2019 College Football Preview Hub

Connect to Every FBS Conference and Team

pmroczkaLast Updated: August 14, 2019

0 12 minutes read

Our College Football Preview 2019 has everything you need to prep for the upcoming season. This 2019 NCAAF preview offers in-depth analysis of every FBS team. Get a foot up on all other college football fans and bettors by utilizing all of the insightful analysis, important facts and stats, and carefully researched and prepared predictions. Use this College Football Preview 2019 hub to connect you to every major football conference, as well as the important independents. There are 130 Division IA college football teams that are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). These are the teams that may be considered for a bowl bid. We offer comprehensive analysis of each one. Plus, our ollege Football Preview 2019 includes an in-depth analysis of each of the teams that made the Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. Links to those teams are at the end of this page.

College Football Preview 2019 – Conference Rankings

Our 2019 college football preview covers every conference and every team. The rankings of the football conferences are determined by the NCAA. The top half are known as the Power Five Conferences or Power Five. These are the most competitive conferences. The top conference in this group is the SEC, which is followed by the Big Ten. Then it is the ACC moving up a few notches and coming in third. After that, it’s the Big 12 fourth and the Pac-12 moving down to fifth place.

The six Independent Teams, those associated with no conference, come after the Power Five. Of those, Notre Dame is first and Army West Point second. Then there is the Group of Five. Also known as the G5, the top conference in this second-tier of college football teams is the American Athletic Conference (AAC). CUSA has moved up in these rankings. The lowest-ranked FBS conference is still the Sun Belt.

College Football Preview 2019 – Rankings

1. Southeastern Conference (SEC)
2. Big Ten
3. Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
4. Big 12
5. Pac-12
6. Independent Teams
7. American Athletic Conference (AAC)
8. Mountain West Conference (MW)
9. Conference USA (CUSA)
10. Mid-American Conference (MAC)
11. Sun Belt Conference (SBC)

2019 NCAAF Conference Betting Preview – Summaries and Links

1. Southeastern Conference – College Football Preview 2019 Powerhouse

Once again, the SEC is the top college football conference in the U.S. That’s judgement comes from the NCAA as well as our College Football Preview 2019. Six of the 14 AP Top 25 teams come from the SEC, with three located in the West and three in the East. From the West, it’s Alabama (#2), LSU, (#6), and Texas A&M (#16). In the East Divison, it’s Georgia and Florida (T-#7) and Kentucky (#12).

In the SEC West, it is the Alabama Crimson Tide first and the LSU Tigers second. Bama is number one on offense and defense with LSU being a fairly close second. In addition, we anticipate the Texas A&M Aggies nailing down third place, despite a few challenges on both sides of the ball. Due to issues with their pass attack, Auburn finishes fourth. The Mississippi State Bulldogs take fifth, and the Mississippi Rebels are sixth. Finally, the defensively challenged Arkansas Razorbacks are projected to be last in the SEC West.

The top teams in the SEC East for 2019 are the Georgia Bulldogs, who are especially strong on offense, and the Florida Gators, who are overall solid. The Bulldogs take first and the Gators second with the Missouri Tigers finishing third. These Tigers are questionable on defense. The final four teams all have some type of major issue. The South Carolina Gamecocks, who we see as finishing fourth, have a weak rush attack, while the Tennessee Volunteers, who should end up fifth, are challenged on both frontlines. The Kentucky Wildcats, who did so well last season, fall to sixth, as they are weak on both sides of the ball. Last in the SEC East are the Vanderbilt Commodores.

SEC East

SEC West

Big Ten Conference – Five Top 25 College Football Teams

The second-ranked Big Ten Conference is huge in terms of power and number of teams. The Big Ten offers some of the finest college football you’ll see anywhere as 14 teams battle for supremacy. The Two divisions, the East and West, feature seven teams each. Five teams from the Big Ten are listed in the top 25, with Ohio State at #3. After that, it’s Michigan #14, Penn State #17, and Northwestern #21. Iowa is ranked 25th.

In our college football preview 2019 in the East Division, the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes are the two best? Who will win the East Division? We think it will be the Wolverines with the Buckeyes capturing second. The Michigan State Spartans, who bring a loaded defense to the field, finish third, while Penn State, which has to replace their star QB, ends up fourth. We then see the final three in the Big Ten East being the Maryland Terrapins, Indians Hoosiers, and Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

We predict that the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who have one of the top two QBs in the Big Ten, will take down first in the West, while the Iowa Hawkeyes capture second place. The Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers both have concerns on offense and defense. They will be third and fourth respectively. Then is till be Northwestern fifth, Purdue sixth, and Illinois seventh.

Big Ten East

Big Ten West

Atlantic Coast Conference – Moves Up in College Football Preview 2019

In the Power Five, the ACC used to be ranked fifth. But this conference has moved up into third place behind the SEC and Big ten. The ACC has become a massively formidable conference. It consists of two divisions, the Atlantic and the Coastal. Two AP Top 25 teams come from the Atlantic. They are the top college football team in the nation, Clemson, and #15 Syracuse.

In the Atlantic Division, the Clemson Tigers rule, followed by the Florida State Seminoles. The Syracuse Orange have improved and are ranked third. After that, it’s the NC State Wolfpack fourth and the Boston College Eagles fifth. Our College Football Preview 2019 sees the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as finishing sixth in the Atlantic and the Louisville Cardinals team coming in last.

In the Coastal Division, the Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Tech Hokies battle for first. We see the Hurricanes winning that battle and the Hokies capturing second place. The Virginia Cavaliers, who are weak at running back and on the offensive line, have enough to take third, while the Pittsburgh Panthers will be competitive enough to finish fourth. The final three teams should finish in this order, the North Carolina Tar Heels, Duke Blue Devils, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

ACC Atlantic

ACC Coastal

Big 12 Conference – Huge in Our College Football Preview 2019

There are 10 teams in the Big 12 with the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns taking down first and second respectively. Both of these college football teams are sound on both sides of the ball with the Sooners edging out the Longhorns on offense and defense. Also looking to do some damage in 2019 are the TCU Horned Frogs, Iowa State Cyclones, and Baylor Bears. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are projected to be about average, as are the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

We envision the Cowboys in sixth and Red Raiders in seventh. The bottom third include Kansas State eighth, West Virginia ninth, and Kansas tenth or last. Three teams from the Big 12 are listed in the top 25, with the Oklahoma Sooners being #4 and Texas Longhorns #9. The West Virginia Mountaineers are ranked 20th.

Big 12 Conference

Pac- 12 – Drops in Our College Football Preview 2019

The Pac-12 has slipped to fifth amongst the Power Five. There are two divisions, the North and South with the former being considered the stronger of the two in 2019. In terms of AP Top 25 rankings, in the North, the Washington State Cougars are 10th while the Washington Huskies are 13th. The Pac-12 South does not have a club in the AP Top 25.

In the North, our College Football Preview 2019 likes the Oregon Ducks this season. They have the best QB in the conference, Justin Herbert, and their defense is in the top tier. With Oregon taking first, we project that the Washington Huskies and Stanford Cardinals will battle for second. Washington’s frontlines should help them secure second, as Stanford takes third. The Washington State Cougars will also be competitive in this division, but we anticipate a weak rush attack and mediocre defense to limit them. The Cougars end up in fourth, while the California Golden Bears, who bring a fine D but a weak O, come in fifth. Finally, the last spot in the East goes to the Oregon State Beavers.

In the Pac-12 South, we see the Utah Utes who have a sound defense, as being the team to beat. We do believe that the Utes will finish first and the USC Trojans, who bring a very fine offense to the field but a weak D, will end up in second. We questions at QB but one of the better rush attacks in the league, the Arizona State Sun Devils are a sound candidate for third in the South. They are followed by the UCLA Bruins in fourth and the Arizona Wildcats in fifth. The final spot on the Pac-12 South will be occupied by the Colorado Buffaloes.

Pac-12 North

Pac-12 South

Independent FBS Teams – College Football Preview 2019 Likes Irish

The number of FBS Independents stands at six with, once again, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame considered to be the top team, while the Army West Point Black Knights are right behind them. The Brigham Young University Cougars are projected to be third amongst the indies, while the New Mexico State Aggies look to be fourth. We expect these top four Independents will all have a shot at a bowl berth. By the way, Notre Dame is ranked #5 nationally and Army #19.

The fifth and sixth place clubs will be the Massachusetts Minute Men and Liberty University Flames. By the way, this is the first year since New Mexico State became an Independent and Liberty moved from being a FCS to FBS team that both clubs are bowl eligible.

Independents

American Athletic Conference – 2019 College Football Top G5 League

There are a dozen teams in the two divisions of the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is at the top of the G5. The Cincinnati Bearcats (#24) and UCF Knights (#11) are the two best teams in East Division. Followed by the USF Bulls and Temple Owls. Bringing up the rear are the East Carolina Pirates and the Connecticut Huskies.

In the West, it’s the Memphis Tigers and Houston Cougars at the top of the heap. They are followed by the up-and-coming Tulane Green Wave in third. After that, it the SMU Mustangs who appear to be a good fourth-place team. The Navy Midshipmen, who in the past have been a sound second- or third-place club, fall to fifth. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane fill out the bottom of the West.

By the way, the AAC can bring it on, and in 2019, will certainly expect them to challenge teams from any FBS conference. This is a solid league that seems to improve every year.

AAC East

AAC West

Mountain West Conference – Exciting 2019 College Football

The Mountain West is ranked second amongst the second-tier FBS leagues. In NCAAF, they are just behind the American Athletic Conference. The dozen football teams are divided equally. Of the two divisions, the Mountain and West, the former is the better. In terms of top teams, #23 Boise State and #22 Utah State are in the Mountain Division. From the West Division, Fresno State is ranked 18th.

In the Mountain Division, once again, the Boise State Broncos will compete for the top place. The Air Force Falcons will give them a run for their money. The Broncos possess a better defense, while the Falcons bring a very fine rush attack into the 2019 season. Our 2019 college football preview anticipates the Utah State Aggies as being competitive, despite their weak O-line. The Aggies finish third, while the Wyoming Cowboys, who are challenged upfront on both sides of the ball, take fourth. The Colorado State Rams, who possess a solid pass attack, are seen as finishing fifth. Finally, the New Mexico Lobos end up sixth.

The West Division of the MW has three teams that will fight it out for supremacy, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Hawai’i. The San Diego State Aztecs, with their very fine rush attack and tough defense, will take down first place. Second will be the Fresno State Bulldogs, who have questions on offense at QB and on the O-line, and on defense at linebacker. The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors, who mount a lethal air attack, capture third place. The Nevada Wolf Pack, who possess a solid running game but a mediocre defense end up fourth, while the UNLV Rebels, who will be severely challenged on defense, capture fifth. The San Jose State Spartans, with major concerns on both sides of the ball, finish last.

Mountain Division

West Division

Conference USA – Moves Up in Our College Football Preview 2019

As noted in our introduction, Conference USA, also known as CUSA, has moved up in the G5 from fourth to third behind the American Athletic Conference and Mountain West Conference and above the Mid-American Conference and Sun Belt Conference. There are 14 teams in CUSA and it is divided into the East and West Divisions.

In the East, the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Owls are the number one team. The Owls possess the top O-line and one of the best rush attacks in the entire league. The Marshall Thundering Herd and their tough defense look to be a solid second-place club, while the Florida International University (FIU) Panthers, who put one the CUSA’s best offenses on the field, come in third. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, who carry question marks at QB into the season, will be fourth. We then project Old Dominion as fifth and Western Kentucky University (WKU) as sixth. Charlotte takes seventh in CUSA East.

As far as the West is concerned, we like the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and their rich pass attack and stalwart defensive line. Expect Southern Mississippi to capture first in CUSA West with the North Texas Mean Green Mean Green and their overall fine offense as finishing second. The UAB Blazers do have some concerns on offense and defense. They will take down third. The Louisiana Tech Ragin’ Cajuns follows in fourth. Finally, it is UTSA and UTEP fifth and sixth, while Rice takes last place.

CUSA East

CUSA West

Mid-American Conference – Drops in Our College Football Preview

In 2019, the MAC has moved down a rung, as it’s now fourth in the Group of Five. Last season, it was rated fourth. This conference is divided into two divisions, East and West, with six teams in each. As it was at the start of last season, our 2019 College football Preview finds that not one team from the MAC is presently in the AP Top 25. However, there are certainly numerous quality teams in this football conference.

In the East Division, the Ohio Bobcats are the top team. The Cats put one of the best defenses on the field, and they have a dynamite quarterback in senior Nathan Rourke. In our 2019 college football preview, the Miami Redhawks come in second, but in order to do so, their defense will have to make up for some of the inadequacies of their offense. Once again, the Buffalo Bulls will put together a competitive roster, as will the Kent State Golden Flashes. In our estimate, the Bulls take third and the Golden Flashes fourth. Finally, the Akron Zips and Bowling Green Falcons come in fifth and sixth.

In the MAC West, the Toledo Rockets and their well-oiled rushing offense and the Western Michigan Broncos and their nicely balanced offense and defense are the two best teams in the conference. However, Toledo looks a bit stronger. The Rockets win first place. Consequently, the Broncos finish second. The Northern Illinois Huskies bring what is perhaps the best D in the entire division. The Huskies take third, while the Eastern Michigan Eagles capture fourth place. Finally, the Ball State Cardinals win fifth place, and the Central Michigan Eagles end the season in sixth.

MAC East

MAC West

Sun Belt Conference – Last in College Football Preview 2019

As they were last season, the SBC is ranked last in 2019. But amongst their five teams in the East Division and five in the West, they possess quality clubs. As we start the 2019 season, there are no teams from the SBC in the AP Top 25. In the East, the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Troy Trojans are both stacked on both sides of the ball. However, we see the Mountaineers as taking first and the Trojans second.

After that, Georgia Southern Eagles take third, Georgia State Panthers fourth, and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers fifth. The West Division features a battle between the Arkansas State Red Wolves and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. When all is said and done, the Wolves win first place and the Cajuns second. In addition, the ULM Warhawks are projected to take third, and the Texas State Bobcats and South Alabama Jaguars take fourth and fifth respectively.

Sun Belt East

Sun Belt West

Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll – Links

Our College Football Preview 2019 also offers analysis of each of the teams in Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. To go to the appropriate team, click on the links below.