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As quickly as it came, the 2019 college football regular season is over. The Army-Navy game will be played in two weeks as the official end of the regular season, but for all intents and purposes the curtain has been dropped.
With Championship Week upon us, these are my final regular season rankings for who I see as the best 25 teams in the country. As a reminder – or a notice to those who have not followed along all season – Top 25 wins (or wins vs. teams with winning records) carry the most weight in my rankings, followed by head-to-head results, and then losses. Conference affiliation plays a part as well.
There is no perfect or scientific way to rank teams. If you poll 20 people, you’d probably get 20 different variations on 1 through 25. What I’ve tried to do is stay consistent with my previously-mentioned parameters.
Without further ado:
1.) Ohio State (12-0)
The Buckeyes have looked like the most complete team in the country, and after Saturday’s decisive win in Ann Arbor – 56-27 over Michigan – Ohio State now boasts the top resume in the nation as well. The Buckeyes have wins over four of my Top 25 teams, and also boast victories over 9-win Florida Atlantic, and 8-win Indiana. Even with that challenging slate, Ohio State has the highest scoring average in the country, and has allowed the fourth-fewest points per game. The Buckeyes will battle Wisconsin for the Big Ten championship.
2.) LSU (12-0)
No disrespect intended to the Tigers. LSU still has an excellent resume with wins over Florida, Auburn and Alabama. The Tigers defense, which has been the subject of some criticism, played angry in a 50-7 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. LSU could still conceivably take back the No. 1 spot if they beat Georgia soundly in the SEC Championship game, but how the Buckeyes look in Round 2 vs. the Badgers will play a factor as well.
3.) Clemson (12-0)
The Tigers completed their regular season filled with games they could have slept-walked through (and they did against North Carolina) at 12-0, and now the real season begins for Clemson…well, sort of. The Tigers still have to finish their mop-up duty in the ACC Championship game against Virginia. If Ohio State and LSU both win their conference championship games, No. 3 will be Clemson’s ceiling. They’ll have their shot at the Tigers and Buckeyes come playoff time however.
4.) Georgia (11-1)
Georgia’s offense finally broke 30 points for the first time since early October, but it happened against an awful Georgia Tech team. The Bulldogs rolled to a 52-7 victory. Still despite the offensive struggles, Georgia finds itself one win away from the playoff due to a defense that’s allowing just 10.4 points per game (2nd in the country). The Bulldogs have wins over Florida, Auburn and Notre Dame, which counteract their upset loss in overtime to a bad South Carolina team. If Georgia beats LSU, they’re in the playoff. If they lose, it opens the doors for the contenders below.
5.) Oklahoma (11-1)
The Sooners stumbled into 2019’s rendition of Bedlam with a series of near-losses, but Oklahoma showcased its superiority against their rivals from Stillwater in a 34-16 win over Oklahoma State. The win wasn’t a huge resume builder for the Sooners, but it was a sign that perhaps Oklahoma is coming out of its funk. If the Sooners beat Baylor in the Big 12 championship game, and Georgia loses to LSU, Oklahoma will have an excellent chance to reach the playoff.
6.) Florida (10-2)
The Gators had little trouble dispatching rival Florida State on Saturday, 40-17, and got another win with Auburn beating Alabama. Florida’s marquee victory over Auburn looks better as a result to the Tigers win, and Alabama losing a second game allowed room for the Gators to move up. Florida’s win over Auburn is far better than any win Utah has this season, which is why I currently have the Gators ahead of the Utes.
7.) Utah (11-1)
Utah has a chance to prove itself during Championship Week when it plays Oregon. The Utes may not have a marquee win, but they’ve crushed every opponent in their path since the loss at USC. Since falling to the Trojans, Utah has beaten its opponents by an average of 29 points per game. The Utes are hurt by playing in a weak Pac-12, but their utter dominance the past several weeks is impressive nonetheless. If Utah beats Oregon to win the Pac-12 title, they’ll have an argument to reach the playoff.
8.) Baylor (11-1)
Most, myself included, forgot about Baylor after their devastating loss at home to Oklahoma – in which the Bears blew a 25-point lead. But Baylor rebounded with wins over Texas and Kansas – 61-6 on Saturday – to end the regular season. The Bears have an outside chance at the playoff if they were to upset the Sooners in the Big 12 championship game. They’d need some help, but with one loss the possibility is still on the table.
9.) Wisconsin (10-2)
This seems a little high for the Badgers after they were upset by a 6-6 Illinois team and got blown out by Ohio State, but Wisconsin has Top 25 wins over Michigan, Iowa and now rival Minnesota. The Badgers went to Minneapolis and poured cold water on the Gopher’s special season in a 38-17 drubbing. With the win, Wisconsin reclaimed its spot atop the Big Ten’s West division and will have a rematch against the Buckeyes for the Big Ten title.
10.) Auburn (9-3)
The Tigers jump all the way back into my Top 10 after their shootout win over Alabama on Saturday, 48-45. It took every trick head coach Gus Malzahn could muster – including fighting for an extra second to end the first half with a field goal – to beat the Crimson Tide. Auburn has two wins over Top 25 teams, and they came in the first game of the season (Oregon) and the final game of the season. In-between, the Tigers lost games to my No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 teams by an average of 7 points per game. Not a bad resume.
11.) Alabama (10-2)
It’s shocking really to see a (2) in the loss column for the Crimson Tide. It’s the first time Alabama has lost two games in a single season since 2014, and the first time the Tide have lost two games in the regular season since 2010. Injuries finally caught up to Alabama however. After losing several defensive players in Fall camp and during the season, the injury to quarterback Tua Tagovialoa was truly what broke the elephant’s back. No disrespect to backup Mac Jones, but he’s no Tua. On a separate note, I’m starting the Jaylen Waddle 2020 Heisman campaign right now. The sophomore nearly willed Alabama to victory over Auburn with four catches for 98 yards (!!) and three touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Waddle is the fastest player in college football, and he should be on Heisman watchlists all offeseason.
12.) Minnesota (10-2)
A special season came to a disappointing end for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota started 9-0 for the first time since 1904, but then finished 1-2 with losses to Iowa and Wisconsin to miss out on a Big Ten West division title. The Gophers will not play for the Big Ten title, but should still get a good bowl game to try to end their very good year on a positive note.
13.) Penn State (10-2)
The Nittany Lions played uninspired football in a 27-6 win over Rutgers, but it’s somewhat understandable given that Penn State’s hopes for a Big Ten championship came crashing down the previous week at Ohio State. The Nittany Lions are in position to possibly receive a bid to play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
14.) Oregon (10-2)
The Ducks’ playoff hopes were dashed two weeks ago with their loss at Arizona State, but Oregon bounced back this week with a 24-10 win over rival Oregon State. The Ducks still have a chance for a Pac-12 championship when they play Utah this week. If Oregon wins, it will go to the Rose Bowl. If Oregon loses, but Utah reaches the playoff, Oregon will still go to the Rose Bowl.
15.) Memphis (11-1)
The Tigers secured their place in my rankings as the top Group of Five team in the country with a 34-24 win over Cincinnati on Friday. The two teams will play each other again this week with the American Athletic Conference championship on the line. Win that, and Memphis will assuredly be the Group of Five’s representative in the New Year’s Six.
16.) Michigan (9-3)
After a month of showing vast improvement, it all came crashing down for the Wolverines in a humiliating 56-27 defeat at the hands of rival Ohio State. It was an unacceptable showing, especially at the Big House, and leaves Michigan once again searching for answers as it approaches the offseason. The Wolverines still have a bowl game to reach the 10-win plateau that has been their ceiling thus far under Jim Harbaugh, but with preseason expectations of winning the Big Ten, 2019 can only be characterized as another year of disappointment for the Wolverines.
17.) Notre Dame (10-2)
This seems too low for the Fighting Irish after they hit the 10-win mark for the third consecutive season. However, in its two biggest games – at Georgia and at Michigan – Notre Dame fell short, and the loss to the Wolverines was more than decisive. On Saturday, the Irish defeated rival Stanford on the road for the first time since 2007, 45-24, after a slow start. Notre Dame is held back by the fact that their best wins this season were over Navy and Virginia, two teams that occupy spots in the 20-25 range of my rankings.
18.) Boise State (11-1)
The Broncos got a test from Colorado State on Saturday, but prevailed with a 31-24 victory. Boise State went unbeaten in conference play, with their only loss coming against BYU. The Broncos will play Hawaii for the Mountain West championship, and need Cincinnati to beat Memphis in order to earn the Group of Five’s bid to the New Year’s Six.
19.) Iowa (9-3)
All-in-all, it was a pretty good season for the Hawkeyes. Iowa capped the year with a last-second field goal to beat rival Nebraska, 27-24. The Hawkeyes’ three losses came against teams ranked in my Top 20, and the defeats were by a combined total of 14 points (4.7 ppg). Certainly, Iowa would have liked to compete for a Big Ten West division title, but Hawkeye fans shouldn’t be too disappointed, especially if Iowa wins its bowl game.
20.) Appalachian State (11-1)
The Mountaineers concluded their regular season by stomping Troy to the tune of 48-13, giving them 11 wins on the year. Appalachian State will have a rematch with Louisana – whom they beat 17-7 back on Oct. 9 – for the Sun Belt championship. In order to earn the Group of Five bid to a New Year’s Six bowl, the Mountaineers would have to win that game, and Memphis and Boise State would have to lose their conference championship games. Even then, there’s a possibility the bid would go to Cincinnati in that scenario.
21.) Navy (9-2)
Navy outscored Houston in a shootout on Saturday, 56-41, to reach nine wins on the year. The Midshipmen will conclude their regular season in two weeks when they face Army in the annual rivalry game. It’s been a nice bounce back season for Navy, which went 3-9 last year. The Midshipmen’s only losses came against Notre Dame and Memphis.
22.) Cincinnati (10-2)
The Bearcats had looked vulnerable for a few weeks, and that proved to be the case this past Saturday when Memphis defeated Cincinnati, 34-24. Luckily, the Bearcats had already clinched their division, so they’ll get another shot at the Tigers this weekend for the American championship. Still, the loss was a big blow to Cincinnati’s hopes of getting into the New Year’s Six.
23.) Air Force (10-2)
Another service academy that finished with a fine year, Air Force concluded its regular season with a 20-6 victory over Wyoming on Saturday. The Falcons’ only losses this season came against Boise State and Navy.
24.) Virginia (9-3)
Virginia was already having its best season in several years, but that fact was amplified to the tenth-degree after the Cavaliers defeated their archrival Virginia Tech on Saturday. Virginia won by a final score of 39-30 to snap a 15-game losing streak against the Hokies. The Cavaliers are a 29-point underdog to Clemson in the ACC Championship game, but ending a decade and a half of consecutive losses against their rivals is enough to satisfy Virginia fans.
25.) SMU
What was once a storybook season didn’t end in fairy tale fashion, but SMU still defeated Tulane on Saturday, 37-20, to give the Mustangs their first 10-win season since 1984. Ever since receiving the death penalty by the NCAA ahead of the 1987 season, SMU had been fighting to return to college football relevance, and the dream finally came true some 32 years later. An incredible season for the Mustangs.