Which 2019 College Football Teams Can Reach the 10-Win Mark?

We’re about three weeks away from “Week Zero” in the 2019 college football season, when the University of Miami (FL) squares off against the University of Florida and Arizona visits Hawaii, which means that it is time to take a more serious look at one of the futures options available to sports betting enthusiasts in college football — win/loss totals. Within the FBS ranks, six teams currently have win/loss totals on the sports books of 10 or higher: Clemson (11.5), Alabama (11), Georgia (11), Ohio State (10.5), Oklahoma (10.5) and Boise State (10). Four teams — UCF, Michigan, Texas and Washington — all sit at 9.5, while six other teams sit at nine. We will talk about the most likely programs to make — and to miss — 10-win seasons despite sitting close to that number with the books. Be sure to check out the latest College Football odds before making any bets.

Which 2019 College Football Teams Can Reach the 10-Win Mark?

Clemson has received its first preseason #1 ranking in the Coaches Poll. Top 🔟: 1. Clemson 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4. Oklahoma 5. Ohio State 6. LSU 7. Michigan 8. Florida 9. Notre Dame 10. Texas Full rankings ⬇️ https://t.co/CQcfvHcsVe

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 1, 2019

Solid 10-Win Teams: Clemson, Alabama, Georgia

Clemson became the first 15-0 team in college football history last year, running the table and dominating in the ACC as well as the College Football Playoff. However, win totals are just based on a 12-game regular season schedule, and Clemson has had a penchant for laying an egg during ACC play, with a home loss to Pitt and a road loss to Syracuse blemishing otherwise perfect records in 2016 and 2017. In 2019, the Tigers host Texas A&M, who almost beat Clemson last year, and then open ACC play with a trip to Syracuse, who beat them two years ago up there in the Carrier Dome. Their ACC slate is mostly tame, although they do head to Louisville and finish at South Carolina. Even with one outlier loss, though, Clemson should easily beat ten wins. Alabama’s 2019 non-conference slate includes Duke, New Mexico State, Southern Mississippi, and Western Carolina. Hmmm. Their SEC schedule has a couple of possible tests with trips to Texas A&M and Auburn, but they get LSU at home this season. Can they run the table? Yes, but even if the Aggies or the Tigers trip them up, they will still beat 10 wins easily. Georgia has a similarly friendly non-conference schedule, with the possible exception of a home game against Notre Dame. They face Florida at a neutral site (Jacksonville), and they also have to play at Auburn, who pulled off the sweep over Georgia and Alabama two years ago. It’s hard to see Georgia losing more than two of these games, though.

Teams that Squeak to Ten: Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State

Michigan’s nonconference schedule includes Middle Tennessee, Army and Notre Dame — all at home. In Big Ten play, their toughest road games will be at Wisconsin and Penn State, as they get Ohio State and Michigan State at home. Jim Harbaugh is still looking for those signature wins that will get Michigan into the College Football Playoff, and he can start by knocking off the Badgers on September 21 in Madison. If Michigan somehow loses to Ohio State again, and loses to Notre Dame, they would be very close to finishing under ten…but I’m not sure the rest of the Big Ten can stand up to the Wolverines. Ohio State has an interesting home game against a tough Cincinnati team in non-conference play, and they also head to Nebraska, an up-and-coming team in the Big Ten West. Then the Buckeyes finish the regular season at Michigan. Under a new coach and with a new system, it is hard to see the Buckeyes winning more than ten games, but if they beat Cincinnati, they will have wiggle room — and just make it. For Oklahoma, 11 or 12 wins sounds right — and one can say the same about Texas. Oklahoma has the better offense and the better quarterback, in Jalen Hurts (in comparison to Sam Ehlinger). Last year, Texas won the regular-season matchup between these two teams in Dallas, so one would expect Oklahoma to be ready for redemption — but they have to fit Hurts into their scheme. Oklahoma’s only tough road games will be at Baylor and at Oklahoma State, so even if they lose at the Cotton Bowl, they should get to 10. Texas has a slightly tougher path, given that they see LSU in non-conference play. Texas also has to head to Iowa State, which has been an unfriendly place for Big 12 competitors, and they also have to play in Waco against a rising Baylor team. So of these two teams, Oklahoma is the slightly more certain lock for ten wins.