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5 teams (not Alabama or Clemson) that can win the national title

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Ashley Anderson

September 25th, 2019

Let’s cut to the chase. We all know it’s nearly inevitable Alabama and Clemson will make the College Football Playoff. Are either of them good enough to claim another trophy in 2019, though?

Since 2015 no other teams have won the national championship. Ohio State is the only other school to win the College Football Playoff, but that came first year of the postseason tournament—2014.

While Alabama and Clemson are still dominant forces in college football, it may finally be time to make way for a new national champion. Here are the five teams with the best chances of dethroning the two powerhouses.

5. Oklahoma Sooners, +1400

The Sooners are searching for their third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff with their third different quarterback. Through three games Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts has thrown for 880 yards and nine touchdown passes, with another 373 yards rushing and four TDs on the ground.
Last season Oklahoma lost to Alabama 45-34 in the College Football Playoff. The Sooners have a solid chance of going undefeated in 2019, but the defense is still a weakness. Oklahoma is ranked in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards on offense, but the Sooners D is allowing opponents 212.3 passing yards (53rd in the nation) and 140.3 rushing yards per game (59th).

4. LSU Tigers, +1000

The last time LSU won a national title was 2008, back in the BCS era. In Ed Orgeron's third full season as head coach, he has the Tigers looking like they might be capable of returning to championship glory. The 4-0 squad has a 45-38 win over Texas and blowout victories against Georgia Southern, Northwestern State and Vanderbilt.
But LSU's remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. The Tigers face Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M in the second half. Even if they can survive conference play and make the Playoff, the Tigers will surely be beaten down and worn out.

The Tigers are No. 2 in passing yards per game (431.8), but their defense struggles against the pass and has given up 223.5 yards per game.

3. Georgia Bulldogs, +900

Georgia nearly edged out Alabama in the national-title game in 2018 but lost a thriller in overtime. Now Georgia is back in the conversation as a CFP contender and sitting on a 4-0 record, with a huge win over Notre Dame in Week 4.
Quarterback Jake Fromm has yet to throw an interception and is completing 75.6% of his passes, eighth best in college football. The Bulldogs defense has also held its competition to 263 yards per game and ranks fifth in opponent rushing yards per game (57).

2. Ohio State Buckeyes, +900

While Georgia should be plenty happy with the play of Fromm, former Bulldog Justin Fields is playing at a whole other level at his new school, Ohio State. The transfer QB has accounted for 880 yards through the air and 13 touchdown passes, plus 150 yards rushing and six more scores.
The Buckeyes aren't just excellent on offense. They rank second in opponent yards per game and seventh in rushing yards allowed per game (60.3).

The Buckeyes are winning by an average margin of 44.5 points per game, the most in college football. They've yet to meet with tough competition, but they look primed to defeat the likes of Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan. One team that could give them trouble in the regular season, though, is the next one on the list.

1. Wisconsin Badgers, +2000

The Badgers have the highest national championship odds of the teams ranked above, but don't sleep on them.  Running back Jonathan Taylor is a legitimate Heisman contender (+800) and could carry Wisconsin all the way to a championship.
The Badgers demolished South Florida 49-0, embarrassed Central Michigan 61-0 and made Michigan look awful in a 35-14 home victory that was far out of the Wolverines' reach by halftime. Michigan's two scores came toward the end of the game, after Wisconsin opened up a 35-0 lead.

Challenges lie ahead against Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and Minnesota, but if the Badgers can earn a spot in the Playoff, they have a solid chance of knocking out Alabama or Clemson.

Wisconsin is No. 5 in offensive efficiency and No. 1 in defensive efficiency. The Badgers rank 12th in rushing yards per game (264) and are No. 1 in opponent yards per game (171). They're also first in opponent rushing yards per game (27) and eighth in opponent passing yards per game (144.3). If they continue to play at this level, Wisconsin may find itself the newest national champion.



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