Bold Predictions for the 2012-13 College Football Season

The monumental importance of each regular-season college football game puts enormous amounts of pressure on young athletes, and unexpected outcomes are a regular occurrence.

Those with the audacity to predict where and when these surprising results will occur often end up looking foolish in the end, but few sports offer a greater chance for those looking toward the future to show incredible foresight.

There will be twists and turns that few see coming this season. That much is certain.

Here are my bold predictions for the 2012 college football season. 

The SEC Will Not Have a Team in the National Championship Game

SEC teams are on an incredible streak of six consecutive national championships.

Florida won titles in 2006 and 2008, with LSU taking the championship in 2007. Then it was Alabama's turn to be the best team in the country in two of three seasons, wining the BCS Championship game in 2009 and 2011. Auburn is the fourth SEC team to win college football's greatest prize in the last six years, following Cam Newton to the title in 2010.

Judging by the AP Top 25 preseason poll, the streak has an excellent chance to stay alive. LSU, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas make up half of the teams represented in the top 10.

But the No. 1 USC Trojans boast an incredible offensive arsenal, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Barkley. The Trojans' signal-caller looks to be the best passer in the nation, and he is completely capable of leading his team to glory.

Oklahoma is another storied program with a prolific passer. Landry Jones and the No. 4 Sooners will pose a serious threat to SEC supremacy.

These two teams will have the benefit of not having to go through the grueling SEC schedule. They will end their seasons undefeated, setting up a rematch of the 2004 title game and ensuring that the SEC does not win the title this season. 

Ohio State Will Beat Michigan

Ohio State against Michigan is one of the greatest rivalries across the country, and this year, it will feature an upset.

Michigan had an excellent season in Brady Hoke's first campaign as the Wolverine's head coach. Now, he and senior quarterback Denard Robinson will try to improve on last year's success.

This team has legitimate national championship aspirations and a Heisman Trophy candidate in Robinson.

Ohio State, in contrast, spent last season reeling from a scandal that led to the head coach Jim Tressel's exit and a one-year bowl ban. New boss Urban Meyer now has the difficult task of dealing with the aftermath of the program's punishment.

But Meyer is a coach worthy of the Ohio State tradition. Few coaches in the nation can motivate their teams like he can.

For the Buckeyes, the final regular-season game against Michigan will be their bowl game. The postseason ban will serve as extra motivation for Ohio State, and the Wolverines will not be pleased with the result. 

A Quarterback Will Not Win the Heisman Trophy

This may not seem to be a bold prediction considering Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the award in 2009.

But Ingram and Reggie Bush—whose award was vacated—are the only non-quarterbacks since 2000 to win the Heisman Trophy.

This year, only Wisconsin's Montee Ball was included in ESPN's top-five candidates for the award. Matt Barkley is considered to be the favorite, and it will be his award to lose. 

Quarterbacks and running backs have dominated the award historically, and two talented rushers have an excellent chance to upset Barkley.

Ball will be the focal point of the Wisconsin offense, and his no-nonsense style gives him a chance to follow in the footsteps of Ingram and former Badger Ron Dayne. Ball is a tough, consistent runner who has the opportunity to grind his way to the most prestigious award in college football.

The other rusher is Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas. His explosive playmaking abilities will remind college football fans of Bush. He is currently set to split carries with Kenjon Barner, just as Bush shared the ball with LenDale White.

Thomas is as dynamic with the ball in his hands as any player in the country. He will end up on countless highlight reels, and this will make him a very appealing choice for Heisman voters.

One of these two players will end up winning the Heisman Trophy.

Penn State Will Win 10 Games

Win or lose, Penn State will receive as much attention as any team in the nation. This will create a a suffocating amount of pressure for several key members of the Nittany Lions' team who are not used to the spotlight.

Bill O'Brien will lead the team in his first season as the head coach. He will also be the first man other than Joe Paterno to coach the team since 1966.

Throw in a four-year bowl ban, slashes to the team's scholarships and a $60 million fine, and the team faces daunting odds in their quest for a successful season. Several players, including star running back Silas Redd, have transferred out of Happy Valley due to the sanctions.

The players on this current team had nothing to do with the actions that led to the punishment, but they will bear the brunt of the NCAA's wrath. These difficult circumstances will allow them to band together, and O'Brien will take the Nittany Lions to a 10-win season.

The team will face just three teams who are currently ranked in the AP preseason poll. If Penn State can beat the unranked teams and pull off an upset against Ohio State, Nebraska or Wisconsin, it will get to 10 wins.

This will be extremely difficult, but not impossible. O'Brien and the Nittany Lions will have to get used to succeeding under these circumstances, and that will start in 2012.

Auburn Will Beat Alabama

This in-state rivalry is one of the most intense football feuds across the country, and the two teams will meet on the last day of the regular season.

Auburn is not a powerhouse, currently sitting just outside of the AP Top 25 poll. The Tigers will likely crack the list with a few wins to start the season.

Alabama, in contrast, is one of the best teams in the country and coming off a national championship. However, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Dont'a HIghtower and Courtney Upshaw were all defensive stars for the Crimson Tide who are now in the NFL.

To be clear, this does not mean Auburn will go on to have a better season than Alabama, but the Tide are vulnerable this season, and the Tigers will take advantage of this. 

New quarterback Frazier Kiehl and a talented corps of running backs will lead a rushing attack that is capable of playing a grind-it-out game against Alabama. 

This will be a low-scoring game, and the ball will roll Auburn's way at crucial points in the game, leaving the Tide stunned. There is nothing quite like an upset on rivalry weekend, and this contest will produce a shocking result.