University Football: Bold forecasts for the New Year of the Six, upset games

After half a season of completed scenarios, it is time to look to the future. Before the start of the second half, we asked our experts to make bold predictions on a number of topics, ranging from New Year's bowls to unexpected upheavals, to the Heisman race.

How many teams will be unbeaten on Sunday in selection?

Andy Staples: Two. Alabama and UCF. Alabama will make the playoffs. UCF will not be.

Ross Dellenger: Two. Alabama and Ohio State. The Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes have some land mines in front of them: road trip to LSU for Bama; matches against Michigan and Michigan State for OSU. And they will probably have to defeat a top-15 team in a league game. But we will roll the dice here and guess they will come out unscathed.

Joan Niesen: Three: UCF, Alabama and Clemson. Cincinnati and USF will eventually fall prey to the Knights, and there will be some sort of trap in the Ohio State program, potentially against Michigan State or against Michigan.

Laken Litman: There are currently eight undefeated teams, and he could legitimately have five at the selection on Sunday. Alabama, Clemson, the state of Ohio, Notre Dame and the USF will be undefeated over the next month and a half. Alabama's biggest hurdle will be November 3 against LSU at Death Valley; Clemson has a clear path, but anything can happen against NC State, Florida State or in the title game of the conference against his likely opponent, Virginia Tech; Notre Dame got a break this week after a close win over Pitt, but should be 11-0 in the final of her regular season against USC on the road; The state of Ohio still has to face the states of Michigan and Michigan, but it should pass these tests; USF and Cincinnati are undefeated, but Charlie Strong's team may well be undefeated.

Eric SingleThree: Alabama, Clemson and UCF. The chaos is hiding in front of the Big Ten (looking you right in the Michigan-Ohio states), while UCF will keep the gap with the other AAC players and will oblige the committee to leave it directly outside series discussions. NC State is more of a threat to Clemson than the CCA Coastal Champion, as long as the Tigers will keep their hearts out in the eighth week, they should have clear skies ahead of them to get to the last four .

Scooby Axson: Alabama and UCF. Alabama is playing at another level and it will take a powerful attack and defense to keep the score tight – and there is no team that has both. Central Florida can cross the AAC as it has in the past two years, but its timing is not worthy of mention. That's why, even if they are unbeaten, the Knights do not have the ambition to snort the playoffs.

Which team, apart from the current top 12, will qualify for the Six Year's Eve?

StaplesIt's Kentucky. I am not going too far here because the Wildcats are ranked No. 14 in this week 's Associated Press poll, but this team should not lose more than one game after that. (And I will not give this game to Georgia at this point either.) The Wildcats have a win in hand against Florida and if they continue to win, the Bulldogs' trip to Lexington on Nov. 3 should be the SEC de facto title game is.

Dellenger: Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 and welcome the Big Ten West Northwestern leader to their home on Nov. 10. Of course, they've already lost to Wisconsin, but we'll give Kirk Ferentz and the boys the edge to qualify. Title Big Ten, lose against OSU and land in the sixth year. They are currently ranked No. 19 in the AP.

Niesen: Of course, this is where we are at No. 13 this week, but I'm going with West Virginia. Dana Holgorsen's team lost to an emerging Iowa State squad on Saturday, which should not distract from the quality of its performance throughout the season. And with a program in the second half that is anything but presage, the Mountaineers will have a place in the Fiesta Bowl – or at least that's what I predict in my mid-season crystal ball. (Another sneaky choice here is No. 23 Wisconsin, they still have a clear path to the Big Ten title, and there is a world in which Wisconsin is playing well, with the Michigan season falling apart and Rose-Bow.)

Litman: NC State is 5-0 for the first time since 2002 and is waiting for their chance to play Clemson. Ryan Finley is the most effective quarterback in his conference, completing 69% of his passes and leading all passers-by with 324.2 yards per game. His favorite target is receiver Kelvin Harmon, who leads the ACC with 106.8 yards. It was unfortunate that the Wolfpack match against West Virginia was canceled because of Hurricane Florence, but their schedule is well prepared to have a chance to qualify legitimately during a ball game Six Year's Eve.

Unique: State NC. As long as the Wolfpack performs half-decently in the Death Valley, it will remain in the impressive range of New Year's positions even after its first defeat of the season. (If they beat Clemson, we'll have a completely different conversation.) The toughest match after Saturday is either a Thursday night vs. Wake Forest, or a Thanksgiving weekend to face a UNC team. without anything to lose. There may not be many decisive victories in this hypothetical 11-1 record, but the committee will not be able to deny it.

Axson: Kentucky. The Wildcats proved they were among the top 25 teams and, despite losing to Texas A & M in overtime, they can make their way to the New Year's bowl because of their schedule. Their toughest game remaining is against Georgia and they bring the Bulldogs home. But there is a caveat: they must find more balance in attack despite the talents of RB Benny Snell.

What second half upset will she not see come?

Staples: Texas Tech will beat Oklahoma in Lubbock on November 3rd. It will be a clash between coaches who are very familiar with each other's projects. And if the Red Raiders still use Jett Duffey – which adds a dangerous racing component – to the quarterback, it could melt the display board with him and Kyler Murray face to face.

Dellenger: USC on Notre Dame. O.K., you can see that coming, but the Irish, for the moment, would be the favorites of the road by a good margin. The Trojans welcome the Irish in their final of the annual regular season, a playoff match for Notre Dame in a hostile, free environment across the continent. It looks like the biggest test of the second half of the year for ND, and the Trojans are starting to play well. Warning.

Niesen: I am going to continue the debate on "Is Texas back?" Here, predicting a tipping in the opposite direction in November. The Longhorns are on the way back, of course, but I do not see this ranking to be in the top 10, and I think they will go to Lubbock on November 10 and lose.

Litman: UCF, who has been named 2017 national champion after a perfect season and a Puck Bowl win over Auburn, will see his unbeaten season in play during his last regular season game at USF the day after Thanksgiving. The match could be between two undefeated teams from Florida, but there is only one place left for a team of five in a six-year game. This year, this place will belong to Charlie Strong's Bulls.

Unique: Notre Dame in the northwest. After their week off, the Irish must travel to San Diego to face the Navy, then return home and take the short drive to Evanston to play the match against Northwestern a week later. This may seem like a generous planning, but Ryan Field is not exactly known as a place where everything happens according to the scenario. The Wildcats did not seem to beat the world, but they gave Michigan all they could handle at home and beat Michigan State two weeks ago. If quarterback Clayton Thorson has time to warm up, he can be a fatal blow to the Irish playoff hopes.

AxsonClemson at Boston College on November 10th. This is by far the biggest obstacle to Clemson's return to the playoffs. Boston College has the ingredients to get angry: the game is at home and running back A.J. Dillon. Although Clemson has allowed less than three yards per game, Boston College must continue to beat the rock, keep Clemson off the court and not give the match to his quarterback, Anthony Brown.

Who will train out of the seat in the second half?

Staples: Kliff Kingsbury seems on the way to job security. If in the month of August, you've shown me a group of titles from the last two weeks, one that I absolutely would not have believed is "Texas Tech Beats TCU 17-14 on the Road". During most of Kingsbury's term, the biggest Red Raiders The problem was that they could only win games in a way. If they can play in playoffs with Oklahoma and Slugfests with Texas, then they will have a chance to influence the Big 12 title race.

Dellenger: Missouri coach Barry Odom. Odom's position is not really clear, but it should be noted that he was 14-17 in two and a half seasons in a program that Gary Pinkel turned into a contender for the annual title. The Tigers lost three times in a row, including a draw against South Carolina and a distorted performance in a match against Georgia that they could have won. But things improve. The Odom Club is hosting Memphis and Kentucky the two weeks before a trip to the swamps. The last three games are winnable: vs Vanderbilt, Tennessee, against Arkansas.

Niesen: Pat Narduzzi's Pitt team made a good effort against Notre-Dame on Saturday, his defense looking better than the rest of the year. The Panthers have a strangely feasible schedule; There are no longer ranked teams, but two with some CCA brand reputation: Virginia Tech and Miami. None of these teams are quite as powerful as we imagined in August (or even in September), but the hits still sound good and Narduzzi could score a goal, especially at home against the Hokies.

LitmanKliff Kingsbury could do just enough to secure another season in Lubbock. Texas Tech is 4-2 with wins on TCU and Oklahoma State and there will be other winners coming in the second half, with Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor at the end of the program ( Oklahoma and Texas too). . Red Raiders fans love Kingsbury, but they're fed up with .500 seasons. Kirby Hocutt, director of sports, said the team needed to be improved. Eight wins should allow Kingsbury to miss the coaches carousel.

Unique: Lovie Smith, Illinois. The fact that Smith's number of redemptions would be under $ 12 million this year could protect him alone, but thanks to a tight and early schedule, the 3 to 3 Illini have already tied their best wins in Smith and should have the opportunity to add to that in the stretch against the enemies of Big Ten West. Four of their last six games are on the road, but trips to Nebraska and the Northwest could prove to be winners. Minnesota went to Champaign on November 3rd with a fault that did not always accompany. Even winning five wins could be seen as a step forward, and despite the Purdue scandal, Illinois has shown flashes of a respectable offense on the part of the freshman coordinator, Rod Smith.

Axson: Bobby Petrino, Louisville. This choice has absolutely nothing to do with coaching. Louisville struggles to win without a transcendent winner of the Heisman Trophy and has not benefited from Lamar Jackson's impact on his rostering through recruitment. Just this week, a board member from Louisville said Petrino's $ 14 million buyout was a little too steep to pay, basically admitting that Petrino's seat was still cooling down despite its atrocious record of year.

Who is the most dangerous challenger of Tua Tagovailoa's Heisman campaign?

Staples: It's Tua's knee or Kyler Murray from Oklahoma. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy the rest of the season and display numbers close to those he has already posted, he will be in New York. The only question is whether he or Murray will lift the trophy. In seven games, Tagovailoa averages 14.3 yards per attempt. Murray averaged 13.1 yards per attempt. For his part, Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma scored 11.5 yards passing during his football season last year, Marcus Mariota of Oregon raised 10 Yards in 2014 and Florida State's Jameis Winston, 10.6 in 2013. Murray has the field advantage with 377 rushing yards (6.6 yards per run) and five touchdowns. (Although Tagovailoa averaged 4.7 yards per run and had two touchdowns in the race, which is pretty good given that Alabama rarely needs him to run.)

Dellenger: State of Ohio QB Dwayne Haskins. The numbers for Haskins (2,331 yards, 24 TDs, 4 INTs) are as close to Tagovailoa as anyone (1,760 yards, 21 TDs, 0 INTs). The determining factor here might not be their number, but the number of defeats their team has. Both players will have the opportunity to perform in the spotlight and on the big stage to potentially keep their teams unbeaten (Alabama vs. LSU, Ohio State vs. Michigan, SEC Championship Game, Big Ten Championship Game).

Niesen: Dwayne Haskins of the State of Ohio. It has been incredible so far this year, and even if the Buckeyes lose at one point or another, I imagine it will happen because of a defensive blockade, not any quarterback failure.

Litman: The only player about to challenge Tua Tagovailoa on behalf of Heisman is Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. In Ohio's win over Minnesota, Haskins became the first Buckeye to score 400 yards twice in his career. He collected 412 yards with three touchdowns against the Gophers and 455 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions the week before against Indiana. The sophomore is one of the country's most efficient quarterbacks, completing 72.3% of his passes, and has scored 28 touchdowns with just four interceptions in seven games this season.

Unique: Kyler Murray. He almost alone has saved the Red River Showdown and now, with the back of the Big 12 defending champions, he will continue to publish impressive numbers with ever greater stakes. The porous defense of Oklahoma gives Murray and the offensive many opportunities to score. The rise of Texas in the top 10 means that the only defeat of the Sooners will not condemn their summary in the playoffs. Moreover, in the narrative sense, the future player of Oakland A is the only player able to compete with the fact that Tagovailoa is doing something you almost never see in college football.

Axson: Kyler Murray. This is simple because as long as the Oklahoma Defense will continue to play as it did (and there is no reason to believe that this will not be the case, despite the fact that referral from coordinator Mike Stoops), Murray will have ample opportunity to score each goal. the ball. In addition, his numbers (1,764 yards, 21 touchdowns, 377 rushing yards) are very similar to the Baker Mayfield campaign, won by Heisman last season.