are a team that could crack the top 25 at times this seasons if things break their way led by senior quarterback Kelvin Hopkins. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made the College Football Playoff a season ago, but their schedule is a lot tougher this season. Ian Book returns at quarterback and so does a senior led defense. The Liberty Flames are a team with a new coach in Hugh Freeze that has a favorable schedule, but returns fifteen starters. The BYU Cougars are a team that returns seventeen starters including sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson, but with a difficult schedule, but could reach a bowl game again. The Massachusetts Minute Men are a team that has a new coach in Walt Bell, but the schedule is pretty hard and they only have seven returning starters. The New Mexico State Aggies are another team in a bit of a rebuild and I do not see them winning more than three games.

MAC- East1. Ohio (9-3; 7-1)2. Buffalo (7-5; 6-2)3. Miami-Ohio (5-7; 4-4)4. Kent State (4-8; 3-5)5. Bowling Green (3-9; 2-6)6. Akron (3-9; 1-7)

- West1. Toledo (9-3; 7-1)2. Northern Illinois (6-6; 5-3)3. Eastern Michigan (7-5; 5-3)4. Western Michigan (6-6; 4-4)5. Ball State (3-9; 2-6)6. Central Michigan (3-9; 2-6)

The MAC is a league that changes a lot in terms of teams that reach the top. In the East division, I have the Ohio Bobcats on top led by senior quarterback Nathan Rourke. The Buffalo Bulls will take a step back this season with so many key losses on both sides of the ball and a tougher non-conference schedule. The Miami Red Birds are a team that has a lot of questions on offense, but the defense has some key players returning. The Kent State Golden Flashes could surprise folks this season with a somewhat favorable schedule and eight starters returning on offense. The Bowling Green Falcons and Akron Zips will be in the cellar of this division with both teams in rebuilding situations. The Toledo Rockets are my pick to come out to the West division with a defense that has some key guys returning sans an offense that sees some turnover. The Northern Illinois Huskies won this conference a season ago, but I don't see a repeat due to roster turnover and they have a new coach in Thomas Hammock. The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a team that has a favorable schedule and a possible breakout quarterback in Mike Glass. The Western Michigan Broncos I'm not as high on as others are, although they bring back a lot including quarterback Jon Wassink. The Ball State Cardinals could surprise folks with eighteen starters back and have a coach under pressure to succeed in Mike Neu. The Central Michigan Chippewas have a new coach in Jim McElwain that has won in the past, but there is a lot of work to be done.

MAC Championship: Ohio over Toledo 


MWC- Mountain1. Boise State (9-3; 7-1)2. Utah State (8-4; 6-2)3. Wyoming (6-6; 4-4)4. New Mexico (6-6; 4-4)5. Air Force (4-8; 3-5)6. Colorado State (1-11; 0-8)

- West1. San Diego State (10-2; 6-2)2. Fresno State (9-3; 6-2)3. Nevada (6-6; 4-4)4. UNLV (5-7; 4-4)5. Hawaii (5-8; 3-5)6. San Jose State (1-11; 0-8)

Despite roster turnover at key positions, the Boise State Broncos are the team to beat in the Mountain division. Sophomore Chase Cord will be the teams new starting quarterback and their defense brings back eight starters. The Utah State Aggies might take a step back this season after surprising many a year ago. Jordan Love is back at quarterback but he will have a lot of new faces surrounding him. The Wyoming Cowboys are a team that could be better than my projection if quarterback Sean Chambers is the real deal and the defense still is as good as people expect. The New Mexico Lobos are a team I think can surprise folks this year with better quarterback play and key defensive starters returning and head coach Mike Lobo is on the hot seat. The Air Force Falcons are a team that people think will be better, but I'm not too sold because they're schedule is tough sans Donald Hammond III possibly breaking out. The Colorado State Rams are a team that is going to be in a transition replacing a lot of talent on both sides of the ball My pick in the West division is the San Diego State Aztecs. Their offense is still a run first offense led by running back Jawun Washington and their defense is still solid despite a pass rush that is questionable. The Fresno State Bulldogs won this division a year ago and they should still be good thanks to their defense which returns six starters. The Nevada Wolf Pack are a team that has a lot of new faces, but a breakout candidate in quarterback Malik Henry. The UNLV Rebels are a team folks think can break through due to quarterback Armani Rogers returning from injury, but their schedule is not favorable. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors could crack a bowl game with a good offense led by quarterback Cole McDonald, but I don't see it with a tough road schedule. The San Jose State Spartans are one of the worst teams in the country with so many holes on both sides of the ball.

MWC Championship: Boise State over San Diego State


PAC-12- North1. Washington (11-1; 8-1)2. Stanford (10-2; 7-2)3. Oregon (8-4; 6-3)4. Washington State (7-5; 5-4)5. California (4-8; 2-7)6. Oregon State (2-10; 0-8)

- South1. Utah (10-2; 7-2)2. Arizona State (8-4; 6-3)3. USC (7-5; 6-3)4. UCLA (4-8; 4-5)5. Arizona (5-7; 2-7)6. Colorado (3-9; 1-8)

The Pac-12 is a league where I can envision some parody. I like the Washington Huskies to win the North division due to a favorable schedule and Georgia transfer Jacob Eason replacing Jake Browning at quarterback, but the defense only returns two starters. The Stanford Cardinal folks are down on this season, but quarterback KJ Costello returns and David Shaw always gets a ton out of his players. The Oregon Ducks obviously return star quarterback Justin Herbert and have the best freshman perhaps in the country in pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, but they have some tricky spots on their schedule in which I can see some losses. The Washington State Cougars will take a step back this season despite six starters on defense returning and a good transfer quarterback coming in with Gage Gubrud. The California Golden Bears have a great head coach in Justin Wilcox and a good defense led by stud linebacker Evan Weaver, but they have a tough schedule and an offense that is among the worst in the conference. The Oregon State Beavers are rebuilding with coach Jonathan Smith, but improvement is expected. The Utah Utes are my pick to win the South division with a nice schedule setup and quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss returning to lead the offense. The defense is among the best in the conference led by stud defensive back Jaylon Johnson. The Arizona State Sun Devils overachieved in year one of Herm Edwards and I think they'll be just as good if not better due to a defense that returns six starters and an offense thats solid too with a good running back in Eno Benjamin. The USC Trojans return sophomore quarterback JT Daniels and he should lead the offense, but pressure is on Clay Helton to put together a good season or else he'll be out of a job. The UCLA Bruins should be an improved team in year two under Chip Kelly. I don't love their non-conference schedule draw, but their conference schedule is favorable and the defense returns nine starters. The Arizona Wildcats are a team that could exceed my projected win total if things broke right and Khalil Tate performs up to his capability. The Colorado Buffaloes are a team that has a new coach in Mel Tucker, but their schedule is absolutely brutal.

Pac-12 Championship: Utah over Washington


SEC- East1. Georgia (12-0; 8-0)2. Florida (8-4; 5-3)3. Kentucky (8-4; 4-4)4. Missouri (8-4; 4-4)5. Tennessee (7-5; 3-5)6. South Carolina (5-7; 2-6)7. Vanderbilt (5-7; 2-6)

- West1. Alabama (12-0; 8-0)2. LSU (9-3; 6-2)3. Texas A&M (7-5; 4-4)4. Auburn (7-5; 3-5)5. Mississippi State (7-5; 3-5)6. Ole Miss (5-7; 2-6)7. Arkansas (5-7; 1-7)

The SEC is the most top heavy conference in terms of good teams. The Georgia Bulldogs are the obvious choice to win the East division with Jake Fromm back as well as running back D'Andre Swift and transfer wideout Demitrius Robertson. Their defense is loaded too led by stud safety JR Reed. The Florida Gators had a nice first season under Dan Mullen. Key returnees involve quarterback Felipe Franks plus a loaded group of running backs and receivers on offense and cornerback Marco Wilson on defense. The Kentucky Wildcats are a team that lost so much on both sides of the ball, but has a favorable schedule and Terry Wilson could be a breakout quarterback. The Missouri Tigers unfortunately have a postseason ban this season, but will be a tough out this season with Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant coming in at quarterback and a good offensive line to back him up. The Tennessee Volunteers in year two under Jeremy Pruitt should be interesting with expected improvement from quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. The South Carolina Gamecocks have talent on their roster such as quarterback Jake Bentley with a few talented returning starters on defense, the schedule makers did them zero favors this year. The Vanderbilt Commodores have key skill position players returning, but quarterback Kyle Shurmur is gone. The Alabama Crimson Tide are the obvious pick to win the West division as always. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is back and poised after a rough National Championship game to prove some people he's still awesome. Jerry Jeudy is the best wideout in the country and Najee Harris is a darn good running back. The Tides defense is not as great, although they return some key guys such as cornerback Trevon Diggs and linebacker Terrell Lewis. The LSU Tigers are a team that folks are high on this season too. Joe Burrows returns at quarterback to lead the offense and the defense is absolutely loaded by star safety Grant Delpit. The Texas A&M Aggies have such a brutal schedule this season sans all the talent Jimbo Fisher has such as quarterback Kellen Mond. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are a team seeing a lot of roster turnover such as a new quarterback in Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens, who head coach Joe Morehead knows from his days as Penn State's offensive coordinator. The Ole Miss Rebels are a team thats in an interesting spot with coach Matt Luke hiring former coaches Rich Rodriguez and Mike MacIntyre to be their offensive and defensive coordinators respectively and I do like quarterback Matt Corral as a possible breakout candidate. The Arkansas Razorbacks are a team in transition under Chad Morris that has two interesting options at quarterback who both happen to be transfers.

SEC Championship: Georgia over Alabama

Sun Belt- East1. Appalachian State (9-3; 6-2)2. Troy (7-5; 5-3)3. Georgia Southern (7-5; 5-3)4. Coastal Carolina (4-8; 3-5)5. Georgia State (2-10; 1-7)

- West1. Arkansas State (9-3; 7-1)2. Louisiana (7-5; 5-3)3. UL Monroe (6-6; 5-3)4. Texas State (3-9; 2-6)5. South Alabama (1-11; 0-8)

In the East division, I expect the Appalachian State Mountaineers to emerge as the winners. New head coach Eli Drinkwitz comes in and has a good quarterback to work with in Zac Thomas. The Troy Trojans also have a new coach in Chip Lindsey and have twelve starters returning including running back BJ Smith and linebacker Carlton Martial. The Georgia Southern Eagles were a big surprise last year, but they have a harder schedule although they have twelve returning starters. The Coastal Carolina returns twelve starters although they need consistent quarterback play if they are to improve on their 5-7 mark from a season ago. The Georgia State Panthers are a team that expects improvement with quarterback Dan Ellington expected to take the next step. My pick to win the West division is the Arkansas State Red Wolves thanks to a defense that returns a lot of starters and skill position guys retuning as well despite a new quarterback. The Louisiana Rajun Cajuns are a team that has questions on defense and has competition for the quarterback job. The UL Monroe Warhawks should reach a bowl game thanks to retuning quarterback Caleb Evans. The Texas State Bobcats are expecting some improvement thanks to transfer quarterback Gresch Jensen. The South Alabama Jaguars return only nine starters and have uncertainty at quarterback.

Sun Belt Championship: Appalachian State over Arkansas State


College Football Playoff
- Semifinal
(1) Georgia Bulldogs vs (4) Alabama Crimson Tide: I do have Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs over Tua Tagovailoa and the Tide in the SEC Championship game, but here in the rematch I see Nick Saban making adjustments and getting a big time win over his former employer in Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.
Prediction: Alabama

(2) Clemson Tigers vs (3) Ohio State Buckeyes: No, this game won't be a shutout win for Clemson like it was a few years back, but I do expect the Tigers led by Trevor Lawrence to sneak by the Buckeyes and Justin Fields.
Prediction: Clemson

- National Championship
(2) Clemson Tigers vs (4) Alabama Crimson Tide: Here we go. Round four on the biggest stage. The Tigers obviously should be favorites in this spot after winning it last season led by Trevor Lawrence. The Crimson Tide will have a chip on its shoulder all season long with Tua Tagovailoa leading the way to go with Najee Harris and Jerry Jeudy and Nick Saban will win his seventh title with the Tide.
Prediction: Alabama