Predicting the Next Loss for Every Top 50 College Football Team

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With two weeks of the college football season now complete, we know a few things about all of the college football programs.

There are a few teams that have burst onto the scene and others who have fallen flat on their face.

While there is not an exact science to picking the top 50 teams in the country, and it is not known when everyone will lose, it is never to early to start talking about when all of the top teams in the country are going to go down.

Here is a prediction of when every top 50 college football team will lose next.

Louisiana-Monroe

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After pulling off a huge upset on the road against Arkansas, the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks will continue a challenging schedule this coming week at Auburn.

While they certainly have a chance to come out on top in this one, particularly if quarterback Kolton Browning can play like he did against Arkansas, playing SEC foes in back to back weeks is no easy task.

Expect a letdown for ULM.

Next Loss: 9/15 @Auburn

Central Florida

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Central Florida played well at Ohio State and appears better than a lot of people thought they would be.

With that being said, there are plenty of teams on the Golden Knights schedule who they will come in as underdogs against, but they take on Florida International on Saturday.

After that the schedule gets a little tougher, including a game against Missouri at the end of the month.

Next Loss: 9/29 vs. Missouri

Utah State

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Utah State came up huge on Friday night when it defeated Utah and staked claim as the best team in the state.

The Aggies are 2-0 and look like a team to be reckoned with.

The only problem is their next game is against a Wisconsin team that is coming off a loss.

Next loss: 9/15 @Wisconsin

Iowa State

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Iowa State won a big game against in-state rival Iowa over the weekend and has looked impressive in the early going.

The Cyclones have a cupcake against Western Illinois on Saturday before stepping into Big 12 play.

From there things will get very difficult.

Next loss: 9/29 vs. Texas Tech

Toledo

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Toledo lost a tough game at the beginning of the season at Arizona, but regrouped to win a road game at Wyoming in Week 2.

The Rockets are now beginning the easy part of their schedule and look to be in good shape for the next few weeks.

While Bowling Green on Saturday will be a challenge, Toledo should have enough talent and escape the loss column for a few weeks. 

Next loss: 10/20 vs. Cincinnati

Arizona State

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Arizona State has been outstanding during the first two weeks of the season under new head coach Todd Graham and appears headed in the right direction.

The Sun Devils have had two home games where they were not challenged and now have to take to the road against Missouri.

That is not good news for the Sun Devils.

Next loss: 9/15 @Missouri

Northwestern

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Northwestern surprised a lot of people when it knocked off Vanderbilt over the weekend and may be slightly better than expected.

The Wildcats have defeated two teams from BCS conferences and now the schedule will get a little easier with the likes of Boston College, South Dakota, Indiana, Penn State and Minnesota being their next five opponents.

There is a chance the Wildcats could be 7-0 heading into a game against Nebraska. That is where the streak will end. 

Next loss: 10/20 vs. Nebraska

Texas Tech

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Texas Tech has stayed healthy so far this season and that has made all the difference.

The Red Raiders take on New Mexico next week before a challenging road game at Iowa State. While the Cyclones will be a challenge, the Red Raiders have too much offense for the Cyclones to keep up.

After that things will get a little more difficult.

Next loss: 10/6 vs. Oklahoma

Virginia

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Virginia was lucky to escape on Saturday with a win against Penn State and will need to play better in the coming weeks to contend with the big boys in the ACC.

The Cavaliers have some challenging games coming up and will likely find themselves in the loss column very soon.

Next loss: 9/15 @Georgia Tech

Ohio

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Ohio might be in as good of shape as anybody on this list as it has one of the easiest schedules in the country the rest of the way.

The schedule is so easy that it is not inconceivable to see them running the table and winning out.

That seems too good to be true however.

Next loss: 11/30 MAC Championship

North Carolina State

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North Carolina State has not looked good in its first two games of the season, but one bonus for the Wolfpack is the schedule is going to get a little easier in the coming weeks.

They take on South Alabama and Citadel at home their next two games before beginning ACC play at Miami.

Then the schedule gets a little more challenging beginning in October.

Next loss: 10/6 vs. Florida State

Texas A&M

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Texas A&M almost came out on top in its first-ever SEC game, but fell short at home against the Florida Gators.

The Aggies have a few cupcakes like most SEC teams in the coming weeks, including games against SMU and South Carolina State.

The Aggies will find it more challenging once they get back into the SEC however.

Next loss: 9/29 vs. Arkansas

South Florida

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South Florida is never afraid to play a challenging schedule and that is exactly the case this season. 

The Bulls are already 2-0 with a road win against Nevada and appear headed for a few more wins in the coming weeks.

The schedule will soon get to them however.

Next loss: 9/29 vs. Florida State

Washington

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We all know Washington looked awful at LSU over the weekend, but the Huskies have plenty of things to work on in the coming weeks.

They get Portland State at home on Saturday to try and straighten some things out.

Then they have a Thursday night game against Stanford, which is not going to be easy.

Next loss: 9/27 vs. Stanford

Mississippi State

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Mississippi State is in very good shape compared to a lot of other SEC teams.

The Bulldogs are already 2-0 and have games at Troy and at home against South Alabama coming up. They then begin SEC play at Kentucky.

A 5-0 start is not only a possibility, but a probability. Things are looking good for the Bulldogs. 

Next loss: 10/13 @Tennessee

Baylor

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Baylor did not play over the weekend, but that does not take anything away from what the Bears did their first game of the season.

The Bears beat SMU 59-24 and now have two easy games on the schedule against Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks may be a little tougher than expected.

Big 12 play begins after than and it is not going to be easy from there on out.

Next loss: 9/29 @West Virginia

Missouri

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Missouri got a steady dose of SEC football when it was dismantled over the weekend by Georgia.

The Tigers have a difficult game on Saturday against Arizona State and then get back into the SEC against South Carolina.

The Tigers are definitely going to be in for a few more wakeup calls in the coming months.

Next loss: 9/22 @South Carolina

Oklahoma State

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After dismantling Savannah State, Oklahoma State showed that it is not quite as good as some may have thought when they fell 59-38 at Arizona.

They should be able to handle Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday before stepping into the Big 12 gauntlet.

Next loss: 9/29 vs. Texas

Tennessee

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Tennessee is an intriguing team because the talent is there to compete with almost anybody in the country.

The Vols take on Florida on Saturday in what might be one of the best games this coming weekend.

At home they will have a the slight edge. Akron awaits next and that is a guaranteed victory. 

Next loss: 9/29 @Georgia

Cincinnati

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The Cincinnati Bearcats did a lot of things right in their season opener against Pittsburgh, and while the Panthers are obviously not that good, the Bearcats were impressive.

They have an easy game coming on Saturday against FCS school Delaware State and then a bye week before the schedule gets a little more challenging.

Next loss: 9/29 vs. Virginia Tech

Rutgers

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Rutgers has won its first two games with a strong defense, but has a lot of questions to answer, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

The Scarlet Knights get a good challenge on Thursday night when they travel to South Florida to take on the Bulls.

That could be the end of the undefeated season for the Scarlet Knights.

Next loss: 9/13 @South Florida

Arizona

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Arizona is off to a much better start than even it could have expected under new head coach Rich Rodriguez.

The Wildcats have won their first two games and have a cupcake in South Carolina State on Saturday.

After that there are plenty of challenging Pac-12 games on the slate.

Next loss: 9/22 @Oregon

UCLA

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Speaking of surprising teams in the Pac-12, another team on that list is the UCLA Bruins.

They have won their first two games and head coach Jim Mora Jr. has them looking like contenders in the Pac-12.

The schedule is very favorable, particularly in the coming weeks and this team could continue to rise in the polls.

Next loss: 10/6 @California

Georgia Tech

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If Georgia Tech had not fallen apart at the end of the season opener against Virginia Tech, the Yellow Jackets would be a top 20 team right now.

Instead they are certainly knocking on the door and have a few easy contests in the early part of the ACC slate.

Their next three games are very winnable and then a road trip to Death Valley awaits.

Next loss: 10/6 @Clemson

Florida

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The Florida Gators were impressive over the weekend on the road at Texas A&M in what is a very tough environment to play in.

They now move to an equally challenging venue when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

With questions on offense for the Gators, it will be tough for Florida to keep up with Tyler Bray and the Tennessee offense.

Next loss: 9/15 @Tennessee

BYU

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BYU has looked good in its first two games, but now must take to the road for the first time this season in each of their next two contests as the Cougars take on Utah and Boise State.

News is that Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn is now retiring because of injuries, and this will give BYU a slight advantage in this one.

Still this is one of the biggest rivalries out west, and it will still be a challenging game for the Cougars.

Next loss: 9/20 @Boise State

Boise State

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Boise State only has a few challenging games on its schedule and Broncos already lost one of them.

If they can get by BYU at home in a few weeks, they are likely to be winning games for quite some time.

Another double-digit win season is certainly in order for the Broncos.

Next loss: 12/1 @Nevada

Notre Dame

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Notre Dame has been impressive in each of their two victories to begin the season, but the schedule really gets tough in the coming weeks.

The Irish have improved on both sides of the ball and have the talent to hang with just about anybody in the nation.

Too bad the schedule is grueling the rest of the way.

Next loss: 9/15 @Michigan State

Nebraska

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Nebraska is another Big Ten team that disappointed over the weekend, and while the Huskers did not look nearly as bad as Wisconsin, they still have a lot of questions to answer, particularly on defense.

The Cornhuskers and quarterback Taylor Martinez should be fine on offense and losing at UCLA is not all that bad.

Next loss: 10/6 @Ohio State

Stanford

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Needless to say, Stanford looked much better in their 50-13 win against Duke than it did in the season opener against San Jose State.

With that being said, USC comes calling this week and the Cardinal are not ready to contend with a team of that caliber.

If they can hang in the game however, they should not drop too far in the polls.

Next loss: 9/15 vs. USC

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin does not appear to be anywhere close to the team many thought the Badgers would be with so much coming back.

The loss of key personnel have proven to outweigh the returning players, and it could be a long season in the Big Ten if they do not get some things cleaned up in the coming weeks.

Montee Ball will certainly need to get going.

Next loss: 9/29 @Nebraska

Louisville

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Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has certainly impressed during the first two games of the season and Louisville is clearly the class of the Big East.

The Cardinals do not play a ranked team all season, but it is hard to imagine them running the table.

North Carolina on Saturday will be a challenge, but at home the Cardinals should have enough.

Next loss: 10/20 vs. South Florida

Michigan

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The Michigan Wolverines are still trying to recover from the beatdown Alabama put on them and it might take all season.

The best way for them to forget about it is to keep winning, and it looks like they might be able to do just that.

The Notre Dame game looms large in two weeks, but it is winnable for a team like the Wolverines. Then Big Ten play begins.

Next loss: 10/20 vs. Michigan State

Texas

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Texas has looked very good the past few weeks, but it is still too early to tell how good the Longhorns are really going to be since the schedule is very favorable.

We will find out soon enough as they take on both Ole Miss and Oklahoma State on the road their next two games.

They then return home for a game against West Virginia in what will likely be a tough one to win.

Next loss: 10/6 vs. West Virginia

Virginia Tech

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Virginia Tech is good once again, but probably not as talented as it was a year ago and maybe ranked a little higher than it should be.

With that being said, the Hokies have some winnable games in the coming weeks and could find themselves in the Top 10 once again before they lose a game.

The Hokies might have everyone fooled once again.

Next loss: 10/20 @Clemson

Arkansas

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After the embarrassing loss to ULM over the weekend, Arkansas now must host an Alabama team that is playing as good as anybody in the country.

With or without Tyler Wilson, Arkansas does not stand much of a chance against a Crimson Tide team  on a whole different level.

The Razorbacks have enough talent to bounce back in the following weeks.

Next loss: 9/15 vs. Alabama

Clemson

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Clemson is very talented and probably the most likely team in the ACC to compete with Florida State for the conference crown.

However, the TIgers are not on the same level as the Seminoles and they have to travel to Tallahassee in two weeks for what will be the biggest challenge on the schedule.

If they can get by that one, there is no telling how many games they could win.

Next loss: 9/22 @Florida State

Kansas State

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Collin Klein proved once again on Saturday why he is one of the most dynamic players in college football as Kansas State routed Miami.

The Wildcats have been scoring a lot of points, 51.5 a game to be exact, and have the talent to win the Big 12.

A road trip to Oklahoma in two weeks could be an upset in the making. If it happens, the wide-open Big 12 will be even more wide open.

Next loss: 10/20 @West Virginia

TCU

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The TCU schedule is back heavy, as each of its last four opponents are ranked in the Top 15 of the Coaches' Poll.

That means the front half of the Horned Frogs' schedule is relatively easy and that will bode well for the them in the coming weeks.

Some very winnable games could have them knocking on the door of the Top 10 by the end of the month.

Next loss: 10/13 @Baylor

Ohio State

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Ohio State has been very solid in its first season under Urban Meyer, but is probably not quite ready to supplant themselves as a Top 10 team.

The Buckeyes have a few winnable games before beginning Big Ten play on the road in East Lansing.

That is certainly not a favorable place to start conference play.

Next loss: 9/29 @Michigan State

Michigan State

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Michigan State has some challenging games remaining on its schedule, beginning with a home game against Notre Dame on Saturday.

The Spartans get Ohio State at home and play Michigan on the road. While they always seem to come up big in crucial games, they are going to lose somewhere along the line.

The Spartans have the talent to run the table, but a loss will come sooner or later.

Next loss: 10/27 @Wisconsin

South Carolina

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While South Carolina struggled in Week 1, the Gamecocks were very impressive in Week 2 against East Carolina.

Now the schedule is going to get a little more challenging as they take on four ranked opponents in the month of October.

Some losses could be in order for Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks.

Next loss: 10/6 vs. Georgia

West Virginia

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West Virginia is an intriguing team because it has enough talent to go undefeated and contend for the national championship.

Still, it is hard to imagine any team going undefeated in the Big 12.

The Mountaineers will probably lose somewhere along the line, but likely later rather than sooner. 

Next loss: 11/17 vs. Oklahoma

Florida State

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Florida State has all the talent in the world and the Noles might finally be putting it all together in 2012.

This team has played real well in the early going, but has yet to play an FBS school. The competition is going to get much tougher, but this season it appears the Seminoles are up for the task. 

At least one loss will occur at some point in the season. It will likely be a heartbreaking upset.

Next loss: 11/8 @Virginia Tech

Oklahoma

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It is still hard to figure out what to make of Oklahoma, but the Sooners definitely have enough talent to contend with the big boys across the country.

While they could win all of their games and play for a national title, they will drop one or two along the way and the first one could be coming sooner than people are expecting.

Kansas State comes calling in two weeks and the Sooners better be prepared.

Next loss: 9/22 @Kansas State

Georgia

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Georgia looked much better against Missouri, particularly in the second half than it did at any point against Buffalo and might be putting things together now. 

The Bulldogs only have a few challenging SEC games as they avoid both LSU and Alabama. If they can win at South Carolina, which they should, the SEC East title and an undefeated regular season is in their grasp.

Next loss: 12/1 SEC Championship

Oregon

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Oregon is as explosive offensively as anybody in the country and is perhaps the most fun team to watch.

The Ducks will have no trouble putting 50 points on the board against nearly anybody, until they travel to Los Angeles to take on USC.

That is where the winning streak will likely come to an end.

Next loss: 11/3 @USC

LSU

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The LSU defense looks to be phenomenal and it is going to be tough to score on for any offense.

The Tigers should have no trouble rolling through the SEC, but the schedule is brutal as they take on Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Alabama in back-to-back weeks.

The game against Alabama could go either way, but the LSU defense and the fact that the Tigers are at home may be the difference in this one.

A win in that one would propel them to the national championship game.

Next loss: 1/7 National Championship Game

Alabama

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Nick Saban and his Alabama squad have looked better than anybody so far this season and many have tabbed them as the favorites for the national championship.

The Tide have a few challenging games, but none harder than the night game in Baton Rouge against LSU.

Winning that game, even with the talent of Alabama, will be tough to do.

Next loss: 11/3 @LSU

USC

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USC may not be the top team in the country according to some, but the Trojans have all the tools to run the table and win the BCS National Championship.

There are certainly challenging games on the schedule, including a home contest with Oregon and a road trip to Stanford, but the Trojans have too much talent for both of those teams.

Other than that, the Trojans should be home free and likely to take on the SEC winner in the national championship game.

The pick here is for USC to go undefeated and win the national championship.

 

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