5 College Football Teams Most Likely to Go Undefeated in 2021

The 2021 college football season will kickoff this weekend with five games on Saturday, August 28. The action really heats up the following week with games beginning Wednesday, Sept. 1, all the way through Labor Day, Sept. 6. 

Last season, just one team finished the entire season unbeaten. Not surprisingly, that team was Alabama which went on to win a national championship. Can the Crimson Tide do it again? Are there others that could follow and go undefeated in 2021? These five college football teams have the best chance.

ALABAMA

Shocking, right? The premier program in the nation loses a ton of NFL talent and simply reloads. Head coach Nick Saban returns just three offensive starters. Two are offensive linemen and one is a receiver. Bryce Young, the talented sophomore, takes over for Mac Jones at quarterback. John Metchie III, who had 55 catches last season, returns at wide receiver.

The Crimson Tide averaged 48.5 points (2nd in nation) and 541.6 yards(4th) per game last season. If they can even come close to that, they can run through the schedule without a loss like they did in 2020. The defense returns seven starters and a cast of new future NFL draft picks. 

The schedule is typical for Saban. An early season test against Miami in Atlanta followed by a tough SEC slate. The Tide crosses over to play Florida and LSU is at home this season. The toughest tests will be at Texas A&M on Oct. 9 and the Iron Bowl against Auburn on Nov. 27.

OHIO STATE

Like Alabama, the Buckeyes have an inordinate amount of football talent walking around their Columbus campus. Head coach Ryan Day loses QB Justin Fields and a number of others but will reload the starting lineups with three-, four-, and five-star prospects. It appears C.J. Stroud has the edge to replace Fields and run an offense that scored 41 points a game last season. Stroud will have All-Big Ten receivers Chris Olave and Garret Wilson to throw to and junior RB Master Teague to hand off to. 

While six starters, including three offensive linemen, return on offense; five more are back on defense for the Buckeyes. Ohio State may have the best shot of any of these five teams at going unbeaten in 2021. The Buckeyes can thank the schedule gods for that. 

Ohio State does not cross over to play Wisconsin, Iowa, or Northwestern, the three best teams in the Big Ten West. The Buckeyes toughest opponent will likely be nationally ranked Oregon in Week 2 of the regular season. Penn State and Michigan State are home games and the Buckeyes finish the season with the rivalry game at Michigan. The Buckeyes have not lost to the Wolverines since 2011. That is the only loss to Michigan since 2004.

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NOTRE DAME

Yes, the Fighting Irish lose QB Ian Book who threw for nearly 9,000 yards and ran for another 1,500 while leading Notre Dame to a 33-5 record. But, head coach Brian Kelly welcomes Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan to take over the Irish offense. Running back Kyren Williams (1,125 yards rushing in 2020) returns as does TE Michael Mayer and WR Avery Davis who each had 42 receptions last season. 

The bigger news is that seven starters return to what should be one of the best defenses in the country. Safety Kyle Hamilton (6-4, 220) could be the best defender in the country. The Notre Dame defense ranked in the Top 25 in scoring, rushing, and total defense. 

The biggest reason why Notre Dame can go undefeated in 2021 is the schedule. The Fighting Irish schedule is always challenging, but other than a few key games this is one that Kelly and the Golden Domers could run the table on. The Irish open with a struggling Florida State. Then, Notre Dame can dial up home victories over Toledo and Purdue. 

A late September game against Wisconsin will be a good one. The game is in Chicago. Notre Dame gets Cincinnati, USC, and North Carolina – potentially their toughest opponents – all at home. 

UCF

Dillon Gabriel is UCF’s Ace in the Hole

Former UCF head coach Josh Heupel left to become the new head coach at Tennessee. The Knights then hired former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn to run the program. To say UCF is excited is an understatement. The Knights return a three-year starter, Dillon Gabriel, to lead one of the nation’s most potent offensive attacks now being run by the guy who essentially started the whole hurry-up, spread offense craze. 

Gabriel threw for 3,570 yards in 10 games last season to earn All-Conference honors. The Knights finished the 2020 season ranked eighth in scoring offense (42.2 ppg) and second in total offense (568.1 ypg). Malzahn takes over and inherits an offense that returns eight starters. Six more return on defense.

The tricky thing will be the schedule. A matchup of Group of 5 powers starts the season, but the Knights get Boise State at home. The toughest games on the schedule are Louisville and Cincinnati and both of those games are on the road. UCF catches both the Cardinals and the Bearcats earlier in the season.

COASTAL CAROLINA

Grayson McCall looks to lead the Chanticleers to an undefeated regular season.

The Chanticleers surprised everyone a year ago with an 11-0 regular season. Head coach Jamey Chadwell returns 19 starters from that team including quarterback Grayson McCall, who led the Sun Belt in total offense and threw 26 touchdown passes (and he missed a game!). The Chanticleers offense was outstanding despite one of the smaller offensive lines in the nation. Center Sam Thompson is just 5-foot-9-inches tall and weighs 290 pounds, but he made third-team All-Conference. 

The schedule has its difficulties. Coastal will face Kansas in Week 2, but the game is at home. CCU will travel to Buffalo and then the showdown is on Oct. 20 at Appalachian State. If Chadwell and company get past that one, the door is open for a second straight undefeated regular season.