With the bowl season upon us, we thought it would be a good time to look back and reflect on the 2019 college football season. Those who got it right with predictions? Others that came up short? And what makes the sport great.
Nailed it
I wonder if he did? The world may never know.
I'lI bet my 401k Alabama wont make the playoffs this year
— Faithful Black Man (@Flo_theInfamous) August 8, 2019
Two-for-two with two more shots left... Oklahoma has to beat Baylor for a second time on Saturday. Texas can’t disappoint us anymore, right? Asking for a friend.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
— Tim’s Hot Takes (@timshottakes) August 21, 2019
Oklahoma vs Baylor
Champion: Oklahoma
I think Texas might end up disappointing this year and miss out on the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma I have making it as the #3 seed in the… https://t.co/P42SVvdhgE
100% all the way down to the record.
I like Clemson to go 12-0 and win over a 9-3 Virginia team in the ACC Championship
— Josh Greene (@joshgreene33) August 29, 2019
At least it wasn’t a kick-six this time.
lsu vs georgia in the sec championship calling it bama will lose to lsu and blow it against auburn
— collin earley (@collin_36) October 8, 2019
We can’tttt eitttther!
Georgia and LSU in the sec championship this year cantttt wait
— THE REAL gNarley tAnner (@fathakenn) July 28, 2019
Way to go— checking the predictor on this one. A good win by The Citadel down in Atlanta.
Sounds good to me. I was mildly disappointed your top 10 list of FCS-over-FBS potential upsets didn't include The Citadel over Georgia Tech...
— Sandlapper Spike (@SandlapperSpike) August 3, 2019
Kennesaw State being the favorite in that KSU-KSU battle was not a huge surprise, though.
Meet Me in the Middle (Batting .500)
Halfway there and great for a February prediction. Utah did end the regular season at 11-1 and still has a chance to make the Playoff. However, a two-loss Pac-12 Champion Oregon looks rough on paper sitting in front of committee come Sunday.
Oregon and Utah are going to be 11-1. They will play in the pac 12 championship game and the winner will go to the College Football Playoff. https://t.co/zNctgvKzDT
— Austin Lund (@lunndddylicous8) February 26, 2019
Sporting News columnist Bill Bender published an early predictions piece in March favoring Alabama and Texas in the College Football Playoff. Sadly, neither will be playing for anything important this postseason. Bender, however, was correct on a couple of his predictions saying, “Jalen Hurts will thrive in Oklahoma” and “Mack (Brown) will get UNC back to a bowl game.” A couple still on the fence going into the upcoming weeks are “Clay Helton’s fate will be sealed” and “Justin Fields a Heisman finalist.” One of those is very likely to happen before New Years and the other should’ve happened weeks ago.
Texas-LSU winner goes 11-1, Justin Fields a Heisman finalist and other way-too-early predictions for 2019. You will agree with all of them. https://t.co/2yUoNeyOEf pic.twitter.com/gUlc761thd
— Bill Bender (@BillBender92) March 5, 2019
Not a bad start, but it is how you finish.
My prediction for this year..... LSU beats Bama and meets UGA in the SEC championship game. UGA wins. #1 Clemson. #2 Georgia. #3. Oklahoma. #4. Ohio State. Justin Fields wins the Heisman.
— Kevin Auman (@kevdawg14) September 22, 2019
You were so close, but we’ll see.
LSU is going to play Georgia in the SEC Championship and Wax them bad
— Algodon (@_Cotton_Mouth) September 11, 2019
Missed it by that much
Vegas was all over the board in February trying to decide an early Heisman favorite. LSU’s Joe Burrow wasn’t even on the board in the preseason. He was bumped up to a 28-to-1 long-shot after week two and is now a 1-to-30 favorite.
2019 Heisman Odds @SuperBookUSA:
— Mitch Moss (@MitchMossRadio) February 27, 2019
Tua +250
Lawrence 3/1
Hurts ... +600
Fields ... +600
Martinez ... +600
Taylor ... 15/1
Jeudy ... 30/1
Herbert ... 30/1
Bowman ... 40/1
Daniels ... 40/1
Dillon ... 40/1
Etienne ... 40/1
Ehlinger ... 40/1
Dobbins ... 50/1@VSiNLive
Nobody was talking about LSU’s Ed Orgeron before the season, unless it was fanning the flames of his hot seat. Nick Saban should be on top of this list, but Jimbo Fisher as the third best FBS coach?—Really? Even Kirby Smart is a stretch at No. 4. Gus Malzahn remains the most underrated/erratic coach in the SEC every year.
Our patience for "List Season" is wearing thin especially early this year...but the annual @sportingnews CFB Coach Rankings still pops on the radar.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 12, 2019
Your thoughts on 3 SEC Coaches in the Top 4? pic.twitter.com/L3jKNxX1Iz
A two-loss Wisconsin somehow makes the playoff with a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship? A lot would have to happen for this scenario to come true—stay tuned.
If the @UWBadgers lose, but in a close one, at @OhioStateFB and then win out....and the Buckeyes win out then the Badgers BEAT Ohio State in the @bigten championship game, the Badgers will go to the Final Four...mark my words.
— Bill Michaels (@Bill_Michaels) October 16, 2019
I would put my money on the meteor coming thru before this happens.
Alabama can actually still make the playoff
— Big N’s Gaming (@BigNsGaming) December 1, 2019
Clemson loses to Virginia
Utah loses to Oregon
Georgia loses to LSU
1. Ohio State
2. LSU
3. Winner of Oklahoma/Baylor
4. Alabama
It could actually happen. @UVAFootball @oregonfootball @LSUfootball make it happen
Ah! I see what you did there, Aaron. That’s a clever idea.
I still think if Notre Dame wins its conference championship the Irish will make the playoff
— Aaron Matas (@AaronMatas) September 22, 2019
Georgia State wasn’t joking. The Panthers left Knoxville with a $950K check and a ‘W’ to open the season.
I’ll call it Georgia State over Tennessee (totally joking)
— UK 7-5 UK 6-1 Ravens 10-2 (@smcgohon21) August 26, 2019
The Best of the Rest
When Mike Leach hands out gold, you run with it. Here was the coach’s view on a Pac-12 mascot battle.
Mike Leach was in peak form on a Pac-12 mascot battle.
— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) September 16, 2019
Do Sun Devils have mythical powers? And if a Ute has a rifle, there's some definite problems. pic.twitter.com/FCE96RXawe
Sometimes it’s better to celebrate responsibility.
This girl jumped into a thorny bush!!! I know she’s hurting!! Dudes above her telling people to help, and they leave her there! #findthisgirl #ESPN #ALAvsAUB #IronBowl #thishurts #imcrying pic.twitter.com/uAYruFO6pC
— Thomas (@Thomas00925794) December 1, 2019
Nothing can top the moment Michigan State’s Josh Butler gave us on Senior Day. After losing both of his parents, Josh decided to escort his dogs out on the field. We really don’t deserve man’s best friend.
Josh Butler’s parents died while he was in school.
— ESPN (@espn) December 1, 2019
Saturday, he was joined by his two pups on @MSU_Football's senior night ❤️(via @DavidHarns) pic.twitter.com/gl9vb39tWg
In celebration of 150 years in college football history, ESPN complied a list of the top 150 games. Enjoy the bowl season!
150 years.
— ESPN (@espn) November 4, 2019
10 timeless games.
These moments will live forever in college football history.https://t.co/HDnbWIViFr pic.twitter.com/WDgYkgeksa