Teams are listed with conference win-loss records (and overall win-loss records).
Atlantic Coast Conference
ACC Atlantic Division) ACC Coastal Division)
Clemson 8-0 (12-0) Miami-FL 7-1 (10-2)
Florida State 7-1 (10-2) Georgia Tech 6-2 (8-4)
Louisville 6-2 (10-2) Virginia Tech 5-3 (9-3)
No Carolina State 4-4 (7-5) Pitt 5-3 (7-5)
Syracuse 2-6 (5-7) No Carolina 2-6 (6-6)
Boston College 1-7 (4-8) Virginia 2-6 (4-8)
Wake Forest 1-7 (3-9) Duke 0-8 (2-10)
ACC title game: CLEMSON def. Miami-FL by 7 points.
Big Ten Conference
B1G East Division) B1G West Division)
Ohio State 9-0 (12-0) Wisconsin 9-0 (12-0)
Penn State 8-1 (11-1) Northwestern 7-2 (10-2)
Michigan 6-3 (9-3) Minnesota 5-4 (8-4)
Indiana 3-6 (6-6) Iowa 4-5 (7-5)
Michigan State 3-6 (5-7) Nebraska 4-5 (6-6)
Rutgers 1-8 (3-9) Purdue 2-7 (3-9)
Maryland 1-8 (3-9) Illinois 1-8 (2-10)
BIG TEN title game: OHIO STATE def. Wisconsin by 6 points.
Big Twelve Conference
Oklahoma 9-0 (11-1)
Oklahoma State 8-1 (11-1)
Kansas State 6-3 (9-3)
TCU 6-3 (8-4)
Texas 5-4 (7-5)
West Virginia 5-4 (7-5)
Baylor 4-5 (7-5)
Texas Tech 2-7 (4-8)
Iowa State 1-8 (3-9)
Kansas 0-9 (2-10)
FBS Independents
BYU 10-3
Notre Dame 7-5
Army-WP 7-5
U Mass 1-11
Pacific-12 Conference
Pac-12 North) Pac-12 South)
Stanford 8-1* (11-1) USC 9-0 (12-0)
Washington 8-1 (11-1) UCLA 5-4 (8-4)
Oregon 6-3 (9-3) Utah 5-4 (7-5)
Washington State 4-5 (7-5) Colorado 4-5 (7-5)
California 2-7 (3-9) Arizona State 1-8 (4-8)
Oregon State 1-8 (2-10) Arizona 1-8 (4-8)
*Stanford def. Washington in wk 11.
PAC-12 title game: USC def. Stanford by 5 points.
Southeastern Conference
SEC East Division) SEC West Division)
Florida 8-0 (10-2) Alabama 8-0 (12-0)
Georgia 5-3 (9-3) LSU 6-2 (10-2)
Tennessee 5-3 (9-3) Auburn 6-2 (9-3)
Kentucky 2-6 (5-7) Texas A&M 4-4 (7-5)
Vanderbilt 2-6 (5-7) Arkansas 3-5 (6-6)
South Carolina 2-6 (4-8) Mississippi State 2-6 (6-6)
Missouri 1-7 (5-7) Ole Miss 2-6 (6-6)
SEC title game: ALABAMA def. Florida by 11 points.
CFP Final Four teams) Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Clemson.
Semi-finals: Alabama def. Clemson (Sugar Bowl)
USC def. Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
National Championship (Atlanta): ALABAMA def. USC.
A few interesting tidbits to note: this upset-free forecast suggests that no fewer than FIVE top-tier teams will sail through their regular seasons unbeaten (with Wisconsin suffering their first loss in the Big Ten title game against their fellow 12-0 Buckeyes). If true, it will make the CFP committee's job very easy - South Florida need not apply no matter what their record, and Oklahoma's one loss to Ohio State will be the death of their hopes. (Now, having said that, I honestly believe that at MOST one team will be undefeated when December rolls around. It's just too difficult to run the gauntlet these teams run in their own divisions in places - even Alabama, whose ELO-FF handicap is three points better than ANY other team, will suffer a down day on some key Saturday in the SEC.)
Next, the Florida division title (by three games!) is possible but won't be that easy - neither will the USC gap in the Pac-12 South. (They may even lose a game or two breaking in their new QB - you can never tell with a new starting quarterback in FBS football until game time.) I was equally surprised by the Big Ten West - the Badgers might very well go undefeated, and Northwestern could go 10-2, and the Gophers might end up ahead of powerhouses Iowa and Nebraska...but all three together would be amazing! Clemson gets the Seminoles at home, and I think that will be enough for them to win; no other opponent should challenge them, even with a new QB. Arizona State will only win once in conference - but if it is indeed against the Wildcats, as forecast, they'll take it! Will 7-5 be enough to keep Brian Kelly as the Notre Dame coach? Texas is also forecast for a 7-5 season, which seems low to me. And seeing Duke join poor Kansas in the O-fer category in conference makes me sad, as I'm a HUGE David Cutliffe fan.
Finally, here are some interesting games along the way and our too-early forecasts:
Week 1 - Sept 2) Alabama over Florida State, Virginia Tech defeating West Virginia, Tennessee over Georgia Tech (my son's favorite team), Texas def. Maryland and Michigan over Florida.
Week 2 - Sept 9) Georgia def. Notre Dame, Washington State def. Boise State, USC over Stanford (at home), Clemson over Auburn (at home), Arkansas def. TCU, BYU over Utah (in the "Holy War" game), Penn State over Pitt, Iowa def. Iowa State, and Oregon over Nebraska. We've already mentioned Ohio State def. Oklahoma. A lot of great games!
Week 3 - Sept 16) Florida State over Miami-FL, Oklahoma State def. Pitt, Wisconsin over BYU, Texas loses @ USC, Clemson wins @ Louisville, and Florida over Tennessee (again!).
Week 4 - Sept 23) Stanford over UCLA, Washington def. Colorado, North Carolina def. Duke in the Tobacco Road rivalry, and Notre Dame over Michigan State. Slow weekend.
Week 5 - Sept 30) Clemson over Virginia Tech, Wisconsin def. Northwestern @ home, Tennessee def. Georgia at home, and UCLA def. Colorado.
Week 6 - Oct 7) Stanford def. Utah, Alabama over Texas A&M, Florida def. LSU, Michigan def. Michigan State, Wisconsin over Nebraska, Penn State over Northwestern, Texas over Kansas State at home, North Carolina def. Notre Dame at home, TCU over West Virginia, and BYU over Boise State.
Week 7 - Oct 14) Miami-Florida def. Georgia Tech, Minnesota over Michigan State, Ohio State def. Nebraska, Oklahoma over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Kansas State over TCU.
Week 8 - Oct 21) Washington State over Colorado, UCLA def. Oregon, USC def. Washington, Alabama over Tennessee, Auburn over Arkansas, Penn State over Michigan at home, Baylor def. WVU, Northwestern over Iowa.
Week 9 - Oct 28) Clemson over Georgia Tech, Miami-FL over North Carolina, Ohio State def. Penn State in the Horseshoe, Iowa over Minnesota, Texas over Baylor, and a coin flip between Florida and Georgia in the Largest Cocktail Party in the World game in Jacksonville (mine came up Gators).
Week 10 - Nov 4) Oregon loses @ Washington, Utah over UCLA, Alabama hosts and beats LSU, Auburn over Texas A&M, Northwestern over Nebraska, Ohio St def. Iowa, Michigan over Minnesota, Maryland over Rutgers in Yankee Stadium (their only conference win), and Miami-Fl over Virginia Tech.
Week 11 - Nov 11) Florida State loses at Clemson, Virginia Tech loses at Georgia Tech, Wisconsin over Iowa, Ohio St def. Michigan St, Nebraska loses at Minnesota, Miami-Fl def. Notre Dame, Oklahoma def. TCU, Washington loses at Stanford, Auburn over Georgia, Alabama wins at Mississippi State, and USC def. Colorado.
Week 12 - Nov 18) Penn State over Nebraska, Northwestern over Minnesota, Wisconsin def. Michigan, West Virginia over Texas, Ok State def. K-State, Notre Dame def. Navy, LSU over Tennessee, Texas A&M over Ole Miss, Stanford over Cal and USC over UCLA.
Week 13 - Thanksgiving) Ohio State def. Michigan, Nebraska def. Iowa, Wisconsin over Minnesota, Oklahoma over West Virginia, TCU def. Baylor, Stanford over Notre Dame, Clemson over South Carolina, Florida State over Florida, Georgia def. Georgia Tech, North Carolina St over North Carolina, Tennessee over Vanderbilt, Mississippi State wins the Egg Bowl at home against Ole Miss, and Alabama def. Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
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