2019 Arizona Wildcats College Football Odds and Expert Betting Picks

2018 Record: 5-7

2019 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 6.5

2019 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'

Kevin Sumlin stepped into a decent situation in Arizona, taking over a program that had pumped out five of six winning seasons prior to his arrival. The Wildcats also had a roster that was full of skill players that had been recruited for a similar up-tempo style to the one that Sumlin employs.

None of that mattered last year, though. Sumlin's first year was a rocky, unlucky road, and he couldn't get this team over the hump and back into a bowl game. A host of close, excruciating losses kept this team one-game short. They lost by one-point apiece in games versus UCLA and Arizona State. They lost by just four points to USC and by five points to BYU. They were really just a handful of plays away from being a nine-win team.

This roster was also ravaged by injuries. And with better luck on that front, they should be a better team by default.

This year's main storyline is all about senior Khalil Tate. After putting together one of the best freshmen seasons in Pac-12 history, Tate has failed to take that next step the past two seasons. Now in his fourth year as a starter, Tate has one more season to try to tap into his potential.

Tate should be better off in his second season in Sumlin's system. He has a killer running mate in back J.J. Taylor, who was first team all-Pac-12. The Wildcats have four of their five starting offensive linemen back. And the biggest issue for the offense is replacing the club's top four receivers.

The Wildcats defense was a bit of a train wreck last year. They were No. 121 in the country against the pass and allowed 32.6 points per game (No. 98). They have eight total starters back on that side of the ball, including six three-year starters. The problem is that they are really undersized on that side of the ball, and these three-year guys were the same ones that were terrible last year.

I truly believe that Arizona will be better this year. Unfortunately for them, the schedule is one of the most difficult in the Pac-12.

If Arizona can win at Hawaii, an eight-win squad from last year, they get their next three games at home against non-bowl teams from 2018. Beyond that, their two most winnable games are at Colorado and a home game against horrid Oregon State.

The Wildcats have to play at USC, at Stanford, at Oregon and at Arizona State. They also host Utah and Washington. So even if they were to win most of the rest of their games, they would need to pull a pretty significant upset or two to top this season win total.

I think that this Arizona team is going to be pretty solid. Several of the tough breaks that they endured last season - the injuries, the close losses, some bad turnover luck - should bounce their way this season. However, this schedule is absolutely relentless. And this team still has some holes. I think they will go 6-6 and get back to a bowl game. However, even that is going to take some serious effort. I can't pull the trigger on the 'over' here, even though I do like this team a little bit.

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