The College Football Season is just about here. Already, football handicappers should be thinking about College Football Week 1 odds, National Championship futures, and Heisman Trophy futures. What will happen in this up coming college gridiron season? Check out five big and bold predictions!
Five Bold 2019 College Football Season Betting Predictions
Alabama will battle Clemson in the National Championship…
Alabama-Clemson has become the premier rivalry in college football. That won’t change in 2019. Both teams have more than workable schedules. Alabama has two tough games on the schedule before the SEC Championship: at Texas A&M on Oct. 12 and at Auburn on Nov. 30.
Clemson has a tough game versus Texas A&M on Sep. 7. Both teams return Heisman Trophy favorite quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa for Bama and Trevor Lawrence for Clemson.
…And Alabama will win
Clemson dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 in last year’s National Championship. The Tigers sure looked like the best team in the nation. They lost some players on defense, though. Not only that, but it’s crazy to believe Nick Saban doesn’t discover how best to beat Clemson in this year’s National Championship.
The real reason for Clemson’s victory last season was because they figured out how to stop Tua Tagovailoa. Tua will have improved greatly, no doubt. Bama exacts revenge over Clemson in 2020.
Oklahoma will run the table in the Big 12
The Big 12 is almost always deep and Oklahoma must replace Kyler Murray at quarterback, but it’s hard to see the Sooners not going undefeated in the conference this season. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, former Alabama starter Jalen Hurts has similar skills that Murray has. Hurts could dominate ala Murray in Lincoln Riley’s offensive system.
Second, Oklahoma’s defense will be better under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Grinch will install a system that emphasizes crashing into ball carriers and forcing turnovers. Oklahoma has a real shot of winning the National Championship in 2020.
Michigan will win the Big Ten…
Not only did Urban Meyer retire as coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but Ohio State must replace starters along the offensive line, a record-setting quarterback in Dwayne Haskins, and players on the defense.
Michigan must replace players on defense as well, but they’ve got a real shot of fielding the top offense in the nation. The Wolverines return 4-of-5 starting offensive linemen. New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is getting rid of the huddle. He’ll speed up the game and put defensive opponents on the heels of their feet.
The Wolverines won’t find a better time to establish themselves as the top program in the Big Ten. Michigan beats Ohio State and then dominates in the Big Ten Championship.
…The Wolverines will make it to the College Football Playoffs
Michigan will not only win the Big Ten, but they will also make it to the CFP. The schedule doesn’t look difficult. A road game versus Wisconsin on Sep. 21 poses some danger. Penn State and Michigan State are both down this season and Michigan takes on Notre Dame at home.
The Wolverines must travel to Columbus in the yearly face-off with Ohio State. That’s the only game that Michigan probably shouldn’t win on the schedule. If the Wolverines are undefeated up until that game, even a loss, if it’s close, could put the Logans in the College Football Playoff.
