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5 college football teams most likely to go undefeated in 2019

By John Scimeca

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Kennedy Brooks #26 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs with the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Kennedy Brooks #26 of the Oklahoma Sooners runs with the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Justyn Ross #8 and Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers react against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Justyn Ross #8 and Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers react against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

1. Clemson Tigers

Even if the Crimson Tide or the Sooners reach the College Football Playoff again and face Clemson, there’s no doubt who’s at the top of this list.

Clemson’s 2018 season was marked by the emergence of all-world quarterback Trevor Lawrence, by head coach Dabo Swinney’s continued sideline swagger, and by a dominant defensive line. While the Tigers’ front four has departed to the NFL, plenty of talent returns on both sides of the bowl — enough to mark down Clemson as the most likely team to finish the 2019 season undefeated.

The Tigers’ position as a top national title contender is solidified by the decline of the ACC. There are underwhelming programs like Virginia Tech and NC State, self-imploding ones like Louisville and Florida State, and plucky but unimpressive upstarts such as Syracuse and Virginia. Mix it all up and you get a conference that won’t even come close to challenging the Tigers in 2019.

True, the Orange lost only 27-23 against Clemson in the fifth game of 2018 (after an upset win in 2017), but Clemson’s run of dominance against its ACC foes overall is worth noting. The Tigers defeated ACC opponents with scores such as 63-3, 59-10, and 77-16 (that’s Wake Forest, Florida State, and Louisville, respectively).

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If Dabo, Trevor, and Co. can match the 15-0 finish of last year, they will most likely have finished unbeaten to do so.

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