B/R Experts' October Bold Predictions for 2025 CFB Season

We're a month into the college football season, and really all we know is that we don't know a whole lot, and what we think we know can be proven wrong at any time.

That's what makes this sport great, isn't it?

Still, after countless hours of watching football, scouting players and analyzing carnage like Power Four coaches getting the ax and Group of Five darlings emerging, we're drawing some pretty bold conclusions.

It's time for Bleacher Report's college football expert panel consisting of David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard to hammer out a prediction for the remainder of the season.

From a budding Heisman Trophy candidate to a couple of stunner selections to make the College Football Playoff to a prediction (already) of who's winning it all, we're stepping out on a limb knowing full-well it could snap out from under us at any time.

Here are some bold predictions as we sashay into October.

Sitting in the Notre Dame Stadium press box, I watched as that ill-fated pass floated to the corner of the end zone. The rowdy Fighting Irish crowd hushed, then the Texas A&M faithful erupted. The visiting Aggies won 41-40, dropping ND to 0-2 after an earlier loss to Miami.

In the aftermath, agony. Reality hit hard for Notre Dame.

Because of its independent status, there's no conference championship to win. The program is unable to earn an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. Instead, the Irish must build a resume that's worthy of an at-large invitation—and whiffing in two marquee games was not an ideal way to start. The only highly probable path to the CFP will require them to finish 10-2.

And I think they get it done.

Led by redshirt freshman CJ Carr, the offense continues to impress by the week. He's been extremely efficient in recent wins against Purdue and Arkansas, while the backfield duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has dazzled. Love's versatility and Price's explosiveness are terrific complements behind a sturdy offensive line.

While the defense is still a modest concern, the schedule sets up nicely. Notre Dame hosts Boise State, NC State and USC during the next three weekends, then the toughest game of the closing stretch is, what, at Pitt? Solid team, sure, but nothing elite.

I would not advocate for a 9-3 ND squad to make the Playoff. But at 10-2, I believe the Irish will be an attractive pick to a committee that, right or wrong, historically has valued quality losses.

Perhaps, at this point, it isn't all that bold. Let the record show, however, that I picked Ty Simpson to win the Heisman—at 20/1 odds, I might add—before Alabama went to Georgia and beat the Bulldogs outright.

In that game, Simpson scored three touchdowns. And for the year, he has accounted for 13 touchdowns and thrown zero interceptions. Not too shabby, especially considering how the season started.

Where Simpson is poised to thrive, however, is the difficult assignment ahead. Alabama plays Vanderbilt, at Missouri, Tennessee, at South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Eastern Illinois and at Auburn to close out the year.

Outside of Eastern Illinois, this is a gauntlet. It was always going to be a gauntlet, although the encouraging play of Vanderbilt, Mizzou and Oklahoma make it that much more so. One could argue that this will work against Simpson; I could argue the opposite.

In fact, he's only getting better as the seasoning increases. The offensive line is playing better as well. Oh, and he has tremendous targets to throw to.

Winning the Heisman will by no means be easy. There is ample competition coast to coast. But for Simpson, who has seemingly lifted Alabama back from the dead, a potential run at New York City is no longer just a possibility. It actually seems more likely than not. 

Clemson, Miami and SMU were all picked to finish ahead of Georgia Tech in the preseason ACC media poll, and they took another step down the pecking order when Florida State came out looking like a College Football Playoff contender.

Fast forward to October, and Clemson is 1-3, SMU is 2-2 and Florida State just lost to Virginia on Saturday, opening the door for a chaotic race to the ACC championship game.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2014, and up to No. 17 in the AP poll after surviving in overtime against Wake Forest in Week 5.

Dual-threat quarterback Haynes King is a seasoned veteran under center in his sixth collegiate season, and he turned in his third 100-yard rushing game of the year against the Demon Deacons, punching in the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He has also completed 68.5 percent of his passes and is more than capable of hurting teams with his arm.

Looking ahead, the Yellow Jackets do not have to play Miami, Florida State, Louisville or upstart Virginia, with their toughest remaining conference game being a road matchup against Duke on Oct. 18.

They still have a non-conference game against Georgia to wrap up the regular season, but it's not out of the question to think they could roll into that game with an 11-0 record. Even if they lose one along the way, they could still end up in the ACC championship game, with Miami the current favorite to join them.

Here's predicting Georgia Tech not only gets there, but pulls off the upset for their first ACC championship since 2009 and an automatic bid to the playoff field.

Given all the talent coach Dan Lanning has stockpiled, the pristine Nike-adorned facilities and the gaudy win totals, you may not think it's too bold to peg the Ducks as the eventual champions.

History, though, says it's not just bold but batty.

After all, Oregon has never won a football national championship.

The closest they've come was the 2011 BCS title game (a 22-19 loss to Auburn) and the 2015 CFB title game (a 42-20 win by Ohio State). Last year, the Ducks were the top seed only to run into the Buckeye buzzsaw.

Things look different in '25, and we aren't just experiencing recency bias with this past weekend's overtime road win over Penn State.

Dante Moore is a special talent who doesn't need to be brought along slowly. Every week, he's tasked to do more, and all he's done is shine. Weapons like true freshman Dakorien Moore and veteran Malik Benson on the perimeter are dangerous, and once Evan Stewart gets back, that's a three-headed WR monster any team would envy.

The Ducks are 11th in scoring defense and total defense, too, proving they aren't just a high-scoring juggernaut. This is a much more balanced team than a season ago.

Another test looms after a bye when they host No. 8 Indiana, then the rest of way features road games against Rutgers, Iowa and Washington and home tilts with Wisconsin, Minnesota and USC. Nobody is suggesting it will be easy, but this is a navigable schedule that can keep the Ducks battle-tested.

They're right there with Ohio State for the best-looking team so far.