First and 4: Recapping week 14
Top-10 Bold Prediction: Oklahoma State claims Big 12 title with win over Sooners
Oklahoma won the Big 12 for the second year in a row, but this time they'll miss the playoffs due to early season losses to Houston and Ohio State. The Sooners' win helped boost the Buckeyes' resume, though they would have likely stayed in the top 4 either way.
B1G Bold Prediction: Penn State beats Wisconsin by double-digits
At first, it appeared that it would be Wisconsin on the right side of a blowout win. But PSU has been a great second-half team this year and it was no different in Indy. They rallied back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Badgers by 7. It wasn't enough to propel the Nittany Lions into the playoffs though, as Washington held on to the #4 spot with a big win over Colorado in the PAC-12 title game.
Buckeye Bold Prediction: OSU drops out of top 4 in final set of rankings
Like I said last week, I didn't really think this would happen. An Oklahoma victory paired with a close Big Ten championship game helped Ohio State slide no further than 3rd, despite not playing. The Buckeyes now enter the playoffs for the second time, but face a familiar foe in Clemson. The Tigers defeated OSU in the 2014 Orange Bowl 40 - 35 after a disappointing loss to MSU in the B1G title game. This match-up feels very different, not only because of the turnover on rosters, but from a motivation standpoint as well.
Why-not Bold Prediction: Florida scores a touchdown against Alabama
They scored two!
Not-so-bold Bold Prediction: The team ranked 5th on Sunday is sad
You better believe the Nittany Lions are sad, mad, and a slew of other things right now. But will they use that frustration positively to prepare for a tough Rose Bowl match-up with USC? Or will their disappointment result in a letdown? If you told any Penn State player or fan early in the season that they'd be playing in the Rose Bowl they would have undoubtedly been thrilled, but they certainly had their eye on more when they rallied to beat Wisconsin. The team that has finished 5th in the final playoff rankings the first two years of the new system went on to lose their bowl game.
Week 14 record: 2 - 3
2016 record: 32 - 38
Second and 3: Predicting the future!
Top-10 Bold Prediction: Auburn claims Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma
The Sooners had a rough start to the season, beginning 1-2. But since then, they've rattled off 9 straight wins and claimed an outright Big 12 title. Auburn also started 1-2, before winning 6 straight, but finished the season by losing two of their last three, including an ugly loss to Georgia. However, I think the lack of quality teams in the Big 12, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, has masked some flaws for Oklahoma and they've struggled against truly good defenses. The Tigers have a decent defense and I think they win this game.
B1G Bold Prediction: Big Ten wins 3 or fewer bowl games
The league placed 4 teams in New Year's Six bowls, the most of any conference in the short history of the playoff, which really highlights what has been a great year for the Big Ten. But as a result, bowl match-ups are tougher for all B1G members. I could see the Big Ten winning two or even three of those NY6 Bowls, but the prospects outside of those games don't look good.
Buckeye Bold Prediction: Silver Bullets record 3 or more turnovers
Clemson and Ohio State appear so evenly matched, that I think this game will come down to who can take care of the football. That's good for the Buckeyes, who are ranked third nationally in turnover margin and have a hawkish secondary. Meanwhile, Clemson is ranked 76th in the same category and Watson has had a bit of a problem with interceptions this season. The Heisman runner-up makes some big plays early on but some costly mistakes later in the game to doom the Tigers. OSU wins, 38 - 34.
Why-not Bold Prediction: Washington stuns Alabama
People are already claiming this year's Tide as one of the greatest teams ever, not just at Alabama but anywhere. I believe they're good, but maybe not as good as advertised. And all the hype, all the pressure to go 15-0 - something that has never been done before, will catch up to these young kids. Peterson has been outstanding at getting his teams ready for bowl games and I think the Huskies will be much more competitive than people think. Washington by 3.
Not-so-bold Bold Prediction: Announcers claim "Next year is their year"
It gets a bit old, doesn't it? How many times do we have to hear that "next year is Tennessee's year" or that we should "look out for USC next season" during bowl season? How about we recognize the accomplishments of this year and stop pretending we have any idea how things will play out months from now with teams comprised of different players with new coaches and altered chemistry. At least we don't have to hear about Texas being back or Notre Dame rebounding because neither of those teams made a bowl game (*sad trombone*).
Third and 2: Coming full circle
But this time they face a much tougher opponent with a whole lot more on the line. OSU hasn't beaten Clemson. In 1978, they not only lost the game, but said goodbye to legendary coach Woody Hayes. They didn't get a rematch until the 2014 Orange Bowl. The Tigers beat the Buckeyes by exploiting a flawed defense and holding an injured Braxton Miller to only four touchdowns. The former was the bigger problem, obviously, and it marked the beginning of a rejuvenation. Meyer brought in Chris Ash, who helped rebuild the Ohio State defense. And over the course of the championship run of 2014, they earned back the right to call themselves the Silver Bullets. They haven't looked back. Since giving up 40 points to Clemson in the Orange Bowl, they've allowed more than 28 points only three times. All three of those occurrences were during the 2014 season. It's time to complete the transformation. It's time to beat Clemson.
