College Football Forecasted

Tyler J. ScottTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 3, 2013Approaching Week 6 of the college football season, many things are as they were expected to be.The University of Alabama is still on top and the University of Oregon is still really, really fast.However, Clemson University has stopped “Clemsoning,” or losing to teams they shouldn’t lose to. And the University of Georgia, despite their Week 1 loss to Clemson, is looking like a legitimate threat to end the Crimson Tide’s dominance.The Pacific-12 Conference, however, has five teams that can win the conference and possibly make it to the championship game. Oregon, Stanford University, the University of Washington, the University of California, Los Angeles and even Arizona State University have very real shots at winning the Pac-12 and — besides ASU — the national championship.The Pac-12 is arguably the second strongest conference in the country. Whoever survives the difficult road through the Pac-12 should get precedence over an undefeated Big 12 Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference or Big Ten Conference team as well as a one-loss SEC team.The Big 12 has only two contenders left in Baylor University and the University of Oklahoma.In the ACC, it will come down to Clemson and Florida State University on Saturday, Oct. 19.The Big Ten conference has looked very shaky. Ohio State University keeps winning but no one else looks strong. The University of Michigan, after beating the University of Notre Dame, 41-30, in Week 2, has struggled against the University of Akron and the University of Connecticut. Also, against the Pac-12 this year, the Big Ten has gone only 1-3.The new-look offensive SEC looks very solid this year with possibly three national title contenders in Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana State University. Despite losing to Georgia, LSU’s chances at making a championship run are still alive.Whoever gets through the grueling SEC and Pac-12 schedules will face each other in the national title game.About halfway into the season, my way-too-early predictions for the games are as follows:UCLA, the Pac-12 runner-up will defeat Big Ten champion Ohio State, 49-35 in the Rose Bowl.Big 12 champion Oklahoma will best at-large bid Louisville in the Fiesta Bowl, 35-31.In the Sugar Bowl, Alabama, the SEC runner-up, will roll at-large bid Fresno State University, 52-17.ACC champion Clemson will win the Orange Bowl, 56-48, over Big 12 runner-up Baylor.Finally, in the BCS Title Game, Pac-12 champion Oregon will face Georgia.The Ducks will put an end to the SEC’s dominance once and for all, defeating the Bulldogs 27-22.Tyler J. Scott is a sophomore marketing major.