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College football rankings 2019: Every FBS team from 1-130, ranked

By Nicholas Ian Allen

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and cornerback Trayvon Mullen (1) celebrate with the championship trophy after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and cornerback Trayvon Mullen (1) celebrate with the championship trophy after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Should we expect South Carolina to finish with a Top 20 ranking in 2019? Probably not. After all, the Gamecocks play arguably the toughest schedule in the country. However, Will Muschamp has a roster that could compete with anyone. South Carolina ranks No. 13 in the nation in Roster Strength (88.39) and No. 18 in average 247Sports rating (.8709), and the Gamecocks are more talented today than they were last year, as evidenced by a 2.04-point improvement in Roster Strength since the end of last season. The problem? South Carolina ranks No. 5, No. 8 and No. 4 in the SEC, respectively, in those categories.

Auburn is one of the most difficult college football teams to project in 2019. First and foremost, the Tigers are loaded defensively. Coordinator Kevin Steele, whose 91.03 DC Rating ranks No. 9 in the country, will field a defense that ranks No. 14 in the country in Roster Strength. The only question is a rebuilt linebacker corps. The defensive line sits at No. 2 in the country, and the secondary ranks No. 15.

The offense also has promise. Despite on-field struggles in 2018, the Auburn offensive line ranks No. 5 in preseason O-Line Strength, and through young, there is talent everywhere on the depth chart at the skill positions. But the biggest concern is quarterback, where either five-star true freshman Bo Nix or redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood will start for the very first time. With Gus Malzahn (who ranks No. 20 in the country with an 87.01 OC Rating) calling the plays again, the Tigers should improve upon last year’s mediocre 389.9 total yards per game, which ranked No. 11 in the SEC and No. 79 in the country.

Penn State is similarly difficult to handicap. Head coach James Franklin has a roster stocked with Top 25 talent. The Nittany Lions rank No. 22 in Roster Strength (despite the loss of 2.70 points since the end of the 2018 season, which was the most in the Big Ten), and No. 13 in average 247Sports rating, but inexperience is prevalent at several pivotal spots – most notably quarterback.

The defense should be solid, and potentially spectacular. The Nittany Lions rank No. 9 in D-Line Strength, No. 11 in linebacker Roster Strength, and No. 8 at defensive back, which is good for a combined No. 3 overall spot in defensive Roster Strength. Yetur Gross-Matos, Cam Brown and John Reid give Franklin a 100-rated player at each level, though the best player on the roster might be sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons, whose 98.83 VGR+ rating should rise to the maximum by Week 3.

There’s no question the Oregon offensive line is the most experienced in the country, and according to CFB Winning Edge O-Line Strength, the Ducks are also the best up front. Given the skill position talent found elsewhere on offense, including likely first-round quarterback Justin Herbert, a talented sophomore trio of running backs and the No. 14 receiving corps in the country, it’s no wonder some see Oregon as a potential playoff contender. The defense might just as good, especially at linebacker and in the secondary, which is why Oregon ranks No. 12 in the country and No. 2 in the Pac-12 with an 88.71 Roster Strength Rating.

The only question is coaching. Head coach Mario Cristobal, who ranks 33rd in the country with an 85.95 Head Coach rating. Andy Avalos comes from Boise State with a solid 83.74 DC Rating (No. 38 overall and No. 6 in conference), but OC Marcus Arroyo ranks tenth in the league and 87th among all FBS offensive play-callers with a 77.82 OC Rating.

Surprised to see Stanford this high in our power rankings? So were we – especially since the current Cardinal roster has combined to start the fewest career games (150) among all P5 teams, and second-fewest in the country behind only UAB. Head coach David Shaw must replace nearly half of last season’s rushing yardage, and 72.89 percent of his team’s receiving production (more than all but nine other FBS programs).

We were just as surprised when our favorite projection model projected Stanford as the favorite in 11 games, including its entire Pac-12 slate. But, with K.J. Costello throwing jump balls to standouts like tight end Colby Parkinson, and elite cornerback Paulson Adebo locking down one side of the field, it’s not impossible.

We were nearly surprised to see Mississippi State ranked in the Top 15, especially after an experienced Bulldogs squad underachieved in Joe Moorhead’s first season. Moorhead and top-10 defensive coordinator Bob Shoop (90.80 DC Rating), were tasked with rebuilding one of the best defensive lines in the country, but thanks to the No. 2 linebacker corps in the country and a solid secondary, the unit ranks No. 9 overall.

Questions remain on offense, especially at quarterback where former Penn State QB (and Moorhead protégé) Tommy Stevens was brought in to compete with Keyaton Thompson. The receiving corps also got a boost when K-State’s Isaiah Zuber announced his intent to spend his senior season in Starkville. With running back Kylin Hill set to receive the bulk of the carries (and his fair share of passes) out of the backfield, State should improve upon last year’s lackluster offensive performance.

As programs continue to transition across the Pac-12 South, Utah remains as consistent as ever. Though the Utes have a history of overachieving expectations with diamond-in-the-rough recruits, head coach Kyle Whittingham has a legitimately stacked roster to work with in 2019. In fact, Utah ranks No. 16 in the country and No. 3 in the conference in Roster Strength (88.05).

The Utes also made the biggest Roster Strength gain of any FBS team over the offseason (+6.22 points, thanks in part to the return of injured quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss). Given Whittingham’s Top 20 Head Coach rating (88.03), CFB Winning Edge projected the Utes to be favored in 11 games in 2019, which would undoubtedly make Utah a CFP contender.

UCF ranked No. 13 is unprecedented. Keep in mind, a No. 13 ranking in Roster Strength means CFB Winning Edge would favor the Knights to beat 118 of 130 FBS teams on a neutral field. And since UCF plays No. 16 Stanford at home in Week 3, we expect the Knights to be favored in all 12 regular season games.

Truthfully, UCF could be slightly overrated because Josh Heupel’s 91.13 Head Coach Rating (which ranks ninth overall) includes just one season’s worth of data. But it’s hard to ignore the talent. UCF ranks No. 26 in the nation in Roster Strength (87.19) and No. 62 with an average 247Sports rating of .8280 – both tops among Group of Five conference teams.

Texas is obviously talented. The Longhorns rank No. 11 nationally in Roster Strength and No. 8 in pure talent. But it’s worth pointing out this year’s roster is 0.92 points weaker than the one that beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Also, both figures rank second in the Big 12 behind archrival Oklahoma.

However, despite a wealth of inexperience on defense, the Horns have the top-rated unit in the conference in terms of Roster Strength. And on offense, Heisman candidate Sam Ehlinger is back at quarterback, and he has the No. 5 receiving corps in the country at his disposal. Though the Sooners are favored to repeat as Big 12 champs, Texas is more than capable of winning again in Dallas, and should be… back… in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, the Texas A&M Aggies look a lot like national title contenders… in 2020. The Ags rank No. 21 in Roster Strength and No. 14 in 247Sports rating but dropped 1.56 points since the end of the 2018 season due to turnover at running back, defensive line and linebacker. Those units currently sit No. 13, No. 10 and No. 8 on the SEC leaderboard in Roster Strength, respectively, and none is better than 29th nationally.

However, Texas A&M won’t start a single senior on offense, and junior Kellen Mond is a blossoming superstar for head coach Jimbo Fisher. Only two seniors are projected to start for defensive coordinator Mike Elko, so as long as Texas A&M avoids heavy losses to the NFL Draft and transfer portal over the next 12 months (and assuming the Aggies get a break from the schedule makers following a particularly brutal 2019 slate), A&M could be the preseason No. 1 next year.

No. 11 this year is pretty good, though – and the Aggies will certainly make life difficult for 2019 title contenders like Alabama, Clemson and Georgia.