Last week two top five teams fell. Whats in store in Week 12? Here’s one bold prediction for every top 25 team in college football in Week 12.
See Also: How did the Week 11 bold predictions turn out?
Each week we make 25 bold predictions for the upcoming slate of games. As is the nature of being bold some of the predictions will be dead on and some will be off by a mile. Last week was particularly arduous to decipher as there were three big time games each with a lot on the line. Oklahoma squared off with TCU, Miami hosted Notre Dame and Georgia took on Auburn on the Plains.
We predicted an Auburn upset of Georgia. Check. However, we could not have had a worse read on the other two contests. Oklahoma did not allow eight touchdowns, they allowed three. Kenny Hill only collected two of those scores, not the predicted five. Likewise, Notre Dame’s stud running back Josh Adams was held to 2.5 yards per carry, not eight.
The Iowa offense returning to earth was included in last week’s predictions. That turned out to be a great call – the Hawkeyes’ only points of their game against Wisconsin came via a pair of pick sixes. We also went so bold as to predict that Alabama would look mortal. They trailed Mississippi State late in the fourth quarter on Saturday. How’s that for mortal?
Michigan State did not upset Ohio State as predicted, they didn’t even find the endzone. Perhaps the worst miss of Week 11 was a call for Saquon Barkley to get 300 all-purpose yards.
Some good and some bad. Here’s 25 bold predictions for the Top 25 in Week 12.
Bold Prediction: Brett Rypien throws multiple interceptions. The Boise State passer has had a solid season so far, throwing 11 touchdowns with just four interceptions – none in the same game. Saturday marks the first time he makes too mistakes in the same set of 60 minutes.
Bold Prediction: John Harbaugh benches Brandon Peters in favor of John O’Korn. Michigan’s offensive woes are going to continue against Wisconsin. In a last-ditch move of desperation, Harbaugh returns to his former starter but he fails to get the job done too.
Bold Prediction: More overtime in Evanston. Northwestern participated in three straight overtime contest before, all wins, before beating Purdue in regulation last week. Fans will get their money’s worth this weekend with more “free football”.
Bold Prediction: Someone other than Bryce Love steps up. Anyone. Please. If Washington beats Washington State next weekend the Cardinal are playing in the Pac-12 Championship game. If that’s going to be the case there needs to be someone else beside Love that poses any sort of offensives threat.
Bold Prediction: Memphis falls to SMU. Courtland Sutton is first round pick material and not many teams have been able to silence him. The Tigers won’t be able to either and his monster day propels the Mustangs over the Tigers.
Bold Prediction: D.J. Chark catches two 40+ yard touchdowns. Danny Etling isn’t the next incarnation of Drew Brees, but he’s proven to be a better quarterback than expected. Having a speedster like Chark to throw to helps.
Bold Prediction: NC State falls to Wake Forest. From Playoff contender to also-ran. The fall is going to be rough for the Wolfpack. The Demon Deacons already have a win over Louisville and adding NC State would make for a terrific year in Winston-Salem.
Bold Prediction: Jake Browning throw for 300 yards. Browning hasn’t topped 300 yards passing all season, which seems a bit bizarre given the fanfare surrounding the Washington offense coming into the season. He finally gets right against the Utes.
Bold Prediction: The Spartans convert on 70 percent of their third downs. This offense is not as bad as they looked last weekend. Whether its L.J. Scott or Brian Lewerke, the Spartans methodically slice and dice the Terps.
Bold Prediction: Mississippi State keeps Arkansas out of the endzone. The Bret Bielema era has been marked by a lot of disappointment and heartbreak. Mississippi State has three loses – to the current No. 1 team in the nation, the former No. 1 team in the nation and the team that beat them. They’re going to slaughter the Hogs.
Bold Prediction: The Knights hang 60 on Temple. This team is out to make their case for more than just a New Year’s Six bowl game. Style points matter and they won’t miss the opportunity to pick up some more against the Temple Owls.
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Bold Prediction: Kansas State forces overtime. Oklahoma State came within inches of overtime last weekend when an Iowa State end zone pass was ruled an interception after both the offense and the defense came down with nearly simultaneous possession. Kansas State is a tough out and they’re playing at home.
Bold Prediction: Texas Tech upsets TCU. The Red Raiders have been a fringe Top-25 team this season. Like most teams of that ilk they have some good games and some bad ones. Nic Shimonek goes wild and the home crowd gets to see a big win.
Bold Prediction: Sam Darnold doesn’t throw an interception. Not bold enough for you? In the Trojans 11 games this season Darnold has thrown an interception in eight of them. He hasn’t posted back to back games without a pick yet this season. He didn’t throw one against Colorado last weekend, so avoiding a pick this weekend would be a bit of a surprise.
Bold Prediction: James Franklin gets Mike Riley fired. The coaching dominoes continue to fall. Scott Frost is the current eye-candy dangling in front of the Huskers and this will be the final straw as the Nittany Lions rediscover their offense at home.
Bold Prediction: J.T. Barrett runs for 100 yards. Barrett scored four times (twice through the air and twice on the ground) against Michigan State. This is another case of the Buckeyes’ getting to pick how they want to win on Saturday. Barrett stretches his legs and gets his first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Bold Prediction: Ian Book finishes this game. Brandon Wimbush was benched during Notre Dame’s biggest game of the season after he failed to make even the easier throws against Miami. Book might not have the legs that Wimbush does, but he’s a competent passer. He’ll make the most of his opportunity and force Brian Kelly to make a difficult decision against Stanford.
Bold Prediction: Georgia wins by 40. Kentucky started this season with some promises, but that faded rather quickly. The Bulldogs are out for vengeance and Mark Stoops is not going to have a single answer.
Bold Prediction: Jarrett Stidham throws more touchdowns than incompletions. Stidham threw four touchdowns and seven incompletions against Texas A&M. He added three more touchdowns (plus one rushing score) with seven incompletions against Georgia. If he can do that against two SEC defenses the Warhawks are in for plenty of trouble.
Bold Prediction: Jonathan Taylor rushes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The Heisman doesn’t belong to Baker Mayfield yet. Taylor is in the middle of a historic freshman season and gets to play in College GameDay’s game of the week. Big players make big plays on big stages. Taylor, here’s your shot.
Bold Prediction: Oklahoma has a 30 point quarter. Kansas is bad. Oklahoma is good. Pick your favorite excessive offensive stat and the Sooners probably double it. Baker Mayfield has a great day. Rodney Anderson has a great day. Everyone has a great day as the Sooners smother the Big 12’s bottom dwellers.
Bold Prediction: Virginia leads at halftime. Miami is coming off of an understandable emotional victory over Notre Dame. It was their biggest win in literally decades and they’re going to need some extra time to come back to earth. Bronco Mendenhall’s Virginia squad is ahead of schedule and while they’re not deep enough to beat the Canes, they will give them a ride.
Bold Prediction: The Clemson defense scores twice. This isn’t the only game you’re not going to watch on the Week 12 slate. After plenty of fanfare last weekend the scheduling eases up a bit. The Clemson offense will have success, but the defense puts this one away early.
Bold Prediction: Alabama registers seven sacks. Think Nick Saban was kind to his team during practice this week? The Crimson Tide came dangerously close to being upset by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are a solid football team but Saban doesn’t take too kindly to his teams looking vulnerable. The defense comes out with a vengeance and Mercer becomes the unlucky opponent.
Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 11
There’s only game between two ranked teams this weekend and it’s taking place at Camp Randall Stadium at 12 p.m. ET where No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 24 Michigan. Unfortunately most of the big dogs have fairly innocuous opponents, saving the big finish for next weekend, the last weekend of the regular season.