B/R Experts' October Bold Predictions for College Football

After a relatively upset-free September around college football, the stage is set for plenty of twists and turns during the final two months of the 2023 regular season.

Bleacher Report's five experts have reconvened for a second round of bold predictions. That's not because we struggled in the earlier round, though. In fact, four of those five prognostications still look great.

Except mine. Too much belief in Clemson, alas.

The expert panel of David Kenyon (clearly a debatable choice), Morgan Moriarty, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard is back to forecast what's happening for the rest of the season.

We have division hot takes, New Year's Six thoughts and College Football Playoff feels. Let's get to it.

Shepard: Pac-12 Owns the CFP

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Seattle, WA - APRIL 22: A general view of the PAC12 logo as the PAC12 Network televises the Washington Husky Spring game on April 22, 2023 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Now that one-third of the season has passed, it's obvious the Pac-12 is the nation's best conference. Who would have thought that, especially considering 2023 is the league's swan song after falling victim to conference realignment?

My bold prediction is two teams from the Pac-12 locking themselves in college football's final four. That may seem preposterous, given the league hasn't sniffed a playoff berth since 2016 when Washington was in.

But this year, it's deserving.

The only question is: Which two? The answer: I'm not sure. I'll say the winner of Washington—led by Michael Penix Jr., my preseason Heisman pick—and Oregon on October 14 winds up as one of the participants. Then, even though USC is flawed defensively, the Trojans are too impressive not to consider.

Oregon State, Utah (when Cam Rising returns) and Colorado are strong enough to spoil some of these hopes, and Washington State is still undefeated, too. There are too many quality teams to not leave two standing.

If we always talk about the SEC getting two in every other year, why not the Pac-12?

Moriarty: 2-Loss P5 Champs Complicate the Playoff

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: Bowl Game logos on and around the field before the college football game between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and The Ohio State Buckeyes on December 31, 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In the final season of the four-team playoff system, it's pretty fitting for some chaos to be had. Since 2014, the playoff has featured four seemingly well-deserved teams.

Sure, there's been a bit of drama, such as TCU and Baylor being left out in 2014 thanks to the Big 12's silly "co-champions" moniker. There were also folks who thought Ohio State should have made it in 2017.

However, this season's playoff picture is already looking incredibly chaotic, and we could have multiple Power Five champions with more than one loss.

The Pac-12 has four undefeated teams (USC, Washington, Oregon, and Washington State), yet one-loss Utah and Oregon State could win the league. The depth of the conference could mean the front-runners have multiple losses.

Florida State is the ACC favorite but still has to play Duke and Miami. The Seminoles can afford to lose one game, but a slip-up in the ACC Championship Game knocks them out. A two-loss ACC champion likely won't make it in, even with an upset win over FSU.

Georgia doesn't look nearly as dominant as it has recently and could enter the SEC Championship Game with one loss. If an SEC West champion with two losses upsets the Dawgs, the conference could miss out on the playoff for the first time ever.

The Big Ten might be in trouble if the East includes an Ohio State, Michigan or Penn State team with two losses going into Indianapolis. The Big 12—led by Texas—looks the safest conference for now, but Oklahoma might change that against the Longhorns in Week 6.

Not all of these scenarios will happen, but I have a feeling the final four-team CFP will end with some chaos.

Reuter: Ole Miss Wins the SEC West

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Jaxson Dart

The Ole Miss Rebels were picked to finish behind Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M in the SEC West in the conference's preseason poll, and they were not among the 10 SEC teams to receive at least one vote for conference champion.

That's not to paint them as some out-of-nowhere underdog, because they were No. 22 in the first AP poll. However, with an early nonconference win over then-No. 24 Tulane and a 55-49 shootout victory over LSU last weekend, the Rebels are starting to look like a team that could exceed expectations.

They do have a loss on their resume with a 24-10 defeat against Alabama in Week 4, but the road ahead is a favorable one. The next five weeks bring Arkansas at home, an idle Saturday, Auburn on the road, Vanderbilt at home and Texas A&M at home.

It's not out of the realm of possibility to think Ole Miss could roll into its Nov. 11 matchup with No. 1 Georgia as an 8-1 team threatening for a spot in the SEC title game.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart (1,485 passing yards, 11 TD, 2 INT, 269 rush yards, 4 rush TD) has taken a significant step forward, and the running game is averaging 4.9 yards per carry. By all accounts, this is one of the most potent offensive teams in the country.

Given the question marks at quarterback for Alabama, the fact that the Rebels already beat LSU with a home matchup against Texas A&M to come means Ole Miss suddenly seems like a viable pick to emerge from the West to claim a spot in the SEC title game in the league's final year of divisional play.

Kenyon: Air Force Makes the NY6

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SAN JOSE, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: The Air Force offensive line waits for the snap in the game between the Air Force Falcons and the San Jose State Spartans on September 22, 2023, at CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Fresno State deserves every shred of the AP Top 25 love it has received. During the opening month, the rebuilt Bulldogs took down Power Five opponents Purdue and Arizona State en route to a 5-0 start.

However, a Mountain West counterpart is a sneaky, solid contender for the Group of Five's spot in a New Year's Six bowl.

Air Force has quietly rolled to a 5-0 mark, picking off three conference teams along the way. The run-first Falcons beat Utah State, San Jose State and San Diego State by a combined score of 133-51.

Additionally, the schedule is very appealing. Air Force's toughest-looking remaining games—Wyoming and UNLV—are both at home. The regular-season finale at Boise State will probably be a tough matchup, yet the Broncos have stumbled to a 2-3 start.

Memphis and Tulane are worth monitoring in the AAC, but both programs already have a loss. No team in Conference USA, the MAC or Sun Belt is likely to overtake the American or Mountain West champ, either.

Fiesta Bowl, here comes Air Force.