10 most overrated college football teams entering the 2019 season

Here is what we know about the 2019 college football season: Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma are still real good. And that's the case until proven otherwise.

Of course, there are plenty of other teams eyeing a spot in the College Football Playoff. Some are filled with lofty expectations while others hope to improve on missed opportunities or an underachieving 2018 season.

Among them are teams that might be getting too much preseason love, whether from their own conferences, so-called experts or the media. Here's a look at 10 teams (in alphabetical order) deemed worthy of being overvalued heading into the 2019 season.

Auburn

As with a good number of teams on this list, Auburn found its way into the first Coaches Poll (at No. 16) of the season. How that happened is not known. What we do know is that coach Gus Malzahn is firmly on the hot seat in 2019. First, the Tigers must find a way to improve on that 3-5 record in SEC play from a year ago. That might not be easy with road games vs. Texas A&M, Florida and LSU. Oh yeah, the Tigers still play Alabama, not to mention, the quarterback situation is rather uncertain. We should get a really good idea just how good Auburn will be when it opens the season against Oregon on Aug. 31.

Georgia

Stop the head shaking. Yes, the Bulldogs are among the elite teams in the country. But are they College Football Playoff worthy? Meaning, can they finally beat Alabama, which is the predicted matchup for the SEC championship game. Many pundits believe they can or at least will find a way into the CFP. Not so fast. Quarterback Jake Fromm and running back D'Andre Swift headline what has the potential to be a dynamic offense. But that lack of big-name defense must find a way to come through in crucial games to be considered a top-four team.

Michigan

There's no doubt Michigan has talent. That's always been the case during the Jim Harbaugh era. It's another season filled with excitement, with Shea Patterson (2,600 passing yards in 2018) under center and the arrival of former Alabama assistant Josh Gattis as the new offensive coordinator. But all that talent won't matter if Michigan can't beat Ohio State (something the Wolverines last did in 2011), which it likely must do to have a chance at the Big Ten title and a berth in the CFP.

Michigan State

Like Auburn, we question if Michigan State is a team worthy of being ranked. With the Spartans, it will again be about defense. However, the key for Michigan State is likely to be the health of senior QB Brian Lewerke (4,833 passing yards over the last two seasons) and improving an offense that was held to seven or fewer points four times in 2018. Did we mention the Spartans have to play at Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan? Good luck!

Nebraska

All signs point to Nebraska being much better than a second straight 4-8 season, mainly because the Cornhuskers won those four games over their last six of Scott Frost's first season back in Lincoln. Now they are the sexy pick to win the Big Ten West Division. It's natural to bank on improvement, because that's what happened in 2018 when fans and the media thought Nebraska would again be a Big Ten title contender because of Frost. The arrow is pointing up at Nebraska, but it's not through the roof just yet.

Notre Dame

Nobody is saying the Irish won't be talented, but are they a top-10 team? Not at this point. Ian Book is quite the versatile quarterback (2,908 passing and rushing yards in 2018), and his leadership skills should only get better this season. It's the defense where there are some serious holes to fill. Sept. 21 at Georgia is when we'll see just how big those holes really are and if the team can plug them up.

Penn State

Penn State checks in at No. 14 in the Coaches Poll. That's kind of high for a team that lost a couple of big pieces, at quarterback and running back. The reality is that the Nittany Lions could very well finish fourth in the Big Ten's East Division and be upset in their league opener at Maryland. We see trouble with road games vs. Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Texas A&M

The Aggies under Jimbo Fisher are expected to take another step after winning nine games in 2018. Quite honestly, that might be Texas A&M's ceiling this year. Opponents will be prepared for all Fisher will throw at them, and the hype we're getting about the program now might not pay off come November when the Aggies end the regular season at Georgia and LSU. Oh yeah, they also play Alabama. It's at home, but it's still Alabama.

UCF

At the moment, the Golden Knights are still the class of the Group of Five. But will they remain at the level of dominance we've seen while going 25-1 over the last two seasons? The big question surrounding Central Florida is who will be its quarterback, as we're hearing ex-Notre Dame starter Brandon Wimbush might not be the ideal choice. We also think this might be the year the Knights lose their first conference game in three seasons.

Washington State

Don't laugh, but the Pac-12 might actually be worth more than a glance this season. Washington, Oregon and Utah are the big three, while Stanford and Arizona State should not be overlooked. These Cougars are getting some love, and new quarterback Gage Gubrud threw for 9,984 yards and 87 touchdowns on the FCS level. But with games at Utah, Arizona State and rival Washington on the road, we don't see another 11-win season in the cards.