Halfway Point: Quick Predictions

Just like that, the Big Ten regular season, i.e., the real college football season, is half over. Here are some quick predictions for the second half from your favorite prognosticators.

Question 1: Who will make the playoff?

Draper:

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Notre Dame

Hoying:

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Notre Dame

Schweinfurth:

1. Alabama
   
2. Ohio State
   
3. Clemson
   
4. Cincinnati
   

Question 2: Who will win the Heisman?

Draper: Justin Fields

Hoying: Mac Jones

Schweinfurth: Justin Fields

Question 3: How will Ohio State's season progress from here?

Draper: Buckeyes are slow out of the gate vs. the Hoosiers, but win by more than 2 TDs.  Illinois and Michigan State are nothing-burgers.  TTUN starts with a little juice and fire from the Wolverines, but a hot start by the Buckeyes puts any hope of an upset to bed.  Buckeyes return to Indy to face Wisconsin....again.  Once again, the Buckeyes have a sloppy quarter and the narrative swings in the favor of the Badgers...until "BUH GAWD!! THAT'S JUSTIN FIELDS MUSIC!! Buckeyes have a strong 2nd half to deal with the Badgers and return to the familiar spot vs. Clemson in the playoff...ugh. Now narrative street gets turned up to 11.  Can the Buckeyes defeat their Clemson nemesis? Fields outduels Lawrence and they head to Bama in the title.  Bama is a juggernaut entering the game never having been tested.  The game is a back and forth shootout with an Olave to Fields trick play TD to seal the win.  Saban retires to Aflac commercials, Dabo takes the Bama job (leading to the state of South Dabo --they renamed the state to keep him and it didn't work -- being burnt to the ground), and Fields is picked...number 2 in the draft behind Lawrence (thus avoiding the Jets).

Hoying: The Buckeyes will win comfortably over the Hoosiers, then demolish Illinois, Michigan State, and That School Up North on the way to their fourth straight Big Ten Championship game appearance. The Buckeyes will handle Wisconsin (or possibly, possibly Northwestern) to grab a Playoff spot, then win their first semifinal game since 2014, but come up short in the national championship against Alabama.

Schweinfurth: There will not be a close game left on the schedule until the B1G title game. Ohio State will play Wisconsin in a two possession game and win another B1G title. The Bucks will play in the National Semis against Clemson and get sweet, sweet revenge. They will then play Alabama to a shoot out where the last team with the ball will win. I'll go full homer and pick the Bucks.