NFL experts predict Chargers’ final record in 2024

Here are the records and win totals national writers and analysts are predicting the Chargers to finish the 2024 season with.

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Chargers with the Jim Harbaugh era underway. Many are hopeful that he can lead Los Angeles to the same success as he did at all of his coaching stops.

I predicted the Bolts would go 10-7 in Harbaugh’s first season as the Chargers head coach, factoring his coaching pedigree, Justin Herbert being under center and that they will have a bottom-of-the-barrel schedule.

How do others feel he will do in Year 1 of overseeing the Bolts?

Let’s take a look at the records and win totals national writers and analysts are predicting L.A. to finish with.

SI’s Matt Verderame

Record Prediction: 8-9

Analysis: “For years, the Chargers have always been an offseason darling, perpetually overrated and overhyped. This season, they have a chance to be a bit better than expected largely because they play a fourth-place schedule. Los Angeles will see the Titans, Cardinals and Patriots, along with a quartet of winnable games against the Raiders and Broncos.”

Fox Sports’ Geoff Schwartz

Record Prediction: 9-8

Analysis: “I’m a fan of Justin Herbert and, outside of when he plays the Chiefs, I’m rooting for him. I also respect and admire the work new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has done at every place he’s been. He won at the University of San Diego, at Stanford, with the 49ers and most recently, he won a national championship at Michigan. I believe Harbaugh will win plenty in Los Angeles, but not this season. The Chargers have improved their offensive line but have a small margin for error without a variety of passing options for Herbert. The defense has playmakers at all three levels, but I’m not sure about the depth of that unit even though new DC Jesse Minter will have them ready to play each week. All of this screams 8-9 or 9-8 for the Chargers. I will give them the benefit of doubt with Harbaugh and a fourth-place schedule.”

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton

Record Prediction: 9-8

Analysis: “…Los Angeles should crush bottom-tier squads, but it may struggle against teams with high-scoring offenses like the Ravens. Fortunately, the Chargers aren’t slated to play against many top-10 offenses from last season.”

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper

Record Prediction: 10-7

Analysis: “I am buying into the Harbaugh impact. There are some weak spots on the roster. Trying to turn a team completely over in one offseason is pretty much impossible. But I think the Chargers have enough to win some games and make the playoffs in 2024. It certainly helps having a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. The 49ers went 6-10 in 2010. Harbaugh took over in 2011. The 49ers went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship Game. I am not predicting that significant of a turnaround. But I think a wild-card berth and 10 wins is realistic. Harbaugh turns around programs. It’s just what he does.”

NFL Media’s Cynthia Frelund

Record Prediction: 8.2 wins

Analysis: “Despite an early bye (Week 5), the Chargers’ win share increased by 0.2 wins as a result of the 2024 NFL schedule. With a new coach, front office, offensive tackle, WR group, et al, Los Angeles will likely need some time to get everyone on the same page and build a strong rapport. The schedule does them some favors in this regard, as their hardest four-game sequence (Bengals, Ravens, at Falcons, at Chiefs) doesn’t hit until mid-November. In addition, their final three games — Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders — currently rank as the second-most favorable of any AFC team.”

33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher

Record Prediction: 7-10

Analysis: “How quickly can Jim Harbaugh make the Los Angeles Chargers competitive in the AFC West? Time will tell, but this roster isn’t ready to compete for a playoff spot. Los Angeles has a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert — but might have the league’s worst skill position room. Plus, the defense needs a major overhaul, and the Chargers couldn’t address that unit much in the draft. Expect that fundamental changes will come in Year 2 of the Harbaugh era and that this season will be more of an evaluation year.

NFL Network predicts outcome of every Colts game in 2023

NFL Network’s Adam Rank predicted the outcome of every Colts game in 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to turn the page into a new era with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback coming off a four-win campaign in 2022.

While the Colts have one of the softest strengths of schedules entering the new season, the combination of a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback makes it difficult to pinpoint just where the team will land in terms of predicting how the season will unfold.

We gave our game-by-game predictions in a way-too-early fashion back in May when the schedule was released. Now, NFL Network’s Adam Rank did the same at the beginning of the month.

Here’s a look at how Rank sees each game shaking out for the Colts in 2023

Bucs record prediction roundup for 2023 season

While most predictions remain grim, some are higher on Tampa Bay’s squad than others.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play a first-place schedule in 2023, but are they a first-place team?

Experts from around the football world don’t seem to think so, as the team will enter a new era without QB Tom Brady and uncertainties on the offensive line and in the secondary. Many aren’t high on this year’s Bucs squad, but others have a bit more faith in the team as it heads into a new year on the gridiron.

See how the internet fancies Tampa Bay’s chances below:

Colts’ 2023 schedule: Experts predict win/loss record

Experts predict the Colts record and win totals for the 2023 season.

The 2023 schedule has been released, and the Indianapolis Colts remain one of the more difficult teams to project going into the upcoming season.

With so many factors going into the projections, the Colts will be relying on the talents of a first-year head coach and an uber-talented, but inexperienced rookie quarterback to lead the team. There’s always the chance they shock the world, but it’s also wise to exercise a bit of caution.

While Vegas put together an early over/under for wins, and we predicted the outcome of each game in a way-too-early fashion, it’s time to take a look at what the experts around the league are predicting for the Colts in 2023:

2023 Colts’ schedule: Game-by-game predictions

Game-by-game. Week-by-week. Here’s our way-too-early record prediction for the 2023 Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts released their official 2023 regular-season schedule Thursday, which means it’s time to predict the outcome of 17 games months into the future.

Doing these predictions need to be taken with massive amounts of salt—not just a grain—because we’re working with limited information when it comes to both the Colts and the teams they play in 2023.

This is especially true considering the fact that there will be a new head coach bringing in a new offense likely to be led by a rookie quarterback who is extremely inexperienced.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming campaign, but we should also keep the mindset of cautious optimism considering the development ahead for several key players. After adding an influx of young players, it may be unwise to predict a dominant season.

Additionally, we acknowledge how flawed this process is. So much will change over the next few months. The development of Anthony Richardson will essentially be the key, and we have no idea how that will go until the games actually start in September.

With all that said, here’s my way-too-early prediction for the Colts so feel free to roast me on social media (@KevinHickey11):

College Football News predicts Oklahoma Sooners 2023 season schedule

The folks over at College Football News believe the Sooners are going to have a bounce-back campaign in 2023, improving by three wins.

The 2022 season for the Oklahoma Sooners was an aberration. A mirage. In a lot of instances, it was a case of whatever could go wrong will go wrong.

The close losses, the loss of Dillon Gabriel for a game and a half and this team’s inconsistencies just didn’t seem to be real life. But it happened. Like a dream you wish you didn’t have or a movie scene you wish you could unsee.

But that was the past. We won’t dwell on it. 2023 provides an opportunity to right the ship in the Oklahoma Sooners’ final season in the Big 12. And right the ship they will.

A couple of months back, I took a way-too-early look at the Sooners’ 2023 schedule and predicted a bounce-back season for the good guys. Today, let’s take a look at College Football News’ schedule prediction for the Sooners.

ESPN lists the ceiling, floor and biggest variable for Texas football in 2023

Texas has a ceiling of 11-1 according to Bill Connelly.

Bill Connelly of ESPN recently listed the floor, ceiling and biggest variable for each Top 25 college football team for the 2023 season. Continue reading “ESPN lists the ceiling, floor and biggest variable for Texas football in 2023”

Here’s where the media predicts Florida will finish among SEC teams in 2022

Billy Napier was hired to turn things around in Gainesville, but the media thinks it may take some time for Florida to get back to the top.

The Florida Gators football team has been predicted to finish fourth in the SEC East by members of the media attending the recent 2022 SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

Georgia is the media’s pick to win the East. Kirby Smart’s group earned 172 first-place votes out of a possible 181. Georgia’s 1,254 points blew away the rest of the division, and Florida’s not even in the race for second, according to the poll. Kentucky finished with 932 points (four first-place votes) and Tennessee is right behind at 929 (one first-place vote). The Gators are firmly behind the Volunteers at No. 4 with 712 points.

In the West, Alabama (1,262) is the projected division winner followed by Texas A&M (968), Arkansas (844) and Ole Miss (675). The Crimson Tide are the favorites to win the conference championship as well.

Predictions are just predictions, but these are the folks that cover the conference year-round and that knowledge is bound to pay off at some point. The media has correctly predicted the conference champion prior to the season just nine times over the last 30 years, but that includes the last two seasons. That consistency drops off as you go further down the predicted standings, so Florida could surprise a few folks and end up competing with Kentucky and Tennesse.

Here are the results from the SEC Media Day poll:

SEC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

First place votes in ()

EAST

1. Georgia (172) — 1254

2. Kentucky (4) — 932

3. Tennessee (1) — 929

4. Florida — 712

5. South Carolina (3) — 662

6. Missouri — 383

7. Vanderbilt (1) — 196

WEST

1. Alabama (177) — 1262

2. Texas A&M (3) — 968

3. Arkansas (1) — 844

4. Ole Miss — 675

5. LSU — 591

6. Mississippi State — 390

7. Auburn — 338

SEC CHAMPION

Alabama — 158

Georgia — 18

South Carolina — 3

Vanderbilt — 1

Texas A&M — 1

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ESPN FPI predicts SEC football team records for 2022 season

Here’s how the Football Power Index sees each SEC team’s 2022 season playing out.

We’re still a few months out from the Tigers even beginning fall camp, but with spring ball and the 2022 NFL draft in the rearview, the beginning of next season will be here before we know it.

It’s an exciting time in Baton Rouge as fans prepare for the first campaign under new coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], who comes in as the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history. The Tigers are one of two SEC programs that changed coaches this offseason alongside Florida, who replaced Dan Mullen with Louisiana coach Billy Napier.

As Kelly looks to improve from last year’s 6-7 finish, he’ll have to contend with a number of teams around the conference that look to be trending in the right direction. Here’s are the projected division standings for the SEC and final record for each league team, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

SEC East Predicted Standings

Predicting Florida football’s 2021 season record

Brad Crawford predicts that Florida will improve its record from 2020, but that likely wouldn’t be enough to repeat as division champions.

The 2021 season is a monumental one for coach Dan Mullen. He’s been an unquestioned success through his first three seasons, earning a raise that makes him one of the nation’s five highest-paid coaches this offseason.

But Florida loses a lot this season. Though the final 8-4 record didn’t show it, the 2020 team was the best Mullen’s had so far and the one that came the closest to cracking the College Football Playoff field. Now, the Gators have to replace their starting quarterback, top-three receiving targets and several starters on defense.

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Given Mullen’s track record at developing the quarterback position, it stands to reason that Emory Jones will continue the productive play on offense as Trask’s replacement, though the offense will certainly look different with him running it.

Still, there’s many who expect Florida to take a step back in 2021, and though 247Sports’ Brad Crawford predicted that UF would actually improve its record to 9-3 in 2021, that likely wouldn’t be enough to repeat as SEC East champions.

Final record prediction: 9-3, 5-3

The skinny: Will Florida take a step back after winning the SEC East like everyone seems to think this season? It’s possible given the talent losses offensively with Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney all leaving for the NFL. But this is Dan Mullen we’re talking about, a respected coach who gets the most out of what he has to work with and has a penchant for putting his players in best position to succeed. Offense isn’t the worry here — it’s the other side of the football. The early home game vs. juggernaut Alabama is huge as well as the annual rivalry with Georgia. That game during the second half of the season could decide the division again.

Though the schedule is not too difficult all-in-all, with non-conference games coming against Florida Atlantic, South Florida, Samford and Florida State, it features a number of games the team will have circled.

First up is the SEC opener against Alabama on Sep. 18, and though the Crimson Tide come to Gainesville and arguably have more to replace than UF does, knocking off Nick Saban’s team that early in the season seems like a tough ask.

The Gators also travel to Death Valley on Oct. 16 to take on LSU in a revenge game, but this time, the Tigers will have home-field advantage and should be improved from last year. That game, and a bout with Georgia in Jacksonville two weeks later that should decide the SEC East, will be crucial in determining if UF is competitive for the CFP.

Even if Florida drops the conference opener to Alabama, it could still win the division and get its revenge in the SEC Championship. But it seems Crawford expects the Gators to also lose to Georgia and LSU, which would almost certainly cost them a chance at a division title.

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