Tag: Predictions

Notre Dame-Clemson: FIW Staff Predictions

Does Notre Dame move to 8-2 or is trouble a brewing in Clemson?

Just a couple of short months ago any college football fan would have looked at Notre Dame’s trip to Clemson on November 4 and thought one, if not both teams would be in the College Football Playoff race.

Instead, neither are.

Notre Dame enters 7-2 and has hopes of ending their New Year’s Six bowl game losing drought that dates back to 1993.  In order to end that unfortunate streak though they must get by a talented Clemson team.

A talented Clemson team that hasn’t played to their potential this season, sitting just 4-4 and actually at risk of possibly missing a bowl game.

Will Notre Dame keep up the level of play after dominating wins against USC and Pitt?  Or will Clemson put it all together for just one afternoon and ruin the Irish hopes of the New Year’s Six?

Here is what our staff sees happening Saturday in Death Valley:

No. 11 Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Bedlam

The Oklahoma Sooners face a stiff test with the streaking Oklahoma State Cowboys. How will it go? Here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff predictions.

As disappointing as last week’s loss to Kansas was, the Oklahoma Sooners still have everything to play for this season. But all the Sooners need to worry about is going 1-0 this week and winning each day.

Standing in the way of Oklahoma’s hopes to get back to the Big 12 title game are the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It’s been a one-sided affair, but this season, the Cowboys have a squad capable of hanging with Oklahoma and winning what will be the last Bedlam for some time.

How will the Showdown in Stillwater play out? Here are this week’s Sooners Wire staff picks.

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin football after its loss vs Ohio State

Rest of season predictions for Wisconsin after Ohio State loss:

Wisconsin is in need of a winning streak. One or two wins always seem to be followed by a big loss, which was the case yet again Saturday when the Badgers fell 24-10 to No. 3 Ohio State.

Losing to Ohio State is nothing to be ashamed of. But the Badgers battled well in the loss, yet didn’t have the ability to make the big play to take control.

I am going to avoid commenting on Wisconsin’s goal-to-go opportunity before halftime when the team was unable to run forward for a single yard and instead tried shovel passes into the end zone. No comment.

Now that the toughest game is out of the way, here is how ESPN FPI predicts the rest of the Badgers’ season:

Vikings vs. Packers staff preview and predictions

Our staff predicted Sunday’s game and it was unanimous

The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to improve to 2-0 in the NFC North along with getting back to 0.500 when they take on the Green Bay Packers. They were desperate for a win against the San Francisco 49ers and they got one by a score of 22-17.

As things currently sit, the Vikings are currently tied for a wild card spot but would lose out on the tiebreaker to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a head-to-head loss.

The Vikings currently have two of their best players on injured reserve in Marcus Davenport and Justin Jefferson, but they are playing well regardless. Going into week eight, our staff previewed and predicted the border battle.

Notre Dame vs. Pitt: Staff Gameday Predictions

What happens today in South Bend?

It’s only been two weeks since Notre Dame played a game, whooping USC 48-20, but it feels like even longer.  Not because of what has necessarily gone on as much with Notre Dame, but because of all the major news that has come out of college football since then.

What Notre Dame team will come out of the bye week as they host a disappointing Pitt team this Saturday afternoon?

Will the Irish offense look improved compared to what we saw in games 5-8?  

Will the defense continue to be as stout as the impressive unit has been?

Or will Pitt have an impressive showing despite being just 2-5?  This is the only team to have handed Louisville a loss this season, mind you.

Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees happening on Saturday in South Bend:

Final score predictions for Week 8’s Saints-Colts matchup

Here are our staff writers’ final score predictions for Week 8’s Saints-Colts matchup. Do the Saints have it in them to get back in the win column?

The New Orleans Saints have a winnable game coming up next, which is something that’s been said a little too often this season for a team that has struggled to reach a 3-4 record. But that’s behind them now. What’s important is that they take care of business against an overachieving Indianapolis Colts team that’s competing hard each week but still giving up tons of points and yardage defensively.

Do the Saints have it in them? Here are our staff picks for Week 8’s final score:

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin football after its win at Illinois

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin football after its win at Illinois:

Wisconsin kept its Big Ten West and Big Ten title hopes alive by the skin of its teeth Saturday, as a last-minute touchdown to OT Nolan Rucci proved to be the difference in a 25-21 win over Illinois.

The Badgers are now 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play. Believe it or not, the team now sits in first place in the Big Ten West thanks to Iowa’s loss to Minnesota. If Wisconsin beats Ohio State next Saturday, the division is likely theirs.

Up after Ohio State is a semi-cakewalk to the finish line. As the Badgers hang tough in the top 30 of ESPN’s FPI metric, most of the rest of the Big Ten continues to slide.

According to FPI, here are the rest-of-season projections for the Wisconsin Badgers:

ESPN College GameDay Week 8 Picks for Penn State-Ohio State, Bama-Tennessee, and more!

What game has the biggest chance of being an upset today?

It’s Week 8 of the college football season and fall is very much in the air!

A nearly perfect Saturday weather-wise is coming across the Midwest that we’ll be enjoying but games all day will help shape the look of the College Football Playoff and conference championship races across the country.

As always, ESPN’s “College Gameday” was at the biggest of the games Saturday morning as they’re featuring Penn State’s trip to Ohio State.  Is this when the Nittany Lions finally get over the hump and jump into the drivers seat of the Big Ten East?

Or does Ohio State keep on track for an undefeated date at Michigan to close the regular season in late November?

Here are the ESPN “College Gameday” picks for Saturday’s slate as Houston Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud served as the guest picker!

Vikings vs. 49ers staff preview and predictions

The Vikings Wire staff teamed up with 49ers wire to pick Monday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are going to be desperate for a win on Monday night when they take on the San Francisco 49ers. Sitting at 2-4, they are only a game out of a wild card spot and that isn’t too bad considering the circumstances.

The play of the Vikings so far this season has been quality. The underlying metrics believe that the Vikings are a good football team and their play has matched that. The biggest factor of the Vikings’ poor start? Turnovers.

The Vikings have turned the ball over 13 times with a negative seven turnover differential. Going into Monday’s game, our staff teamed up with 49ers Wire to give our predictions for the game.

Game-by-game predictions for Arkansas basketball in 2023-24

Game-by-game predictions for Arkansas basketball in 2023-24. Expect a higher finish in the SEC and a low seed in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments come March.

Arkansas has an adventurous schedule in 2023-24, so predicting their record may be fools’ gold, especially after last year’s bunch finished 19-12 and in a tie for 10th in the SEC despite having conference and national title aspirations.

The expectations are the same this year, except this bunch is more veteran-laden and isn’t relying on 5-star freshmen to carry the load night in, night out.

Here is one contributor’s take on how the season will play out:

Non-conference

Nov. 6 Alcorn State W

Nov. 10 Gardner-Webb W

Nov. 13 Old Dominion W

Nov. 17 UNC Greensboro W

Nov. 22 Stanford (Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinal) W

Nov. 23 Memphis (Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal) W

Nov. 24 Villanova (Battle 4 Atlantis championship) L

A 2-1 trip to the Bahamas would suffice, although picking who they might play is difficult. Pure guesswork.

Nov. 29 Duke W

This will be the most-hyped game most fans can remember for a non-conference tilt in Bud Walton Arena.

Dec. 4 Furman W

Dec. 9 Oklahoma (Tulsa, Okla.) W

Dec. 16 Lipscomb (NLR) W

Dec. 21 Abilene Christian W

Dec. 30 UNC Wilmington W

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12-1. Arkansas should vault into the top 10 by the time it heads to the Bahamas. If its only loss is to a ranked team there, or say to a top 10-15 Duke, the Razorbacks will likely still be in the top 10-15 headed into league play.

SEC

Jan. 6 Auburn W

Jan. 10 at Georgia W

Jan. 13 at Florida W

If the Razorbacks win here, it will be only the second victory in Gainesville since 1995, after they won there two years ago on their way to an Elite Eight appearance.

Jan. 16 Texas A&M W

Jan. 20 South Carolina W

Jan. 24 at Ole Miss L

Fans won’t take losing to Chris Beard well, but I feel like Arkansas will be due a loss here and he will take this game major serious after losing to Musselman in 2021 with the Red Raiders and his year spent in Arkansas with Little Rock.

Jan. 27 Kentucky W

Jan. 31 at Missouri W

Feb. 3 at LSU L

Feb. 10 Georgia W

Feb. 14 Tennessee W

Feb. 17 at Mississippi State L

Humphrey Coliseum has long been a house of horrors for Razorback teams. Chris Jans’ has been a thorn in the Razorbacks’ side, nearly beating them as a 12 seed in the 2022 tournament and winning in Bud Walton Arena last February.

Feb. 20 at Texas A&M W

Feb. 24 Missouri W

Feb. 27 Vanderbilt W

Mar. 2 at Kentucky L

Mar. 6 LSU W

Mar. 9 at Alabama W

Arkansas got hosed having to visit Coleman Coliseum yet again, but the thought here is that they’ll finally take one here.

_____________________

26-5 (14-4).

This record should have Arkansas in line for a SEC title and a possible 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Definitely going with a glass half-full approach here, and assuming no significant injuries (saw how that went a year ago).