College Football Playoff 2019: Latest NCAA Predictions After Week 1 Standings

Until Clemson or Alabama loses, the buzz surrounding the College Football Playoff will focus on a fifth postseason meeting between the powerhouses.

Most experts believe the Tigers and Crimson Tide will land in the final four when December rolls around, while the other two positions carry more variance. 

Georgia and Oklahoma are third and fourth in both the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll, while Ohio State is fifth. Those three programs and Michigan are the likeliest to reach the playoff as of right now. 

Week 2 could give us some separation on the list of second-tier championship contenders, as LSU visits Texas. 

Clemson could face a challenge from Texas A&M, but it is favored by 17.5 points at home, per Caesars. 

College Football Playoff Predictions

1. Clemson

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

The defending national champion rolled to its first victory of 2019 Thursday night. 

Running back Travis Etienne was the star of the 52-14 triumph over Georgia Tech with 205 rushing yards on 12 carries for three touchdowns. 

If you are looking for something to nitpick about the performance, focus on the two interceptions thrown by Trevor Lawrence. The key for the sophomore moving forward is to remain patient and not force throws, as Dabo Swinney noted to The State's Matt Connolly.

"He's not perfect," Swinney said. "Just play within the system, don't do too much."

Lawrence also ran for 24 yards and a touchdown, the second rushing score of his career. The Heisman Trophy front-runner needs to put together cleaner performances against Texas A&M and Syracuse in order to avoid an upset bid before September ends. 

The Aggies handed the Tigers a test at Kyle Field a year ago, and the Orange fell by four in Death Valley. 

If Clemson navigates through the tests in the next two weeks, it should have smooth sailing to the ACC Championship with no ranked sides on its schedule after September 14. 

The potential victories over the Aggies and Orange will provide a boost to Clemson's resume, which may look worse than Alabama's at the end because the Tide play in a more difficult conference.  

2. Alabama

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Despite leading Duke by 11 at halftime, Alabama's first victory of the campaign was never in doubt. 

Tua Tagovailoa went 26-of-31 with 336 yards and four touchdowns, and Jerry Jeudy hauled in 10 of those completions for 137 yards and a score. 

On the ground, the Tide produced 145 yards, but their leading rusher, Jerome Ford, only picked up 64 on 10 carries. 

Over the next few weeks, Nick Saban's side should work on improving its ground production against New Mexico State, South Carolina and Southern Miss. By the time September ends, Tagovailoa and Jeudy could have some of the most impressive numbers in the country given the low level of their opposition. 

New Mexico State lost by 51 to Washington State, South Carolina suffered a Week 1 loss to North Carolina and will be without quarterback Jake Bentley because of a broken foot, per WACH's Mike Uva, and Southern Miss is coming off a 6-5 season. 

Similar to Clemson, Alabama's first true test comes against Texas A&M on October 12, and that is the only matchup with a ranked foe until a November 9 meeting with LSU. 

3. Georgia

John Amis/Associated Press

Georgia picked up its first win Saturday by knocking off Vanderbilt 30-6. 

Jake Fromm opened with 156 yards on 15-of-23 passing, and D'Andre Swift picked up 147 yards on 16 carries. The Bulldogs defense limited Vanderbilt to 225 total yards and held the Commodores to a pair of field goals. 

Kirby Smart's side may drift away from the national spotlight in the next two weeks since it faces Murray State and Arkansas State at Sanford Stadium. 

Notre Dame's trip to Athens, Georgia, on September 21 provides the SEC East favorite an opportunity to play in a playoff-type environment. 

Two years ago, the Bulldogs eked out a one-point victory at Notre Dame Stadium. The Fighting Irish will try to return the favor in a matchup that is vital to their playoff hopes. 

If Georgia passes that test, it should enter November in the top three before a stretch of games that includes Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M.

4. Oklahoma

Alonzo Adams/Associated Press

Oklahoma looked the part of a playoff team in Sunday's 49-31 win over Houston. 

Jalen Hurts' 508 total yards and six touchdowns stood out, as did the explosiveness of wide receivers Charleston Rambo, CeeDee Lamb and Jadon Haselwood.

The Sooners defense, which was viewed as a liability last season, performed well in the first half by limiting the Cougars to 10 points. 

Giving up 31 points in Week 1 is less than ideal, but the Sooners were able to hold D'Eriq King to 167 passing yards. 

Week 2's matchup with South Dakota should give Lincoln Riley's side a chance to improve on its defense before a trip to UCLA. Texas Tech and Kansas follow the trip to California, so it is likely the Sooners enter the October 12 clash with Texas at 5-0. 

That game and the contest versus Iowa State on November 9 are the top regular-season showdowns for the Sooners, who may have to beat one of those two a second time in the Big 12 Championship to secure a playoff berth. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.