ESPN says only 14 teams (3 SEC teams) can win national championship in 2018

At the start of a new college football season, all teams are optimistic and hopeful that its season will end with a national championship. However, that goal is more realistic for some teams than others.

According to ESPN Analytics research, there are only 19 teams that have a mathematical chance to make the College Football Playoff this season. And only 14 of those teams can win the national championship, including three from the SEC — Alabama, Georgia and Auburn.

It’s no surprise that this research gives Alabama and Georgia the best chance among SEC teams — and the second and third best in the nation behind only Clemson — as those two schools played in the National Championship Game last season.

Here are the 14 teams, ranked in order from the best chance to win it all to the worst, per ESPN Analytics (SEC teams in bold):

1. Clemson (24 percent)
2. Alabama (14)
3. Georgia (13)
4. Notre Dame (10)
5. Washington (10)
6. Ohio State (10)
7. Oklahoma (4.1)
8. Penn State (4)
9. Auburn (3.6)
10. Michigan State (2.6)
11. Wisconsin (2)
12. Michigan (1)
13. Miami (1)
14. Stanford (1)

Jake Rill

Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.