LSU. Joe Burrow. The Cigar.
If you followed the sport that year, those three things basically sum up the vibes. But looking back at the 2019 college football rankings, it’s wild how much we’ve forgotten about the sheer chaos that happened behind that unstoppable Tigers squad. We tend to remember the ending—LSU holding the trophy in New Orleans—but the path there was a messy, statistical nightmare for the CFP selection committee.
Honestly, the 2019 season was a tipping point. It was the year the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" felt like a canyon, yet the top four spots were some of the most contested in the history of the four-team playoff era.
The LSU dominance and the fight for Number One
Let’s get real: Joe Burrow’s 2019 season wasn’t just good. It was "video game on easy mode" good. But the 2019 college football rankings didn't always reflect that. For a significant chunk of the season, Ohio State actually sat in that top spot. The Buckeyes were an absolute machine under first-year head coach Ryan Day, boasting a defense led by Chase Young that felt genuinely terrifying.
The committee had a legitimate headache.
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On one hand, you had LSU, who was busy collecting top-10 wins like they were Pokémon cards. They beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa—a game that still feels like a fever dream—and handled Georgia in the SEC Championship. On the other hand, Ohio State was blowing everyone out by forty points. It wasn't until the final selection day that LSU jumped back to No. 1, a move that arguably changed the entire trajectory of the playoff. If LSU stays at No. 2, they play a brutal Clemson team in the semifinal instead of a vulnerable Oklahoma. That choice by the committee basically paved the gold-carpeted road for Burrow’s coronation.
Clemson’s "quiet" undefeated run
People forget that Clemson entered the postseason 13-0 and was largely treated like an afterthought. Why? Because the ACC was, frankly, a disaster that year. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne were carving up defenses, but because they weren't playing a "gauntlet" schedule, the 2019 college football rankings suppressed them.
They dropped as low as No. 5 in the mid-season polls despite not losing a single game. It felt disrespectful at the time. Then they went out and beat Ohio State in one of the most controversial, high-level Fiesta Bowls ever played. Remember the overturned scoop-and-score? Ohio State fans certainly do. That single play is still a talking point in Columbus bars six years later.
The Alabama anomaly
For the first time since the playoff's inception, Nick Saban and Alabama were on the outside looking in. This was a massive shift. Tua Tagovailoa’s hip injury against Mississippi State was the "where were you" moment of the season. Without Tua, the Tide lost a 48-45 shootout in the Iron Bowl to Auburn—a game featuring a missed field goal and a controversial substitution penalty that drove Saban insane.
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Alabama finished No. 13 in the final CFP 2019 college football rankings, marking the end of an era. It proved that even the greatest dynasty in modern sports wasn't immune to a few bad bounces and a catastrophic injury.
What the 2019 rankings got wrong
The committee loved Oklahoma. Maybe a little too much.
Jalen Hurts had a legendary season in Norman, but the Sooners' defense was a sieve. They were ranked No. 4, largely because they were a one-loss Big 12 champ. Meanwhile, teams like Georgia and even a one-loss Utah were knocking on the door. When Oklahoma got to the Peach Bowl and LSU put up 63 points on them, it sparked a massive conversation about whether "best" or "most deserving" should dictate the rankings.
LSU's Justin Jefferson caught four touchdowns in the first half. Four. It was a mismatch that suggested the gap between the No. 1 and No. 4 teams was bigger than we ever wanted to admit.
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The Group of Five snub
Memphis finished the season 12-1. They were explosive, fun, and ranked No. 17. Looking back, they were likely much better than several of the three-loss Power Five teams ranked ahead of them. This was the year the "Glass Ceiling" for teams outside the big conferences felt the most solid. Boise State and Appalachian State also had incredible years, but the 2019 college football rankings largely kept them as a footnote in the New Year's Six conversation.
The Legacy of the 2019 Season
This season gave us more than just a champion; it gave us a blueprint for the modern "super team." LSU’s offense, coordinated by Joe Brady, changed how everyone recruited. They proved that you could win it all with an aggressive, pro-style passing attack rather than just ground-and-pound SEC defense.
If you’re looking to understand why the 12-team playoff exists today, look at 2019. The frustration from Penn State fans (11-2), Oregon fans (12-2), and even Georgia fans was palpable. There were too many "great" teams and only four chairs at the table.
Actionable Insights for CFB History Buffs
To truly appreciate the 2019 rankings, you should go back and watch the "Game of the Century" (Part II) between LSU and Alabama. It wasn't just about the score; it was about the sheer volume of NFL talent on the field at once—we're talking about Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith all in one stadium.
Check the box scores of the 2019 Big Ten season as well. It was the peak of the "Wisconsin/Minnesota" rivalry, where P.J. Fleck nearly rowed the boat all the way to a Rose Bowl. Understanding these mid-tier movements helps clarify why the top four remained so stagnant. The 2019 season remains the gold standard for offensive explosion, and its rankings reflect a sport in the middle of a massive identity crisis.