Predictions on ranked teams ahead of us
For this coming weekend...
#1 tOSU vs #17 Illinois - I'm surprised the Buckeyes are only favored by -14.5.
#8 Alabama vs #14 Missouri - The Tide seems to be rolling after a quick stumble earlier. Either team that loses should drop below us.
Washington State vs #4 Ole Miss - Should be a massacre.
#7 Indiana vs #3 Oregon - I doubt either team falls below us.
#6 Oklahoma vs Texas - Even if Texas manages an upset, Oklahoma probably stays ahead of us, unless it a complete blowout.
Arkansas vs #12 Tennessee - Tennessee should take this comfortably, unless Arkansas isn't nearly as bad as what we saw.
Florida vs #5 Texas A&M - Billy Napier seems to be one of the best coaches in the nation, provided that he has the "if you lose again, you're fired" ultimatum levied against him. I don't think he has enough magic left to pull this one off, though.
Virginia Tech vs #13 Georgia Tech - The hornets should take this comfortably. Virginia Tech has been reeling all year, and firing Brent Pry adds more chaos.
Kansas vs #9 Texas Tech - Lance Leipold has actually put Kansas into the arena of respectability again, but Texas Tech should take this easily.
#10 Georgia vs Auburn - Possible upset here. Auburn has a very good defense, and can present Georgia with some issues. A loss should send them below us.
#15 Michigan vs USC - Lincoln Riley has the offense humming along nicely, and their QB has become a legit dual threat.
South Carolina vs #11 LSU - LSU on paper should take this smoothly, but Brian Kelly has a way of somehow snatching defeat from the steel jaws of victory.
Moving up 1 spot is a sure thing, since the loser of Alabama vs Missouri will drop.
If we take care of business on our end, I think we move up 2, maybe 3 spots after this coming Saturday.
I have a feeling that USC will pull off the upset, since Bryce Underwood still looks lost out there, and he's being put in the role of a game manager. As good as Michigan's defense is, if they can't sustain some offensive drives, they're going to get gassed.
Replies to: Predictions on ranked teams ahead of us
OSU is pretty beatable, but probably not by Illinois.
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I will be surprised, unpleasantly, if Oregon doesn’t soundly beat IU
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Mendoza, IU's QB, is very very good
On the Athletic's way too early 2026 NFL draft, he was the first qb drafted at #2 overall.
I do not see IU getting throttled. Oregon is -7.5 AT HOME. Watch out for IU.
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Indiana looks improved
at several positions wrt last season.
(Not a fan of yapper coach)
Mizzou will NOT drop below us. That will be their their first loss & to a top 10 team. Oklahoma has
a ridiculously tough schedule moving forward. They will not be a playoff team. They will be favored in only one remaining game. They may very well lose 6 of their remaining games.
Texas
South Carolina
Ole Miss
Tennessee
Alabama
Missouri
LSU
Miami is a shoe-in. The BIG 10 is so watered down now, that Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, and OSU only have one ranked game. I could see OSU, Oregon and Indiana all make the playoffs again. The SEC will beat each other up and it will be interesting to see if they get 3 or more teams in. I am guessing 4 teams, but it could be even 5.Texas Tech plays no one and will be another playoff team with no business in the tourney. So there is room for ND, if they win out. Georgia Tech and BYU are average teams with easy schedules, so they could sneak in too.
Entirely possible, but Missouri isn't going to finish intact.
The first half of their season has been easy, with only South Carolina providing any challenge.
The second half of their schedule (including this weekend) will have the stronger part of the SEC on it.
They have to play Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M, along with Auburn, Vandy, and Mississippi State, before finishing with Arkansas.
With regards the first three I mentioned, those are likely to be losses.
For the second three, I'm guessing they can take 2 of 3. Each of those guys aren't chopped liver.
They'll have a field day against Arkansas.
In the end, they'll be either an 8 or 9 win team, at best.
I don't disagree that ultimately MIZZOU will not be in the playoff, but they will be ahead of us
in next week's poll. I could see as many as 5 SEC teams in the playoff, but Missouri will most likely not be one. The offense is not good enough, although Pribula is playing better than Allar.
Re: Mizzou will NOT drop below us. That will be their their first loss & to a top 10 team. Oklahoma has
It really depends on how competitive Mizzou looks in the loss. Blown out leads to discounting their entire season so far and they drop like a rock. One possession game, and their floor is probably 1 slot above the best 2-loss team (ND).
Again, a one loss SEC team against a top10 team will NOT fall below a 2 loss ND team. You would feel
the same way if ND had only one loss against A&M and yet they feel below a 2 loss team like Texas. In the end, MIZZOU has a difficult schedule and their team is just not talented enough to finish with less than 3 losses.... so in the end, ND will be ranked above them, but not this week.
I think our biggest concern is if Miami and TAMU don’t win the conference AND
Don’t get to conf championship game with 2 losses. Miami should and hope to have only 1 loss total. TAMU is a different story. Not an easy run of games.
Can’t imagine we win a head to head selection if we are in running with them for last 2 spots even if we win out.
Games on the field have to matter. We did lose to them.
Play this game over the remaining season and there is probably a minefield left
for most teams ranked ahead of ND.
But I do have a life so I'll leave the task for someone who has less of one..
Good rundown. Southern Cal is favored, BTW.
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ND is a 7.5 fav!
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In Michigan vs. USC? That is something! With God all things are truly possible...
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Re: ND is a 7.5 fav!
he clearly meant that USC is favored over Michigan