Parity has never really been college football’s thing, but it is difficult to escape the feeling of inevitability that hangs over the start of the 2019 season.
The five years that have made up the College Football Playoff era to date have felt more like a steady stream of reruns than the blockbuster spectacle we were promised. The programs that are qualifying for the postseason tournament haven’t changed much. Neither have the teams winning national championships under the new system.
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers have played in the final game of the season in three of the last five years, and the two programs look like the odds-on favorites to square off for the title belt again this year.