NCAAF · 9 minutes ago

10 Bold College Football Predictions Heading Into Week 14

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. Alabama Gets Emphatic Iron Bowl Win
Alabama needs to beat rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday night to make the SEC Championship Game. A loss would send the Georgia Bulldogs into that game, and it would almost certainly eliminate the Crimson Tide from the College Football Playoff. In addition, the noise surrounding the future of head coach Kalen DeBoer would get dialed up to 11. Auburn is only 1-6 in the SEC and playing under an interim coach, but just two weeks ago, they challenged Vanderbilt in Nashville and nearly pulled off that upset. There’s no reason to trust the Tigers to play a clean game, and Alabama should be incredibly motivated to put forth its best 60 minutes of the season. The Crimson Tide erupts for 40+ points and wins this game by double-digits.

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1. Navy Feasts on Memphis' Defense on Thanksgiving
The Memphis Tigers host the Navy Midshipmen on Thanksgiving. Navy is 8-2 and 6-1 in the American Athletic Conference, while Memphis has tripped up three times in the league and now sits at 8-3. Of course, this is not the regular-season finale for the Midshipmen, as they play Army on December 13, but that will be a non-conference game, so this weekend will determine who makes the AAC Championship Game. Memphis has surrendered 3.9 yards per rush, and Navy is very adept at taking a crowd out of a game with its possession-based offense that aims for drives that chew up eight or nine minutes off the clock. Memphis is favored, but the Tigers will fall to Navy as the Midshipmen run for 250 yards.

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2. Mississippi State Wins Egg Bowl
The Ole Miss players and coaching staff have to be as distracted as any team in the country right now. Despite a 10-1 record and being amid one of the best seasons in school history ahead of a matchup with rival Mississippi State, everyone is more focused on what head coach Lane Kiffin is going to say after the game about where he’ll be coaching in 2026 than on what will happen in the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss has had close calls against Kentucky, Arkansas, Washington State, Oklahoma, and Florida, so they are not an invincible machine that can easily overcome an off day, and Mississippi State is a few plays away from being near .500 in the SEC. If the Bulldogs can get off to a good start and those cowbells start clanging away on Black Friday, Ole Miss would be primed for an upset that puts their College Football Playoff hopes in a bit of turmoil.
3. Nebraska Shocks Offensively Challenged Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 5-3 in the Big Ten, but the offense that so many of their fans were excited about earlier in the season has looked mainly like “same ol’ Iowa” for the past month. They scored only 16 points against Oregon and had only 239 yards, followed by only 21 points and 320 yards against USC, and they survived against last-place Michigan State with 20 points and just 301 yards. Nebraska has not been playing well lately, but it gets to host the Hawkeyes, and the Huskers will be desperate to finish the regular season with a win. Nebraska gets some big runs from Emmett Johnson, limits Iowa to less than 300 yards of offense, and wins a slugfest on Black Friday to finish 8-4.
4. Georgia Sends a Message
Georgia is playing as well as anyone in the country as Kirby Smart’s team appears to be peaking at the right time. The Bulldogs have won eight straight games since losing by a field goal against Alabama. That includes blowouts over Mississippi State and an emphatic victory over Texas. UGA is getting great play from quarterback Gunner Stockton and is running the ball much better than they did in 2024. On defense, the linebackers are being turned loose and creating havoc, making up for the lack of a true pass rush, and Smart clearly loves the fight and attitude of this team. They finish the regular season with a game against Georgia Tech. This contest could be a bit more difficult for the Bulldogs if Georgia Tech had not sold the would-be home game to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The environment will no longer be hostile, and Georgia Tech is far from peaking. They have not looked good in the past month, and Pittsburgh shredded them in their last outing. Georgia wins this game emphatically and sends a message to the College Football Playoff Committee.
5. Fernando Mendoza's Big Day for the Bucket
Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza is currently the Heisman Trophy favorite, checking in with -125 odds, ahead of Julian Sayin (+400) and the rising Jeremiyah Love (+450) as Notre Dame runs all over weak opponents. On Friday night, the Indiana Hoosiers take on rival Purdue in West Lafayette, battling for the Old Oaken Bucket. Head coach Curt Cignetti boisterously declared “Purdue sucks!” in front of a crowd at Assembly Hall when he was hired, and the Boilermakers have not won a Big Ten game since. They are surrendering 250.5 passing yards per game (108th nationally). Despite the expected cold weather, Mendoza will throw for three touchdowns and run for one more as the Hoosiers roll into the Big Ten Championship Game at 12-0.
6. Ohio State Gets Revenge on Michigan
The Ohio State Buckeyes won the national title last season, and head coach Ryan Day has them consistently competing for and winning Big Ten titles. The only real complaint any OSU fan can have is that they have suffered four straight defeats at the hands of archrival Michigan. The Wolverines have been underdogs in these matchups. Still, it has not made a difference as they find a way to drag Ohio State into the style of play the Maize and Blue prefer and limit the impact Ohio State’s excellent wide receivers have on the outcome. The Buckeyes head into this game in Ann Arbor largely untested, having steamrolled every Big Ten team and a defense that surrenders just 8.4 points per game (4.4 points better than San Diego State, IU, and Texas Tech). This Saturday, the Buckeyes finally break through. The defense will overwhelm freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, forcing him into a few turnovers, and Day will make sure to involve Jeremiah Smith early and often. Ohio State wins this game by three touchdowns and solidifies itself as heavy title favorites.
7. Pittsburgh Freezes Out Miami
The Pittsburgh Panthers need quite a bit of help elsewhere to make the ACC Championship Game, but none of that will matter if they do not upset the Miami Hurricanes. Mario Cristobal’s team got their first win outside of the state of Florida last weekend with a victory at Virginia Tech, but the weather cooperated, and it was not chilly. That won’t be the case this weekend, as game-time temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s. Traditionally, that has been a significant issue for the Miami Hurricanes late in the season. They will be going against a red-hot freshman quarterback and a head coach who has been laser-focused on closing the ACC season strong. Pittsburgh forces Carson Beck into a couple of turnovers, builds a lead, and hangs on to end Miami’s hopes of a College Football Playoff bid.
8. Oregon Bows Down to the Huskies
The Oregon Ducks beat the USC Trojans last weekend in a much-hyped showdown at Autzen Stadium. That was not the final test for the Ducks. They have to travel to Seattle and play rival Washington, and the Huskies are 8-3 and due for a signature win. Quarterback Demond Williams is capable of testing Oregon’s pass defense, a unit that gave up some yards but got a couple of interceptions against USC. If Williams can get hot and Washington can mix in some of the running game, the Huskies can pull off the upset against an Oregon team due for a letdown.
9. Diego Pavia Runs Wild on Volunteers
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is on fire after a record-setting performance against the Kentucky Wildcats on Senior Day for the Commodores. Vandy now travels to rival Tennessee to battle the Volunteers in Knoxville. Vanderbilt needs a win with style points and likely a bit of help to make the College Football Playoff field. Tennessee is 4-3 in the SEC. Still, they have yet to beat a quality opponent, and good offenses have found a bunch of success against their defense: Georgia scored 44, Arkansas had 31, Alabama put up 37, and Kentucky scored 34. Heck, even Oklahoma’s broken offense had 33 points against the Vols. Pavia accounts for 450 total yards as Vanderbilt wins a shootout (but still misses the CFP).
10. Alabama Gets Emphatic Iron Bowl Win
Alabama needs to beat rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday night to make the SEC Championship Game. A loss would send the Georgia Bulldogs into that game, and it would almost certainly eliminate the Crimson Tide from the College Football Playoff. In addition, the noise surrounding the future of head coach Kalen DeBoer would get dialed up to 11. Auburn is only 1-6 in the SEC and playing under an interim coach, but just two weeks ago, they challenged Vanderbilt in Nashville and nearly pulled off that upset. There’s no reason to trust the Tigers to play a clean game, and Alabama should be incredibly motivated to put forth its best 60 minutes of the season. The Crimson Tide erupts for 40+ points and wins this game by double-digits.

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1. Navy Feasts on Memphis' Defense on Thanksgiving
The Memphis Tigers host the Navy Midshipmen on Thanksgiving. Navy is 8-2 and 6-1 in the American Athletic Conference, while Memphis has tripped up three times in the league and now sits at 8-3. Of course, this is not the regular-season finale for the Midshipmen, as they play Army on December 13, but that will be a non-conference game, so this weekend will determine who makes the AAC Championship Game. Memphis has surrendered 3.9 yards per rush, and Navy is very adept at taking a crowd out of a game with its possession-based offense that aims for drives that chew up eight or nine minutes off the clock. Memphis is favored, but the Tigers will fall to Navy as the Midshipmen run for 250 yards.

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10 Bold College Football Predictions Heading Into Week 14

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