10 teams who could make their first College Football Playoff in 2019

9. Baylor

This one might seem a little off the reservation, but let’s look at the facts. The Big 12 may be in flux this season with Texas trying to live up to lofty expectations and an Oklahoma team hoping Jalen Hurts fits in immediately. West Virginia won’t be near as good and Iowa State still has question marks. Baylor is on the way up, and getting to the Big 12 Championship Game is a distinct possibility.

Junior quarterback Charlie Brewer returns after throwing for 3,000 yards while racking up more than 400 rushing yards last season. He’s back under center after a productive season in the Big 12.

They are also bringing back 85 percent of their defensive starters. Now, that’s not terribly important in the Big 12, because defense takes a back seat in this conference. However, if a team can at least be competent on the defensive side, it’s important. Clay Johnston is one of the best returning linebackers in the conference. The defense was pretty terrible, but that can turn around quickly when there’s experience on the defense.

Then there’s the wild card; Matt Rhule. He was a candidate for NFL head coaching jobs after getting Baylor back to bowl eligibility this past season. It seems premature at this point, but he might be one of those under-the-radar coaching stars. He was really good at times at Temple, and he showed some interesting game plans at Baylor.

Obviously, this is the longest shot on here, but there are pieces here to make a contender. The schedule has every difficult game in Waco. The team has a good quarterback and coach combination. Baylor is the darkest of horses, but one that’s still running.