The first two weeks of the 2019 college football season are in the books. With that comes a fresh slate of non-conference games as teams continue to work toward reaching bowl eligibility.
Of course, the goal of every team is to reach 10 wins, and some teams are on a roll heading into their non-conference contests, while others still have plenty to prove. The following 11 teams all have at least four wins and seem poised for an improved record when all is said and done.
All rankings from the current USA TODAY Coaches Poll and AP Poll and are released with a first-place vote receiving five points, second-place receiving three and third-place receiving one.
11. Utah Utes (4-2)
The Utes lost quarterback Tyler Huntley to injury in their season opener against Washington State, and subsequently fell in a big spot. They bounced back by winning their next two games. Utah has a very manageable next month, playing just one game against a team currently ranked in the AP Poll, and at least five games against teams with an overall record of .500 or worse.
8. Kansas State Wildcats (4-2)
The Wildcats started out by losing their opener against Georgia State before bouncing back with back-to-back wins. Since then, K-State has been tested and answered those questions by winning two of three games, including one in triple overtime. Kansas State has an incredibly manageable month ahead, with games against the worst FBS team, a 4-3 Big 12 opponent and a 4-3 Big Ten team.
7. Texas Longhorns (4-2)
The Longhorns are coming off a win over Kansas but lost their star quarterback of the future, Sam Ehlinger, to an injury. They were able to win despite it, and even without Ehlinger (who is out for the season), look like they have an interesting future under first-year head coach Tom Herman. Texas has a rather easy run of games to close out the season, beginning with a home win over the winless Lousiana-Monroe Warhawks and closing with an interesting game against LSU in Houston.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-3)
The Buckeyes fell behind 21-6 to Northwestern before rallying to win in overtime. That was one of two losses they've had this season, and aside from that game against Northwestern, Ohio State has had some luck this year. The Buckeyes are about as balanced as one could get with five receivers all averaging at least 26.3 yards per catch, four rushers with at least 400 rushing yards and five total sacks.
5. Auburn Tigers (5-2)
After starting off the year by beating three mid-level opponents, Auburn traveled to face a top-five Alabama team in which it was the underdog. With that win, Auburn became the first team since Alabama in 2014 to win in Tuscaloosa. Since then, the Tigers have just gone 4-3, losing two more of their tough games. Auburn does not play well on the road, but they still have difficult games coming up against a couple of traditional top-five teams in LSU and Georgia.
4. Baylor Bears (5-2)
Baylor looked like it was starting to pick up right where they left off last season, going through some top-tier opponents before getting downed by Iowa State in overtime. The Bears followed that up by winning five straight games before losing to Oklahoma. Baylor has a manageable run of games coming up in the next month, with all of their games against top-25 teams at home.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1)
The Cowboys won the opener against Cal and have since lost just two more times -- both coming against top-15 teams. They still have big games against Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma remaining, and they've already matched their win total from last year. Oklahoma State has a rather favorable remaining schedule, with just one game against a team currently ranked in the AP Poll and five more games against teams with a losing record or lower.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1)
The Nittany Lions started out by knocking off a ranked Iowa team on the road before beating two ranked teams at home. Since then, Penn State has gone through a rough patch, losing to Michigan State and Northwestern. However, it's the second half of their schedule that really stands out. They have just four games remaining against teams that are currently ranked or receiving votes, and they have a bye week in between games against Rutgers and Maryland. Penn State has shown signs of trouble all year, but this is the first time they've faced adversity on the schedule since late September.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1)
The Bulldogs were considered a contender to make a trip to the College Football Playoff before their first loss of the year, to Auburn in overtime. That was a game that could've gone either way, but Georgia also lost to Notre Dame, lost back-to-back games to ranked teams in Clemson and Florida, and had a second-half meltdown against Kentucky. Georgia has picked things up lately, though, beating Florida State and Notre Dame back-to-back to open December.
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Wrapping Up Georgia's 2019 Schedule
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is ready to play all comers in 2019, in this report from a year ago.
The Dawgs have no shortage of must-win games this year, and it all starts with a Week 2 matchup against Auburn.
The Bulldogs need to win that game to stay in the thick of the SEC East race, and one could argue it's the most important game on Georgia's 2019 schedule.
The Dawgs have a chance to make a statement by winning that game and entering November with a huge 6-1 record.
However, Georgia should have a real shot of pulling off a repeat of last year's 10-win season if they can win the Georgia-Clemson game. And the Dawgs will look to take a similar victory over the Florida Gators.
Georgia also has a huge game against Florida State to close out the 2019 regular season. If the Bulldogs can go on a three-game winning streak to end the year, it will set them up well for an intriguing run of games to start the 2020 campaign.
2019 College Football Schedule Analysis: The Best and Worst of It
Georgia and Auburn also both have some interesting non-conference games in their future schedules.
And don't forget the annual clash with arch rival Florida, either.
Now that we've seen what teams have done for themselves so far this year, let's take a look at what future matchups might become must-win games for contenders.
Which upcoming non-conference matchups will have the biggest impact in the SEC race?
College Football Playoff Rankings, Predictions and 2020 Season Previews
