Just like that, in the blink of an eye, it was over. It's truly hard to believe the 2018-19 college football season is officially in the books, and the Clemson Tigers are the 2019 College Football Playoff national champions once again with a commanding victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Although there is no changing the past, it's time to look back at how each team did this season. And thanks to USA Today, all 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision have received a grade for their overall performance on the gridiron compared to preseason expectations.
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In the SEC, no team received an A-plus grade. Those distinctions belong to Alabama-Birmingham, Army, Cincinnati, Clemson, Fresno State, and Washington State. The good news is no team received an F like UConn, Louisville, North Carolina, Rutgers, USC and Western.
So how did your favorite team grade out this season? Let's take a look:
GRADE: A
Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 14-1
For many Alabama fans, this season was a disappointment. Sure, the Tide beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and downed the Oklahoma Sooners in the CFP semifinals, but the 44-16 loss to Clemson in the national title game stings. Despite quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Tua Tagovailoa having a spectacular season, the offense looking like a juggernaut, and the defense flashing signs of brilliance, the expectation was to win another national championship and didn't happen. This grade is absolutely fair and deserving for Nick Saban's team.
Florida Gators
Overall Record: 10-3
The Dan Mullen hire really looks to be college football's best of the last year because the Gators took their game to a completely different level under his leadership. Ending the season with a dominant 41-15 victory over Michigan in the Peach Bowl and finishing with a top-10 ranking is exactly what the doctor ordered in Gainesville.
Kentucky Wildcats
Overall Record: 10-3
Although the Wildcats didn't get a ton of national love this season, they had a season for the ages. Star running back Benny Snell Jr. was the truth and a 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl was icing on the cake. This was a special season for head coach Mark Stoops and the program, one that will definitely be remembered by Kentucky fans for years to come.
GRADE: A -
Georgia Bulldogs
Overall Record: 11-3
Oh, what could have been. Georgia looked so good for three quarters against Alabama in the SEC title game, and then the wheels fell off the bus for good. Not only did the Bulldogs lose that game and fail to make the College Football Playoff, they also got dominated by Texas in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. There's no doubt 2018 was another strong year under head coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Jake Fromm, but definitely not the season many fans hoped for.
LSU Tigers
Overall Record: 10-3
With a roster stacked full of talent, head coach Ed Orgeron restored order in Baton Rouge to make sure the Tigers were one of the best teams in college football once again this season. Then, LSU did the entire country a favor by beating UCF in the Fiesta Bowl. There are some holes to fill on the roster next season after several players went to the NFL, but it's definitely safe to call this season a success.
Texas A&M Aggies
Overall Record: 9-4
Although the first year under Jimbo Fisher wasn't always perfect, but it was much, much better than Texas A&M has been used to in recent years. If anything, Fisher brought plenty of excitement back to College Station and the 52-13 win over NC State in the Gator Bowl, and a top-tier recruiting class, means the Aggies could be a force in the SEC for years to come.
Grade: B
Missouri Tigers
Overall Record: 8-5
It's hard to argue this grade because the Tigers were a solid SEC team, yet far from stellar in 2018. Featuring one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Drew Lock, the potential for a monster season was there. It just wasn't in the cards for head coach Barry Odom's team, and a 38-33 loss to Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl was not what the Mizzou faithful had in mind.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Overall Record: 6-7
The loss to Baylor in the Texas Bowl at the end of the season sure wasn't fun, but the Commodores should be happy about playing in a bowl game again. Derek Mason did a nice job with this team, and he deserves some credit for getting the team back to a postseason game.
GRADE: B-
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Overall Record: 8-5
It all started with a top-20 ranking and ended with a dud in the Outback Bowl. Yes, the Bulldogs had a new coach in Joe Moorhead, but there was no reason for this team to struggle to struggle like they did with an experienced quarterback like Nick Fitzgerald and a talented running back in Kylin Hill. Mississippi State fans have to be disappointed with this season in the SEC West, and a loss to Iowa in the bowl game was almost a fitting end to this year.
GRADE: C+
Auburn Tigers
Overall Record: 8-5
For whatever reason, the expectations for Auburn are almost always insanely high. The 2018 season was no different, boasting a No. 9 preseason ranking in the AP Poll. When things didn't go well, and they didn't for a while, everyone lost their cool. Fans were calling for head coach Gus Malzahn to be fired and quarterback Jarrett Stidham to be benched in the middle of the season and then the Tigers destroyed Purdue in the Music City Bowl. Fans are probably just happen the roller coaster is over.
Tennessee Volunteers
Overall Record: 5-7
A losing record and last-place finish in the SEC East is not exactly what Vols fans had in mind when they hired Jeremy Pruitt. Of course, this was the first season with Pruitt at the helm, and the cupboard wasn't exactly full when he got there. The only direction Tennessee can go is up, and Pruitt did a fine job picking up the pieces left behind throughout the season.
GRADE: C
Ole Miss Rebels
Overall Record: 5-7
A big win over Texas Tech to open the season brought so much hope. Really, the non-conference was beyond impressive with the Rebels scoring 47, 45, and 76 in the opening three games. Then, Ole Miss was humbled by Alabama, and the rest is history. The only SEC win for head coach Matt Luke was against lowly Arkansas, and that's not exactly something to be proud of.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Overall Record: 7-6
Head coach Will Muschamp had the Gamecocks sitting on the edge of national relevance before the season, and the team just never got over the hump. Getting skunked 28-0 nothing by Virginia in the Belk Bowl was pretty embarrassing, too. This was not the season any South Carolina fan wanted after winning some big games in 2017.
GRADE: D+
Arkansas Razorbacks
Overall Record: 2-10
The Chad Morris era didn't have a rip-roaring start, but nobody expected it would be. The Razorbacks are a ways away from competing regularly in the SEC and the only good news is the only way the program can go is up after a pretty dismal 2018 campaign.
