Opening 2020 College Football Win Totals Peg Clemson for Most Wins at 11.5; See Projections for Top Teams in SEC, Big Ten & Big 12

• Clemson’s win total for the 2020 season has opened at 11.5 after losing to LSU in the CFP National Championship game this past season 
• The oddmakers have set LSU’s win total at 9.5 as the Tigers are rebuilding after winning it all
• See opening win totals for teams in the Power 5 conference below

Opening win totals for the 2020 season have been released for some of the top programs in college football.

Not surprisingly, Clemson opened at 11.5 in the College Football win totals, which is the best in the nation. It is a high number, to be sure, but reasonable considering as the Tigers are 69-5 over the last five seasons and have played in four CFP National Championship games in that time, winning twice.

2020 College Football Opening Win Totals

Odds taken April 7

Iowa State a Big 12 Threat

One team that jumps out as a good over play is Iowa State at 7.5.

Rising junior Brock Purdy figures to be on one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Last year, he completed 65.7 of his passes for 3,982 years and had a fine 27/9 TD-INT ratio. He can also create plays with his feet out of the backfield.

Brock Purdy of course pic.twitter.com/cLcUZZcbmW

— Luke Fulton (@FultLuke) April 6, 2020

Yes, the Cyclones were just 7-6 last season and got thumped 33-9 by Notre Dame in the Camping World Bowl. That followed a bad loss at Kansas State to end the regular season.

However, Iowa State’s record could have been a whole lot better. Its first four losses were by a total of 11 points, including one-point heartbreakers to Iowa and Oklahoma and a two-point defeat at the hands of Baylor.

Coach Matt Campbell is frequently mentioned as a potential NFL head coach. He has the program on the rise as Iowa State went from 3-9 in his first season in 2016 to 8-5 in both 2017 and 2018.

Purdy will have plenty of weapons at his disposal, including running back Breece Hall, receiver Tarique Milton and tight end Charlie Kolar.

Brock Purdy ➡️ Tarique Milton 🔥 @CycloneFB strikes for a 73 yard touchdown. pic.twitter.com/v78G44IwNQ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 15, 2019

Hall rushed for 897 yards and nine touchdowns on 186 carries last season. Kolar had 51 receptions for 697 and seven TDs and Milton caught 35 passes for 722 yards – a 20.3 average – and three scores.

One pause for concern is that left guard Trevor Downing and center Colin Newell are the only starters returning on the offensive line. However, seven starters will be back on defense.

Iowa State plays five-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma in Ames on Oct. 17, giving the Cyclones a fighting chance to knock the Sooners off their perch.

Major Rebuild at LSU

Conversely, LSU looks like it will be hard pressed to win at least nine games despite entering the season as the defending national champion.

Coach Ed Orgeron is seemingly the only person remaining from the program that beat Clemson in the CFP Championship Game in January.

Coach O is so beloved in Louisiana following the championship game that he is giving solid advice in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow has graduated and figures to be the first pick in the NFL Draft later this month.

LSU had nine underclassmen declare for the draft. Among the losses were running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, wide receiver Justin Jefferson and linebackers Jacob Phillips and K’Lavon Chaisson.

In all, just eight starters return, three on offense and five on defense. Presumptive starting quarterback Myles Brennan attempted just 40 passes last season, though he will have a big-time receiver to target in Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase.

Brennan has gotten bigger and stronger, though.

Again: #LSU QB Myles Brennan arrived in Baton Rouge "a soaking wet 170 pounds" Coach O recently told @1045espn.

Now he's up to a reported 219.

More on that –> https://t.co/ayCa0mmT0A pic.twitter.com/tcji4d7tj5

— LSU Tigers on 247Sports (@Geaux247) April 1, 2020

Orgeron also had his coaching staff raided following a 15-0 season. Passing game coordinator Joe Brady became the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda left to take over as the head coach at Baylor.

Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was lured from his job as head coach at Youngstown State to run the defense. Orgeron also hired former Dallas Cowboys OC Scott Linehan to serve as passing game coordinator alongside OC Steve Ensminger.

While LSU has Alabama at home and does not play Georgia, it will still face an SEC road gauntlet that includes trips to Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M.

That’s a tough assignment.

Sumlin’s Last Stand?

Arizona didn’t have nearly the success of LSU last season, going 4-8. Gone from that team are quarterback Khalil Tate and running back J.J. Taylor.

Tate was a dual threat who passed for 1,954 yards and rushed for 413 while sharing time at QB with Grant Gunnell. Taylor rushed for 732 and led the Wildcast with 1,010 yards from scrimmage.

Tate is likely to be drafted.

Ranking NFL Draft QB Prospects by 2019 QBR

Joe Burrow 94.9
Tua Tagovailoa 94.8
Jalen Hurts 89.7
Anthony Gordon 78.2
Jake Fromm 76.6
Justin Herbert 74.7
Khalil Tate 66.2
Jacob Eason 65.9
Steven Montez 63.5
James Morgan 53.7
Jordan Love 51.7

— John (@WritehookDFS) April 1, 2020

Arizona does have two easy games to start the season against Hawaii and Portland State. However, it also has one of the worst defenses in college football – allowing 35.8 points a game last season — and seems destined to finish under 4.5 wins.

This is almost assuredly the end of the line for coach Kevin Sumlin, who is just 9-15 during his first two years in the desert.