Meet the 10 Teams That Have a Chance to Win the College Football Playoff
National signing day is behind us. College football’s 2015-16 coaching carousel has rolled to a close. Spring practice is still ahead. It’s never too early to think about what lies ahead. Specifically, the national title picture.
2015 showed that unexpected teams can make a real run at the College Football Playoff. Iowa finished 12-0, and Clemson went from good to great, going into the national title game 14-0 before dropping a 45-40 decision to Alabama. However, the pool of teams that have a legit chance of winning the national title remains relatively finite.
Here’s a look at 10 teams that actually have a chance to win the College Football Playoff in 2016. These projections are based on what the teams have previously proved on the field, their returning starters and their incoming recruits.
Alabama
1 of 10
Alabama and Nick Saban are the gold standard in college football. Under Saban’s watch, the Crimson Tide have won four national titles in nine years, picking up the latest with a back-and-forth shootout win over Clemson. The Tide’s facilities and fanbase are second to none, and Saban and his staff continue to recruit at a high level.
The Tide closed strong on the recruiting trail, securing the nation’s top recruiting class, per 247Sports. Alabama suffered significant NFL draft and graduation losses, though. Twelve starters return, but starting quarterback Jake Coker, Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Derrick Henry, beastly defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, linebacker Reggie Ragland and safety Geno Matias-Smith, among others, must be replaced.
Potential starting quarterback Blake Barnett told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd that continuing that tradition is a pressure-packed process.
“We all want to keep the legacy going,” Barnett said. “[Winning titles] is the standard here. It's what we strive for every year.”
However, this is nothing new to Saban. The Tide recruit better than anyone in America on a consistent basis and have talent to spare. It’s just a matter of developing it and putting it in the right places. Alabama will be in the picture for the national title. Book it.
Baylor
2 of 10
Art Briles has done an amazing job at Baylor. He has lifted the Bears from college football’s doldrums into a legit national power. Two years ago, the Bears just missed the College Football Playoff, and last fall, injuries to their top two quarterbacks, Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham, led to offensive issues and a still-impressive 10-3 finish.
Baylor returns 10 starters and must replace four-fifths of its offensive line and standout receiver Corey Coleman. But both quarterbacks should be healthy, and tailback Shock Linwood, a two-time 1,200-yard rusher, is back, as is 1,000-yard rusher Johnny Jefferson. KD Cannon is ready to step into a No. 1 receiver role, and the Bears have plenty of freshman pass-catchers who are ready to complement him.
Baylor must improve defensively, but this will again be one of the Big 12’s best teams. The Bears are ready to make a run at a College Football Playoff berth and a national title.
Clemson
3 of 10
If you’ve been paying attention to college football, you had an idea Clemson’s 2015 season was coming. Under Dabo Swinney’s watch, the Tigers had established themselves as one of college football’s steadiest winners. 2015 was their fifth consecutive season with at least 10 victories. This fall, they took the leap from good to great.
Clemson was the No. 1 team in America from the first College Football Playoff Top 25 leading into the national title game, putting together a program-first 14-0 record. While mistakes caught up with them in a 45-40 loss to Alabama, the Tigers gained national respect by pushing the Tide to the limit. Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson became the first collegiate player ever to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season, finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting.
Starting with Watson, virtually every offensive player of consequence is back, as well as receiver Mike Williams, who gained 1,000 yards in 2014 before suffering a broken bone in his neck in the first quarter of the 2015 season opener, which ended his year. Tailback Wayne Gallman and receivers Artavis Scott and Jordan Leggett are potent offensive weapons. However, there are serious questions about a defense that returns only three starters and lost defensive ends Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson and defensive backs Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green to the NFL.
Regardless, defensive coordinator Brent Venables is one of the nation’s best and thrived following a similar makeover in 2015. If the offense (38.5 points per game in 2015) pulls its weight, the Tigers should contend again.
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Florida State
4 of 10
Florida State took a step back, and only a small one, in 2015. The Seminoles’ run of three consecutive ACC titles ended, wrapping a run that included a BCS National Championship and a College Football Playoff berth. However, going 10-3 and making a New Year’s Six Bowl (even with a Peach Bowl loss to Houston) is nothing to be ashamed of for most programs.
Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles won’t be down long. Florida State returns 17 starters (including all 11 on offense) and closed with a fury to sign one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. Fisher has a young roster, and it’ll only improve in 2016. Tailback Dalvin Cook is a dynamic force and will be a strong Heisman Trophy contender this fall.
FSU must replace five defensive starters, including All-America cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but the future is bright for this group. The Seminoles get Clemson, Florida and North Carolina at home and will be in the conversation for another national title run.
LSU
5 of 10
For the first two months of 2015, LSU looked like a national title contender. The Tigers were 8-0, and sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Then, November happened. Fournette’s production dipped (122 combined rushing yards over two games after rushing for at least 150 yards in all eight previous games), and the Tigers suffered a three-game losing streak that nearly cost coach Les Miles his job.
However, there’s reason for optimism in Baton Rouge. The Tigers return 18 starters, including Fournette, one of the nation’s most dynamic talents last fall (1,953 yards, 22 rushing touchdowns). Are there concerns about quarterback Brandon Harris (13 touchdowns, six interceptions, 53.8 completion percentage)? Sure. But while LSU must replace both starting offensive tackles, the Tigers upgraded at defensive coordinator, hiring Dave Aranda away from Wisconsin after Kevin Steele bolted for Auburn.
Alabama and Ole Miss come to Baton Rouge this year. If Harris can take some pressure off Fournette, this is a legit national title contender.
Michigan
6 of 10
The biggest question facing Michigan in 2016: What does Jim Harbaugh do for an encore? 2015 was that good. Harbaugh’s return to Ann Arbor as the Wolverines head coach was surrounded by hype, and he lived up to every bit of it. A 5-7 team improved to 10-3, including a Citrus Bowl rout of Florida.
Michigan returns 14 starters and should be even better in 2016. The offense must replace steady quarterback Jake Rudock, but John O’Korn, who was the AAC Freshman of the Year in 2014, should be a great fit in Harbaugh’s pro-style system. Replacing starting linebackers Joe Bolden, Desmond Morgan and James Ross is a concern, but safety Jabrill Peppers is developing into one of the Big Ten’s best defenders.
Michigan must travel to Michigan State and Ohio State, but this is a talented group that adds the nation’s top overall recruit in defensive tackle Rashan Gary. The Wolverines are on their way forward, and it appears Harbaugh and his staff are just getting started.
Ohio State
7 of 10
Urban Meyer has built a force at Ohio State. In Meyer’s short tenure, the Buckeyes have become a program that most expect to reload rather than rebuild. 2016 will test that theory. Meyer’s program suffered a raft of NFL draft losses, led by tailback Ezekiel Elliott, defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Darron Lee and wide receiver Michael Thomas. The Buckeyes could have a half-dozen first-round picks in the NFL draft, evoking memories of the talent-laden Miami rosters of the early 2000s.
Filling all those holes will be challenging, but Meyer and his staff continue to recruit at an elite level. Bosa’s younger brother Nick could inherit his brother’s role, leading a star-studded recruiting class. And quarterback J.T. Barrett is finally the unquestioned man under center. The road won’t be easy, but counting out the Buckeyes in the national title chase isn’t wise so long as Meyer roams the sidelines in the Horseshoe.
Oklahoma
8 of 10
Oklahoma was one of the best turnaround stories in 2015. Following a disappointing 8-5 season in 2014, Bob Stoops’ offensive makeover led by new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley and new quarterback Baker Mayfield paid off, as the Sooners finished 11-2 with a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth.
They came up short against Clemson in the Orange Bowl, but Stoops and Co. return 14 starters, including Mayfield, the dynamic dual-threat passer. Tailbacks Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon will make up one of the nation’s most productive backfield duos, and getting Penn State graduate transfer Geno Lewis is a major plus for the passing game.
There are issues following the departures of prolific pass-rushers Charles Tapper and Eric Striker, as well as cornerback Zack Sanchez, but the Sooners offense will be hard to stop. This is an elite team in the Big 12 and, with a few breaks, can win a national championship.
Southern California
9 of 10
2015 was a difficult year in Troy. Southern California was expected to be a College Football Playoff contender, but following an uneven start, second-year coach Steve Sarkisian was fired amid issues with alcohol. Interim coach Clay Helton took over and earned the job full time after leading the Trojans to the Pac-12 South title. Now, the big question is: How does Helton build on that success?
The Trojans return 14 starters, including nine on offense. USC must replace starting quarterback Cody Kessler; Max Browne and Sam Darnold are strong candidates to replace him, but the winner will get to throw to prolific wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and outstanding all-around athlete Adoree’ Jackson.
There are questions on a defense that must replace six starters, including standout linebacker Su’a Cravens, but if this team has the right attitude under Helton, the talent to make a title run is there.
Stanford
10 of 10
Over the last four years, Oregon, with its flashy offense and flashier uniforms, has soaked up most of the oxygen on the West Coast. That doesn’t seem to matter to David Shaw and Stanford, who have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles. 2015 was another excellent year for the Cardinal. They finished 12-2 with another league title and a Rose Bowl smashing of Iowa.
Stanford will return just 11 total starters and must replace starting quarterback Kevin Hogan, but it might have the nation’s top returning player in tailback Christian McCaffrey. He led the nation in all-purpose yardage and rushed for 2,019 yards. He is a dynamic talent who will be a must-watch for any college football fan.
Offensive line starters Joshua Garnett and Kyle Murphy must be replaced, along with starting safety Kodi Whitfield, among others. But if Shaw can quickly identify Hogan’s successor and keep McCaffrey moving, this will be a strong Pac-12 and national title contender again.
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