How many teams could Trevor Lawrence lead to the College Football Playoff?

Trevor Lawrence has led the Clemson Tigers to the College Football Playoff twice. If he played elsewhere, how many teams could he carry to the playoff?

Trevor Lawrence is hands-down the best player returning to college football in 2020.

Lawrence is entering his junior season as the Clemson Tigers starting quarterback. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller is 29-1 is his college career, starting almost every games over the last two years. He has quarterbacked Clemson to two ACC Championships, two College Football Playoff berths and played for the last two national titles. He will undoubtedly be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Clemson hasn’t lost a conference game since Lawrence was a junior at Calhoun High School in Cartersville, Georgia. With the flowing mane of a Greek god and the arm talent reminiscent of a young Dan Marino, Lawrence is poised to be the greatest NFL Draft quarterback prospect since John Elway came out of Stanford in 1983. He’s that impressive.

Lawrence is not only the favorite to be Clemson’s first Heisman Trophy winner, but the Tigers are the favorite to win their fourth national title in school history in 2020. With no competition in the ACC whatsoever for him worry about, it is essentially a guarantee Clemson will make the College Football Playoff for the unprecedented sixth year in a row. But what if he were up for a challenge?

This will never, ever, ever happen, but we’re in the heart of the college football offseason. Suppose Lawrence was granted the ability to transfer to any Power 5 school in the country and not have to sit out the 2020 NCAA season.

He could stay at Clemson if he wanted to (which he would), but how many teams could Lawrence’s golden locks and howitzer of a right arm carry to the College Football Playoff? We’re going to attempt this exercise now.

Roughly eight teams have a decent shot of winning a national championship annually. Those eight teams, all things equal, plus Lawrence replacing their starting quarterback would be favored to win it all. Eight other teams would be able to win their Power 5 conference championship and reach the playoff with him as their quarterback. From there, it’s all about matchups in the playoff.

Here are the 16 teams entering the 2020 NCAA season who could make the College Football Playoff with Lawrence as their starting quarterback, as well as a first team out for each Power 5 conference.