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Read All About It! Our Predictions On Power 5 Conference Standings, Playoffs, And National Title Winner

Who will be the winner this year?

NCAA Football: CFP National Championship Game-Alabama vs Georgia Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to BCI’s prediction post, where our writers break down the Power 5 conferences and give our predictions. We broke down each conference, and even gave our choices for conference winner, playoff teams, and the National Champions. Leave your thoughts below!

ACC

ACC Atlantic AJ Eric Peter Rich
Clemson Clemson Clemson Clemson
BC BC BC Florida State
Florida State FSU Florida State BC
NC State Cuse Louisville Louisville
Louisville NC state Wake Forest Wake Forest
Wake Forest Wake NC State NC State
Syracuse Louisville Syracuse Syracuse
ACC Coastal Miami Miami Miami Miami
Virginia Tech VT Virginia Tech Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech Pitt UNC Georgia Tech
Duke UNC Georgia Tech Pitt
Pittsburgh GT DUKE Duke
UNC Duke Pittsburgh UVA
Virginia Virginia UVA UNC
ACC Winner Clemson Clemson Clemson Clemson

Analysis: It is the Clemson Tigers and Miami Hurricanes across the board for the divisional winners, which isn’t much a surprise. Three out of our four writers selected BC to finish second, is that accurate or too much of a homer-ish take? The most interesting take here is Eric, who chose the Louisville Cardinals to finish last in the Atlantic. Could the loss of Lamar Jackson amongst others be that big of a loss. We shall see.

Big 10

Big 10 AJ Eric Peter Rich
East Ohio State Michigan OSU Michigan State
Michigan State Ohio State Michigan State OSU
Penn State Michigan State Michigan Penn State
Michigan Penn State Penn State Michigan
Indiana Indiana Indiana Maryland
Maryland Rutgers Maryland Indiana
Rutgers Maryland Rutgers Rutgers
West Wisconsin Iowa Wisconsin Wisconsin
Northwestern Wisconsin Nebraska Iowa
Iowa Northwestern Iowa Nebraska
Nebraska Nebraska Northwestern Northwestern
Purdue Minnesota Purdue Minnesota
Minnesota Purdue Minnesota Purdue
Illinois Illinois Illinois Illinois
Big 10 Winner Ohio State Michigan Wisconsin Michigan State

Analysis: Now here we go, there is quite a difference of opinion here. While AJ thought that the loss of Urban Meyer isn’t going to effect Ohio State Buckeyes all that much (3 games, against mostly fluff), the other writers are going in a different direction. Eric again is going out on a limb with Michigan Wolverines, can transfer Shea Patterson, a 5* recruit bring the conference title to Ann Arbor. Or will it be the ferocious defense of the Michigan State Spartans? This conference probably had the most variation amongst the writers. One thing we all agree on is that the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Maryland Terrapins and Illinois will all be pretty bad this year.

Big 12

Big 12 AJ Eric Peter Rich
Oklahoma Texas Oklahoma West Virginia
West Virginia Oklahoma TCU Oklahoma
TCU West Virginia Oklahoma State TCU
Texas TCU WVU Texas
Oklahoma State Kansas State Texas Tech OK State
Kansas State Oklahoma state Texas Kansas State
Iowa State Texas Tech Iowa State Texas Tech
Texas Tech Iowa state Kansas State Baylor
Kansas Baylor Baylor Iowa State
Baylor Kansas Kansas Kansas
Big 12 Winner Oklahoma Texas Oklahoma West Virginia

Analysis: Again there is variation amongst the writers about whom shall win this conference. Eric again goes out on a limb with the Texas Longhorns, a team that went 7-6 last season. The Oklahoma Sooner, who is trotting out a solid QB in Kyler Murray to replace Baker Mayfield was a popular pick. There was also a great deal of variability in the middle of the conference with all the writers having different rankings amongst 3-7.

PAC 12

PAC 12 North AJ Eric Peter Rich
Washington Stanford Stanford Washington
Stanford Oregon Washington Stanford
Oregon Washington Oregon Oregon
Cal Cal Cal Cal
Washington St Washington state Washington ST. Oregon St
Oregon ST. Oregon state Oregon State Washington St
Pac 12 South USC Utah Utah USC
Utah USC UCLA Arizona
UCLA Arizona USC Utah
Colorado Colorado Arizona UCLA
Arizona UCLA Colorado Arizona St
Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Colorado
Pac 12 Winner Washington Stanford Stanford Washington

Analysis: Split halfway across the board between the Washington Huskies and former editor Brian Favat’s Stanford Cardinal. Both teams have arguments that could be made. Washington has arguably the best quarterback in the country in Jake Browning, but the Cardinal have Bryce Love, who could be the best running back in the country (not named AJ Dillon). The biggest wildcard in this conference has to be the UCLA Bruins, who recently hired Chip Kelly, a coach who’s dynamic college offense could turn around a program very quickly.

SEC

SEC East AJ Eric Peter Rich
Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia
Florida South Carolina Florida South Carolina
South Carolina Florida Missouri Missouri
Missouri Kentucky South Carolina Florida
Kentucky Mizxou Tennessee Tennessee
Tennessee Tennessee Vandy Vandy
Vanderbilt Vandy Kentucky Kentucky
SEC West Alabama Alabama Alabama Alabama
Auburn Auburn Auburn Auburn
Mississippi St Miss State LSU Miss St
LSU Texas AM Miss State LSU
Texas A&M LSU Texas A&M Ole Miss
Ole Miss Ole Miss Arkansas Texas A&M
Arkansas Arkansas Ole Miss Arkansas
SEC Winner Georgia Alabama Bama Alabama

Analysis: Not too much debate in the SEC as all the writers are picking the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide. After a killer recruiting class, and bringing back Jake Frohm, UGA should be in great shape to mop up the east. While Nick Saban is going to continue to be Nick Saban, but could they trip up to the Auburn Tigers? The biggest question will be the SEC Championship game, where Kirby Smart won last year, but if Alabama makes it this year, will he still have that magic?

Playoffs And National Champions:

Four Playoff Teams AJ Eric Peter Rich
Oklahoma Clemson Oklahoma Washington
Georgia Alabama Clemson Clemson
Clemson Michigan Wisconsin Georgia
Alabama Texas Alabama Alabama
National Title Clemson Clemson Clemson Alabama

Analysis: Not a lot of love for the Pac 12 here, as only one writer selected a team to make it to the playoffs from that conference. There was much more love for the Big 10 this year, as three out of the four writers selected a team out of that conference. Three out of four writers selected the Tigers to win it all. But Rich is still holding on to the Crimson Tide, and it hard to argue with that, Saban has seen quite a run.