Teams that could throw a wrench in the College Football Playoff

Auburn is seemingly a wild card in any season. The Tigers could win the SEC just as easily as be a major disappointment. They do have what could be the best defensive line in the nation with Derrick Brown, Nick Coe, Kat Bryant and Marlon Davidson. They are also replacing Jarrett Stidham with freshman Bo Nix and/or Joey Gatewood. The Tigers open with Oregon and will travel to Texas A&M, Florida and LSU before closing out the season at home against rival Alabama. Auburn is the kind of team that can beat anyone or lose to anyone. And like two years ago, the Tigers could be on the brink of a national championship run only to see it end in their final game. 

Boise State lost Brett Rypien to the NFL, and the program doesn't have the usual buzz surrounding it. Still, the Broncos boast one of the best defenses in college football, and while they haven't settled on who will be the new quarterback, their history suggests that they will get great production from that spot. They open up against Florida State in Jacksonville and then have a schedule by which they could be favored each week. Could they go undefeated? Well, the Broncos have won at least 10 games in 16 of the last 20 seasons, so it wouldn't be out of the question to see Boise State go the distance. 

If Feleipe Franks can finally put it together...watch out! Franks hasn't been asked to carry the Gators as much as he's been asked to not set them back. Florida's defense has been tough and physical and will keep the Gators in games, so Franks needs to not only continue to limit turnovers (he threw just six picks last season) but also become more assertive with his arm. The Gators get Miami, Florida State, Auburn and Georgia at home (they do travel to LSU) and Georgia in Jacksonville, so the schedule is not only tough but also at times favorable. The 2017 season seems to be more of a hiccup, but is this a team that can win the SEC? If Franks can make that next step then not only the Gators can be in the mix, but they could also be a thorn in a few contenders' sides.

Dana Holgorsen left West Virginia for Houston (no, really), but he inherits a hidden treasure in D'Eriq King. King threw for just under 3,000 yards last year and tossed 36 touchdowns and just six picks. He also ran for 674 yards and 14 TDs (plus he caught a 12-yard pass). Ed Oliver is gone, but the defense still should be good enough to slow down some of the tough offenses it'll go up against. The Cougars also have ample opportunities to make a real run at doing some damage this season: they open up at Oklahoma and get Washington State at home. As far as AAC play, they'll get Cincinnati and Memphis at home and have a huge game at UCF on Nov. 2. Remember, they popped No. 3 Oklahoma back in 2016.

The hype in the Big 12 will be on Oklahoma and Texas, but Iowa State is a true dark horse that could not only knock those teams off but also win the conference title. Brock Purdy came out of nowhere to win the quarterback job and upset ranked Oklahoma State and West Virginia in consecutive games last October. The defense was also a major factor in the Cyclones winning seven of their last nine games last year with JaQuan Bailey being a terror off the edge. They'll need to end their four-game skid to rival Iowa, and then they face Oklahoma and Texas in November. They could close in on a spot in the Big 12 title game or simply play a foil to the Sooners' or Longhorns' title hopes.

Is this the year Nebraska gets it turned around? The Scott Frost era got off to a rocky start when the Huskers began 2018 with six straight losses, and it looked like another lost season in Lincoln. Nebraska would win four of its last six games with the losses being close ones at Ohio State and at Iowa. Adrian Martinez is gaining a lot of buzz as a breakout player of 2019. (He's even gaining some Heisman love.) The Cornhuskers get four of their most important games at Memorial Stadium (Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa) and could end up as the West Division champs. That puts them in the Big Ten title game and...well...who knows? A College Football Playoff berth is a lofty dream, but winning the division and knocking out some other Playoff hopefuls along the way certainly isn't. 

 The Ducks were in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game but haven't made it back to the Playoff since. Oregon has a quarterback, Justin Herbert, who could be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and an offensive line that is among the nation's best. This is a team that can win the Pac 12 title, and this year the league should gain the respect it has lacked since the Ducks were in that 2014-2015 Playoff. It all starts out of the gate when they face off against Auburn in Arlington, Texas, and continues with road trips to Stanford, Washington, Washington State and Arizona State. Daunting, yes, but that is what could vault the Ducks back to the Playoff. 

The Gamecocks won't be a contender in the SEC, but their inclusion on this list is due to the abundance of opportunities on their schedule. South Carolina will play Clemson, Alabama and Georgia this season as well as Florida and Texas A&M — all of which have eyes on getting into the Playoff. Sure, the Gamecocks should be huge underdogs in each of those games, but that doesn't mean they couldn't pull off the upset. Senior Jake Bentley is an experienced quarterback with a nice stable of receivers, while the defense is underrated with great linebacker play. Again, South Carolina will have to play its best to win one of those games but if it does it, it could be the damning loss that keeps this team on the outside looking in.  

Stanford is a very interesting team to watch this season. The Cardinal had a "down" season last year despite winning nine games (they've won at least nine games in nine of the last 10 seasons) and suffering a plethora of injuries in 2018. Running back Bryce Love, who struggled last season, is now in the NFL but Cameron Scarlett is more than capable of having a big year. K.J. Costello is back and will play one of the more unique schedules in the country. There are a lot of opportunities to not only knock off some contenders but also to pile up some big wins. Their first four games are home against Northwestern, at USC, vs. UCF in a cross-country trip to Orlando and back at home against Oregon. They'll host Washington and close out the regular season against Notre Dame, so there are plenty of chances to pop off a big win or two.

Last year Syracuse put a real scare in the Clemson before the Tigers pulled out a 27-23 victory. In 2017, the Orange did pull off the upset, 27-24, in the Tigers trip up to the Carrier Dome — where the two will tangle on Sept.14. Sure, Clemson is 5-1 against Syracuse since the Orange joined the ACC, but four of hte last five games have been close. The 'Cuse is widely regarded as the second best team in the Atlantic with pocket passer Tommy DeVito taking over at quarterback and a defense returning much of its talent, including star safety Andre Cisco. The Orange may not win the ACC or the Atlantic division, but they could give Clemson that one loss that keeps it out of its fifth straight College Football Playoff.

TCU has made a habit of coming back from down seasons to make a run at a conference championship. Last season the Horned Frogs went just 7-6 a year after winning 11 games, so the hope in Fort Worth is that 2019 will be another turnaround. The Frogs have one of the best, yet under-the-radar, receivers in the nation in Jalen Reagor, and they bring back all five starters on the offensive line. They have a solid running game and a tough defense — they just need to find stability at quarterback. Gary Patterson is one of the better coaches in the nation and could be a problem for Big 12 teams that have big plans this season. 

Oklahoma has had a stranglehold on the Big 12 over the last four seasons, but Texas is finally in a great spot to end that streak. The Longhorns feel they have the quarterback to peel through the conference in Sam Ehlinger, who has fought off all challengers and has claimed the starting gig as his own. Last year in the Red River Rivalry, Texas beat Oklahoma behind Ehlinger's 314 passing yards and five total touchdowns...then lost the Big 12 title game despite Ehlinger's 349 yards and four total touchdowns. The Longhorns are ready to take that next step and win the conference.

Most pundits' thinking on the Aggies is that they are not quite ready to be a championship contender. That may be true, but A&M will play one of the toughest schedules in the nation and, in the SEC, won't have to win them all to get a good look at landing a Playoff spot. Texas A&M plays at Clemson, at Georgia and at LSU and gets to host Auburn and Alabama. Wow. The likelihood the Aggies could go through that slate unscathed is slim, but they can win a few of those games and destroy some championship dreams. Kellen Mond is as important a player to his team as anyone in the nation, and Jimbo Fisher would love to take that next step in College Station.

Could UCF go undefeated during the regular season for a third straight year? Signs point to no due to McKenzie Milton's gruesome injury that should cost him this entire season and the tougher schedule the Knights must navigate. However, those two strikes could be exactly what could put UCF into  the Playoff. Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush looks to take on Milton's role on an offense that returns eight starters. (Even if he struggles, Darriel Mack proved he was up to the task when he he took over after Milton's injury.) They have two outstanding backs in Greg McCrae and Adrian Killins who will keep the offense among the nation's best. UCF also gets Stanford to come out to Orlando for a game and then goes to Pitt, which played in the ACC title game last season, the very next week. Going undefeated with this schedule could be finally rewarded with one of those four coveted Playoff spots. The likelihood it happens again is slim, but this program has defied the odds the last two years. 

The Utes have one of the top defenses in the nation that can not only dominate games but also can win games if the offense falters. They were fifth in the nation in run defense and feature a punishing defensive front. With running back Zack Moss and quarterback Tyler Huntley back healthy, the offense should be talented enough to get back to the Pac 12 title game. The schedule is favorable enough to do just that and get the Utes to their first Rose Bowl — or maybe to a bigger prize.