USA Today predicts first loss for all 39 undefeated college football teams

USA Today predicted the first loss for all remaining 39 undefeated teams in college football over the course of the season. The ranking begins with the teams that will last the longest.

All the way at the bottom are teams that are projected to suffer their first loss of the year this weekend! So much for getting in on the fun!

This is an exercise of survival of the fittest among the undefeated teams. We’ll start with one team from USA Today that won’t lose for the rest of the regular season!

1. Miami: Undefeated regular season

USA Today has Miami going undefeated for the remainder of the regular season. That’ll punch the Hurricanes’ ticket to the ACC Championship Game and likely into the playoff regardless.

It seems like the Carson Beck effect is real and Miami is firing off on all cylinders. USA Today pointed out the hardest game remaining is probably going to Florida State to start October.

2. LSU: Nov. 29 at Oklahoma

LSU not losing until the regular season finale? The Tigers fall just short of an undefeated regular season by losing at the Sooners, but getting to the SEC Championship, presumably right?

The defense for LSU is elite this season, at least through three games. Garrett Nussmeier has dealt with a torso injury, but can still dictate games from the QB position and look like one of the best in the country.

3. TCU: Nov. 22 at Houston

TCU ranks high on this list of undefeated teams through three weeks. Based on the schedule, USA Today sees the Horned Frogs rolling through the slate until a road trip to Houston.

They cite a “giant killer” identity from Willie Fritz and Houston. But don’t look too far ahead, this weekend’s home game against SMU could be interesting. It’s the 104th Skillet Rivalry game!

4. Oklahoma: Nov. 15 at Alabama

So perhaps Oklahoma is back this season and won’t lose until mid-November. So they’ll at least be undefeated through their matchup with Texas! Bold take right?

Maybe not, considering how good John Mateer has been so far, which was to be expected if you watched him at Washington State. Alabama will prove to be the toughest test, per USA Today.

5. Iowa State: Nov. 8 at TCU

It sounds like the Big 12 is going through TCU and Iowa State. But Iowa State will no longer be undefeated by the time they leave TCU in early November.

Maybe this will be a Big 12 Championship Game rematch? Going into, only, Week 4 of the season, that seems like a good possibility.

6. Navy: Nov. 8 at Notre Dame

Navy to the College Football Playoff? They probably need to be undefeated, but maybe they have a case for best of Group of Five team with just a sole loss to Notre Dame.

It’ll be awhile before that Notre Dame game, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Midshipmen are evaluated by the time we get to gut check time during the season. Heck, Navy could win this game anyway!

7. Georgia: Nov. 1 vs. Florida

Georgia losing to this Florida team? USA Today has it happening since anything can happen in a rivalry game.

The Bulldogs have the makings of a team that can go undefeated, but it turns out, they won’t per this projection. Based on the ranking of these teams, who takes on LSU in the SEC Championship Game? Oklahoma or Georgia?

8. Penn State: Nov. 1 at Ohio State

The schedule beefs up really soon for Penn State and while they could go undefeated, USA Today has them beating Oregon, but not Ohio State in the regular season. That would be typical of recent Penn State teams too.

This is certainly James Franklin’s best team on paper in recent memory. So could they run the table? Sure. Could they beat Oregon and lose to Ohio State while beating one of them in the Big Ten title game? Also yes.

9. Georgia Tech: Nov. 1 at NC State

Brent Key is doing all of the right things at Georgia Tech and this season includes wins over Colorado and Clemson so far. Miami runs the ACC, but how long can the Yellow Jackets go undefeated?

Apparently until November when they get picked off by the Wolfpack in Raleigh. USA Today is pegging this game as a “wild” one, with NC State getting the last laugh.

10. Texas A&M: Oct. 25 at LSU

Mike Alko and Texas A&M got a massive win over Notre Dame this past weekend to remain undefeated. How long will it last? Until they run into the Tigers in Death Valley.

With how LSU’s defense has turned around this year, this won’t be the 2024 version of this matchup. Here’s where the Aggies slip up for the first time this year.

Predicting first loss for all undefeated college football teams

11. UNLV: Oct. 18 at Boise State
12. Texas Tech: Oct. 18 at Arizona State
13. Washington: Oct. 18 at Michigan
14. Illinois: Oct. 11 vs. Ohio State
15. Missouri: Oct. 11 vs. Alabama
16. NC State: Oct. 11 at Notre Dame
17. Florida State: Oct. 4 vs. Miami
18. Vanderbilt: Oct. 4 at Alabama
19. Houston: Oct. 4 vs. Texas Tech
20. Ohio State: Sept. 27 at Washington
21. Oregon: Sept. 27 at Penn State
22. Ole Miss: Sept. 27 vs. LSU
23. USC: Sept. 27 at Illinois
24. Louisville: Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh
25. Mississippi State: Sept. 27 vs. Tennessee
26. California: Sept. 27 at Boston College
27. UCF: Sept. 27 at Kansas State
28. Arizona: Sept. 27 at Iowa State
29. Utah: Sept. 20 vs. Texas Tech
30. Nebraska: Sept. 20 vs. Michigan
31. Indiana: Sept. 20 vs. Illinois
32. Tulane: Sept. 20 at Ole Miss
33. Auburn: Sept. 20 at Oklahoma
34. Michigan State: Sept. 20 at USC
35. BYU: Sept. 20 at East Carolina
36. Memphis: Sept. 20 vs. Arkansas
37. Maryland: Sept. 20 at Wisconsin
38. North Texas: Sept. 20 at Army
39. Rutgers: Sept. 19 vs. Iowa

The undefeated seasons for these teams will all come to an end. In fact USA Today only gives Miami a chance to go through the entire year, postseason included, unblemished.