B/R CFB Community: Boldest Predictions for the Second Half of the CFB Season
Things don't always go as planned. This much we know.
College football rarely follows the script. Upsets transpire, losses mount, and the season cannot be compared to its blueprint. In a sport as unpredictable as this one, that part is a given.
So, where will the surprises come from? And what does the rest of this season have in store?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
We're not looking for convenient proclamations.
Georgia will win the national championship.
C.J. Stroud will win the Heisman Trophy.
No, we're looking for bold takes on the second half. So, we asked B/R readers to give us some of their finest, brashest opinions on the remaining games.
As always, they delivered.
Instant Upset
User: @murphy60
Response: UK WILL BEAT TENNESSEE
Let's not waste a moment. Let's get bold, well, immediately.
This week, Kentucky will travel to Tennessee to take on the Vols. The spread is hovering just under two touchdowns, which feels about right considering how potent the Tennessee offense has been.
At the moment, few teams are hotter than UT. But this matchup is at least worth monitoring for a few reasons.
For starters, Kentucky is good. We'll find what level of "good," but the Wildcats are well-coached and certainly capable. Mark Stoops will be ready.
The element that is more intriguing, however, is the timing. Tennessee plays Georgia the following weekend, and the buzz for that matchup will be palpable. (Heck, I am already thinking about this football game.)
Are the Volunteers doing the same?
If so, things could be mighty interesting Saturday. We wanted bold, and this certainly applies. But it's by no means outrageous.
Bayou Bonanza
User: @rweber18
Response: LSU wins out in the regular season, beats Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game and makes the CFP as the first two-loss team.
One thing is clear: @rweber18 understood the assignment. This is bold in the purest sense of the word.
Let's at least entertain this scenario, though it's a lot to unpack. For starters, LSU plays Alabama, at Arkansas, UAB and at Texas A&M to close the year. The matchup against the Crimson Tide looks like the tallest task, though the game will be played in Baton Rouge.
Playing at Arkansas is no gimme; it's hard to know what a road trip to Texas A&M will look like given the Aggies' troubles. Every game remaining can be won. A good chunk of these games can also be lost.
Throw in a potential matchup against Tennessee or Georgia, and that's where things get complicated. LSU just played the Vols at home, and Tennessee won 40-13. This wasn't months ago; this was weeks ago. It also didn't look like a fluke.
If LSU wins out, it will have a strong case to make the playoff, even with two losses. Getting there, however, will require maximum finesse.
Rivalry Repeat
User: @JWolfy21
Response: Michigan beats OSU and wins consecutive B1G titles...only to lose to OSU in the national semifinals
There is depth to this proclamation. It's also a tad complicated, and I am very much here for all of it, @JWolfy21. At the same time, history tells us this could absolutely happen.
So, to summarize: Michigan will conquer its remaining opponents, beat Ohio State in the final game of the regular season, win the Big Ten championship and then lose to the Buckeyes—who somehow still make the playoff—a few weeks later.
The first part of this multistep football epic is the most attainable. It's not unreasonable to believe that Michigan will triumph in the Big Ten once again. The Wolverines will play Michigan State, at Rutgers, Nebraska and Illinois before heading to Ohio State.
It would be shocking if Michigan weren't unbeaten before the trip to Columbus. Beating the Buckeyes on the road, of course, will be no small feat.
From there, a few things would have to happen. Ohio State would still have to make the playoff, and the selection committee would have to pair these rivals in a rematch.
Could it happen? Certainly. We've seen rematches in the College Football Playoff. Just last year, Alabama conquered Georgia only to lose to the Bulldogs in the title game.
It can happen. We know this to be true. It still feels like a mighty chain reaction would have to make it so.
Double-Digit Dominance
User: @WhoDeyBengal
Response: Ohio State runs the table and finishes 15-0 after the natty, with every single win coming by double digits
Many of the predictions made included upsets, chaos and shocking outcomes. What I appreciate from @WhoDeyBengal, who clearly isn't at all biased in their love for a certain football team in the state of Ohio, is that they expect Ohio State to roll through the rest of the season like a bulldozer.
While I refuse to compare any football team to the dominant LSU squad of 2019, Ryan Day's team would enter that conversation if that is to be. (To be clear, we have many, many miles to travel before we have that discussion, and we might not ever get there.)
The Buckeyes' closest game this year was actually their first game—an 11-point win over Notre Dame that hasn't aged particularly well. Since then, Ohio State has won every game by at least four touchdowns.
That could change this week when OSU travels to Penn State. After that, Ohio State plays at Northwestern, Indiana, at Maryland and finishes with Michigan. Maryland could be scrappy; Michigan could be up for it as well.
Then, of course, the Buckeyes would have to dominate their conference title game (possible) and roll through the College Football Playoff (less likely).
Selfishly, I would very much like for this to happen. I picked the Buckeyes to win the national title before the season began, and I like being right more than being wrong.
It just feels like Ohio State will be pushed to play a single-digit game before then.
The Impeccable Quack
User: @ramducks
Response: Ducks run the table
If it indeed happens, what a run it would be.
The team we pronounced dead after a massive clunker in Week 1 against Georgia has life. Oregon, fresh off a dominating performance over UCLA, is up to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll.
Next up, the Ducks head on the road to take on Cal. They'll then visit Colorado. Home games against Washington and Utah come next, followed by a fascinating trip to Oregon State.
It's by no means an easy schedule. Cal is feisty, Utah has also been reborn, Washington is dangerous, and Oregon State could be an issue. Oh, and then there's the prospect of the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Thanks to new guidelines—and this was very much a good idea—the two top teams in the conference will meet at the end of the year. (Divisions are bad.) This means Oregon could face UCLA or Utah again. It could also match up with USC, which I would love to see.
Regardless, that won't be an easy game. If quarterback Bo Nix continues to play the way he did Saturday, Oregon will beat everyone. In the coming weeks, we'll find out whether this possibility becomes a reality.
What would it mean for the playoff? That's where things get interesting. Stay tuned.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
