Which college football teams will finish last in each Power 5 conference?
While Group of 5 storylines are often entertaining and fun to follow, the simple truth in college football is that more focus is placed on the Power 5 conferences. Considering that every College Football Playoff team in the system’s albeit brief history has come from a Power 5 conference, it stands to reason why so much attention would be paid to them.
Of course, the 2020 season will be a bit different as it pertains to Power 5 conferences for the simple fact that two of them, the Big Ten and Pac-12, won’t be competing in the fall if they end up playing at all. Yes, that does give Group of 5 teams a potentially better chance to make some noise but it also places even more attention on the three remaining Power 5 leagues, the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
All you have to do is look at the consistent contenders from each of those conferences to identify the teams who have College Football Playoff aspirations.
Clemson figures to dominate the ACC once again, though first-time and one-time-only member Notre Dame might be able to make some noise. In the Big 12, Oklahoma, Texas and maybe even Oklahoma State will be vying for supremacy. As per usual, the SEC will be a dogfight but the usual suspects with Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Auburn and Florida will all be involved.
But what about the teams on the opposite end of the spectrum? Which teams, be it because of a lack of talent or simply because they are ill-prepared to play a conference-only schedule, are going to end up in the cellar of each Power 5 conference?
Shoutout to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Colorado, who were on their way to finishing at the bottom of the Big Ten and Pac-12, respectively, if they were playing. But among the three Power 5 conferences playing in the fall of 2020, these are the teams that will finish in last place.