5 Most Overrated College Football Teams Heading into 2019 NCAAF Season


Cover Photo: Getty Images
While the start of the 2019 college football season still looms roughly three months away, the hype surrounding this year's upcoming campaign is already well on its way.
There's already been plenty of chatter about which teams have the potential to dethrone Clemson or Alabama for a spot in the 2020 College Football Playoff, but here's a look at five of the most overrated teams heading into the 2019 season.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ever since former head coach Urban Meyer took over the reigns at Ohio State in 2012, the Buckeyes have been competing for CFP bids as the most dominating force out of the Big Ten. There's only one major problem with that formula heading into 2019, there's no more Urban Meyer in Columbus. The Buckeyes' new head coach in Ryan Day looks to lead a 2019 OSU that's lost 59 touchdowns, more than 4,850 passing yards, 1,750 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards to the 2019 NFL Draft in Dwayne Haskins. Ohio State will also be without the likes of defensive stars Nick Bosa and Dre'Mont Jones from its newest defensive line alone.
4. Oregon Ducks
Oregon is led by one of the most talented NFL QB prospects in Justin Herbert, but the Ducks' supporting cast certainly didn't scream top-10 team for the upcoming 2019 season. Oregon has put together solid recruiting classes over the past two seasons, but the Ducks haven't truly been a contender since Marcus Mariota's final collegiate season in 2014, and Herbert's 9-4 junior campaign doesn't seem to pack the same kind of potential as the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner brought to the table in Eugene either.
3. Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M's Second-year head coach Jimbo Fisher certainly has the skill required to assemble a championship-caliber team from his days with Florida State, but the Aggies' 2019-20 schedule is nothing shy of brutal. Texas A&M is currently eyeing matchups with four of the top-7 ranked teams in the final 2018-19 AP Top-25 Poll from last season, including games against both the defending national champions in No. 1 Clemson and CFP runner-up in No. 2 Alabama. The Aggies certainly have some talent, and in order to be the best they say have you to beat the best, but that's a tough schedule for any roster to survive in a playoff format that all but excludes teams with two or more losses.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame finished last season a perfect 12-0, but questions about the Fighting Irish's regular-season strength of schedule was something that loomed over them through their first CFP appearance. And after Notre Dame proved last season's doubters correct in a 30-3 loss to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl, the nation's premier Independent program will likely find itself in another postseason mismatch once again in 2019.
1. Michigan Wolverines
There's no doubt that Jim Harbaugh's influence on his alma mater's program has brought Michigan back into the competitive fold, but the Wolverines have still proven farther behind the CFP eight ball than many were expecting year after year. While the door for a potential CFP berth has opened slightly wider with Meyer's departure from Ohio State, the Wolverines haven't been able to compete with top-caliber teams. Since Harbaugh took over in Ann Arbor, Michigan has gone 0-3 against same-season CFP programs and 0-4 against Ohio State, yet the Wolverines have found themselves ranked in the AP's Top-10 poll numerous weeks since 2015.
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David Hayes is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David Hayes also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username DavidWHayes. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.