2018 college football predictions

[hUTch2002]

It's that time of year yet again and I absolutely cannot wait for this weekend. Last year I absolutely nailed my surprise team for each power 5 conference by picking the exact record of 4 and missing the other by 1 game. And that's where the good begins and ends. I was mediocre with 3 of the 5 Power 5 winners and 6 of the 10 conference championship game participants predicted correctly. Finally, I was horrible at picking the playoff teams with only 1 correct prediction and I did not pick the national champion. Worst of all, I picked my beloved Vols to go 9-3 only to see the worst record in school history of 4-8. I did pick a conference to have 2 teams in the playoff but thought it would be the Big 10.

So this year is about redemption.
ACC: Clemson (12-0) over Va Tech (9-3), BC is surprise team at 8-4

Big 12: OU (11-1) over TX (9-3), Baylor is surprise team at 5-7 (1-11 last year)

Big 10: Michigan (11-1) over Wisconsin (11-1), Nebraska is surprise team at 7-5

Pac 12: Stanford (10-2) over USC (9-3), surprise team is AZ at 9-3

SEC: UGA (11-1) over Bama (12-0), Mizzou is surprise team at 9-3

Other: UCF loses 2 but the 2nd may be conf champ game, Notre Dame goes 9-3, SEC has tough first weekend with losses by Auburn, LSU, and UT. Speaking of UT, I'm calling 6-6 after bouncing between 6-7 and 7-5 with losses to WV, UF, UGA, Auburn, Bama, and Mizzou. WV and UF will be painfully close and I really hope I'm very wrong about those games. Next year we will take a big step forward.
Playoffs will be:
1. Clemson
2. Michigan
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
Again, Ohio St just misses at #5 with their only loss coming to Michigan. Clemson beats OU and UM beats UGA. Clemson wins it all.
What do you all think for the playoffs and/or conference winners? I see a ton of 1 and 2-loss teams this year as there are less big matchups than usual overall.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

SEC: Alabama 11-1 over Georgia 11-1
ACC: Clemson 12-0 over Miami 10-2
Big 10: Ohio State 11-1 over Wisconsin 11-1
Big 12: Oklahoma 11-1 over TCU 10-2
PAC 12: Washington 10-2 over USC 9-3

Playoff:
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Boo, Hutch, booooooo.

Haha, I don't like some of your picks, man (like how you think our season will go). But I respect your right to make them!

Here's what I'd say in response:

ACC: Clemson is the safe bet; and I'll agree with you. But not 12-0 regular season.
B12: Oklahoma, another safe bet. Again, I'll agree.
B10: You took a risk, picking Michigan. I'm gonna say Penn State (but Ohio State may recover from the off-season in time to run)
PAC: Finally, when no one is picking them, USCw finally make their move.
SEC: Bama, much as I hate to say it. UGa gets the East again.

Two of the three big opening weekend SEC games go our way. The Vols end up 8-4 regular season (yes, I've riled myself up from 7-5 expectations to an 8-win regular season, heh).

The playoffs are Clemson, Bama, Penn State, and Oklahoma, with a 2-loss PAC champ (USCw) left out this year. Bama wins yet another national title, this time beating Oklahoma in the championship game.

Go Vols!

 

[Pacer92]

Lost me at losses to WV...

 

[hUTch2002]

Boo, Hutch, booooooo.

Haha, I don't like some of your picks, man (like how you think our season will go). But I respect your right to make them!

Here's what I'd say in response:

ACC: Clemson is the safe bet; and I'll agree with you. But not 12-0 regular season.
B12: Oklahoma, another safe bet. Again, I'll agree.
B10: You took a risk, picking Michigan. I'm gonna say Penn State (but Ohio State may recover from the off-season in time to run)
PAC: Finally, when no one is picking them, USCw finally make their move.
SEC: Bama, much as I hate to say it. UGa gets the East again.

Two of the three big opening weekend SEC games go our way. The Vols end up 8-4 regular season (yes, I've riled myself up from 7-5 expectations to an 8-win regular season, heh).

The playoffs are Clemson, Bama, Penn State, and Oklahoma, with a 2-loss PAC champ (USCw) left out this year. Bama wins yet another national title, this time beating Oklahoma in the championship game.

Go Vols!

I know. My heart says 8-4 and I think we will be at least that next year and maybe better but my head said we will need a transition year. I’m seriously good with that as long as we make progress and play hard. I sincerely hope you are right about UT.

I don’t like Penn St due to losses on D and losing Barkley. They’ll still go like 10-2 or 9-3 though. And the only reason I didn’t take Bama is my gut says they have to miss it eventually. With the coaching changes and potential secondary issues I say this is the first playoff without Bama. Despite saying 6-6 I do believe Pruitt is going to get us back to competing for the East again and hopefully more.

 

[hUTch2002]

Lost me at losses to WV...

It’s for discussion, not persuasion. I hope I’m wrong though. We are certainly capable.

 

[hmhawk]

Your SEC prediction lost it for ya. Redo that and you may be spot on. Just sayin' .

 

[the one]

Our football program is currently trying to get out of the ditch. If we have our guy,it will take 3-4 years to get back on top. For now we are a basketball school.

 

[ChismsHeadband]

SEC: Alabama > Georgia, State and Carolina finish 2nd in their respective divisions. Auburn slips up, LSU craters, A&M surprises, Kentucky crashes to earth when they realize they can only muster 5 wins.
BIG 10: Ohio State > Wisconsin, Ohio State's only loss will be to TCU and they'll get into the playoff. Michigan faces an existential crisis with Harbaugh at the helm as they continue to lose to Michigan State and OSU. Penn State dips significantly after Moorehead's departure. Purdue, Iowa, and Nebraska make the West interesting, but Wisconsin goes undefeated up unto the B10CG.
BIG XII: Oklahoma State finally breaks through. TCU is really good. Oklahoma slides to 3rd best. Texas still isn't back, but wins 8.
ACC: Clemson > Miami, again. Richt still peaks at 10 wins, Clemson drops another weird one to a Pitt/Cuse/GT type opponent, VT starts to question Fuente's ceiling, FSU stutters, BC emerges as 'kinda decent', UVa goes bowling.
PAC: Stanford > USC. Almost wanted to pick Utah to go to the P12CG, not overly confident about the South division. Washington beats Auburn, but loses to Stanford to cost them their shot at the conference title.
AAC: UCF>Houston, Memphis slips a little, losing to Navy (again, ugh), but still finds 9 wins. Cincinnati gets back to bowling.

Alabama will be a CFP lock.
Clemson will recover from that weird loss at Georgia Tech and will be a comfortable playoff pick at #2.
Urban Meyer will face no real consequences as Ohio State beats Wiscy out for their CFP berth.
Stanford wins out in a wild conference, but stumbles at Notre Dame. They will be buoyed by their SOS, particularly their road schedule.

For the second year in a row, I don't watch a single CFP game, but I'd guess it'd be Alabama>Stanford, Clemson>OSU, and mass suicide by fans who want football to be fun again.

Other bowls:
Georgia>Michigan State
Wisconsin>USC
Boise State>Auburn (lol)
Oklahoma State>Miami
Tennessee>Purdue

 

[hUTch2002]

SEC: Alabama > Georgia, State and Carolina finish 2nd in their respective divisions. Auburn slips up, LSU craters, A&M surprises, Kentucky crashes to earth when they realize they can only muster 5 wins.
BIG 10: Ohio State > Wisconsin, Ohio State's only loss will be to TCU and they'll get into the playoff. Michigan faces an existential crisis with Harbaugh at the helm as they continue to lose to Michigan State and OSU. Penn State dips significantly after Moorehead's departure. Purdue, Iowa, and Nebraska make the West interesting, but Wisconsin goes undefeated up unto the B10CG.
BIG XII: Oklahoma State finally breaks through. TCU is really good. Oklahoma slides to 3rd best. Texas still isn't back, but wins 8.
ACC: Clemson > Miami, again. Richt still peaks at 10 wins, Clemson drops another weird one to a Pitt/Cuse/GT type opponent, VT starts to question Fuente's ceiling, FSU stutters, BC emerges as 'kinda decent', UVa goes bowling.
PAC: Stanford > USC. Almost wanted to pick Utah to go to the P12CG, not overly confident about the South division. Washington beats Auburn, but loses to Stanford to cost them their shot at the conference title.
AAC: UCF>Houston, Memphis slips a little, losing to Navy (again, ugh), but still finds 9 wins. Cincinnati gets back to bowling.

Alabama will be a CFP lock.
Clemson will recover from that weird loss at Georgia Tech and will be a comfortable playoff pick at #2.
Urban Meyer will face no real consequences as Ohio State beats Wiscy out for their CFP berth.
Stanford wins out in a wild conference, but stumbles at Notre Dame. They will be buoyed by their SOS, particularly their road schedule.

For the second year in a row, I don't watch a single CFP game, but I'd guess it'd be Alabama>Stanford, Clemson>OSU, and mass suicide by fans who want football to be fun again.

Other bowls:
Georgia>Michigan State
Wisconsin>USC
Boise State>Auburn (lol)
Oklahoma State>Miami
Tennessee>Purdue

Pretty crazy stuff in the Big 12. I like it. Tell you what, watching Purdue tonight, it’s possible that both teams score 50+ when they play Missouri.

 

[ChismsHeadband]

Pretty crazy stuff in the Big 12. I like it. Tell you what, watching Purdue tonight, it’s possible that both teams score 50+ when they play Missouri.

Hah, it's all a futile exercise if we're honestly trying to get these things right. It's more of a writing prompt than anything.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Here's my prediction...

The Selection Committee will punish Urban Liar and will let in a 1 loss SEC team and a 1 loss Big 12 team over a 1 loss OSU team. Urban Liar becomes Urban Crier until he has "health issues" and becomes Urban Quitter...

 

[hUTch2002]

Here's my prediction...

The Selection Committee will punish Urban Liar and will let in a 1 loss SEC team and a 1 loss Big 12 team over a 1 loss OSU team. Urban Liar becomes Urban Crier until he has "health issues" and becomes Urban Quitter...

That’s the best prediction I’ve seen!

 

[volfanbill]

Tennessee wins the SEC, the ACC, the Big 10, Big 12, PAC 12 and the Mountain West. In a shocking development however, they lose the AFC North when Josh Dobbs takes over for Big Ben and throws for eleventy billion yards. Rushes for ten billion more.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

My prediction for 2018 is that D4H will make amendments to his predictions all season then crow about how right he was, even when he still isn't (i.e. Georgia winning the NC).

 

[Hoosier_Vol]

UCF wins second straight NC!