Over the course of 17 glorious days, college football will cycle through the 2023 season.
Twelve of those dates on the calendar will include a game — for a total of 41 games — between teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision. Some, of course, are more influential than others. The stakes can be dramatically different compared to a college football playoff.
But the bold predictions aren’t limited to the national semifinals.
Want an Alamo bowl? We got it. Florida State’s controversial spot in the Orange Bowl? You are in the right place.
Bleacher Report’s staff of college football writers — David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Morgan Moriarty, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard — each made a bold prediction for a postseason upset.
Over the past two months, Washington has had a nerve-testing habit of playing close games. In all likelihood, this trend will continue against the Texans’ extremely talented roster in the Sugar Bowl.
Michael Penix Jr. finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, but his efficiency declined in mid-October and beyond.
After averaging 10.7 yards per pass attempt in the first half of the campaign, that average dropped to 8.0 over the final seven games. Penix also threw six of his nine interceptions in the final stretch. It’s reasonable to think the Texans’ stingy defense will limit their effectiveness.
This is the bounce back moment for Penix.
However it happens at a loss.
Washington’s defense made huge plays in wins against Oregon, Arizona State, Utah and Oregon State, among others. The unit, despite its flaws, was a resilient group. The problem is that the Huskies have endured some really bad performances, and that UT coach Steve Sarkisian has a full month to prepare is a troubling fact.
Penix throws for at least 350 yards and three touchdowns, but Texas simply outscores the Dawgs in a thrilling semifinal.
The “Texas is back” jokes are basically dead, even though a championship run could propel the Longhorns into a very different future.
Although this may have seemed strange five months ago, it doesn’t seem so strange now. Texas will likely beat Washington, and the Longhorns will do so in the semifinals. From there, Texas will face either Alabama — a team it has already beaten — or Michigan, which hasn’t exactly impressed on the offensive end lately.
Considering how well Sarkisian’s team has performed, both teams look like a favorable matchup. And the fact that Sark has a prime month to write the script and scout all potential future opponents makes a huge difference.
Long after the wrong end of many jokes, Texas is poised to bring the title back to Austin. While Alabama and Michigan are likely to be popular, the Longhorns are finding a way to get it done.
Remarkably, Georgia looked unbeatable all year until Nick Saban and Alabama completely turned the Dawgs’ season upside down. The Tide ended Georgia’s 27-game winning streak and left the Dawgs out of the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.
In the Orange Bowl, though, UGA gets a Florida State team that will understandably be angry. The selection committee left out the undefeated Power Five conference champion for the first time ever in the history of the four-team format, citing the absence of star quarterback Jordan Travis.
To me, what’s even more impressive is that the ‘Noles finished the season undefeated as the ACC champions reached the midfield third, but I digress.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but I expect there will be many opt-outs at Georgia with the amount of talent Kirby Smart produces in the NFL each year. Florida State will be without wide receiver Johnny Wilson and a few other guys may sit out.
However, I think the FSU coaching staff will be eager to send a message in this one and won’t be afraid to run up the score. It’s certainly aggressive to pick against a 14-point favorite, but I think having Tate Rodemaker back as an NFL quarterback would help a lot as well. Gimme Florida State in front of a huge, supportive crowd.
First things first: Despite initial vague comments from Oklahoma coach Brent Venables about Dillon Gabriel’s potential availability for the matchup with Arizona, there’s no way he’ll take the field in the Alamo Bowl after his transfer to Oregon was revealed.
The betting line quickly shifted in Arizona’s favor after that announcement, but don’t count out the Sooners. They are turning to one of the most promising young midfielders in the country.
True freshman Jackson Arnold was a 5-star recruit and the No. 10 player overall in the recruiting class of 2023. He served as a rarely used QB2 during the regular season, completing 18 of 24 pass attempts for 202 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Arnold added 78 yards and one touchdown.
However, he faced plenty of high-level competition during his prep career at Texas. Arnold threw for over 7,000 yards with 67 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while posting a 28-3 record in two seasons as a starter.
Expect him to be ready beyond his years as he makes his first career start, and when the dust settles on the Alamo Bowl, Sooners fans will be done mourning the loss of Gabriel and instead excited for what’s to come as the team prepares for next year’s move. To the Supreme Education Council.
Slander against Alabama has been rampant, and for good reason. The CFP selection committee has always gone the way of the “most deserving” teams rather than the top four, an absolute travesty that Florida State was left out.
Here’s the thing, though: Alabama is the better of the two teams, and even after a slow start to the season, the Crimson Tide may be the best in the country right now.
Much of the Wolverines’ reaction occurred when the Tide was mentioned as their opponent instead of the Seminoles, and rightfully so.
Jim Harbaugh has a very good team — a reason why Michigan is ranked No. 1 in the country — but the Wolverines have only played two good opponents all year. They didn’t play against a team as talented as Bama.
The last two years, Michigan has been the hot team coming off a regular-season finale win over Ohio State. Both times, the Wolverines fell short in the semifinals.
Considering that JJ McCarthy hasn’t thrown for more than 150 yards in any of his last four games and his team-high 213 yards against Iowa, they don’t inspire much offensive fear in opponents. A one-dimensional team will not beat Bama.
Michigan has an early exit for the third straight year.
Get ready for some bold predictions for the 2023 college football season, as B/R experts weigh in with their thoughts on what to expect. From breakout teams to potential Heisman contenders, there’s no shortage of excitement as we look ahead to the upcoming season. With so much talent and potential across the college football landscape, it’s anyone’s guess as to what surprises and upsets may be in store. So, buckle up and get ready for some bold predictions that are sure to make waves in the college football world.