---

The Power Five conferences – who’s going to win each one, and who was picked in the preseason? Is it time to change up the picks?

Follow and/or Contact @PeteFiutak

ACC

Preseason Pick To Win The Conference: Florida State
Midseason Pick To Win The Conference: Florida State

I know, I know, Clemson is everyone’s darling right now after the win over Notre Dame a few weeks ago, but the world is sleeping on the Seminoles. There might not be a Jameis around anymore, but in a lot of ways, Everett Golson is playing better than No. 5 did last year. Dalvin Cook is working at a Heisman level, the defense has been terrific, and while it might not be splashy, this is a good, sound team that just keeps on winning. The Seminoles will get by the Tigers in the ACC game of the year on November 7th, it’s not going to blow it against Georgia Tech, Syracuse or NC State, and it’ll be on to a win over Pitt for yet another ACC championship.

Big 12

Preseason Pick To Win The Conference: Baylor
Midseason Pick To Win The Conference: Baylor

I went with the premise that Baylor would get a seven-game start to test out the new quarterback, and then it would take the training wheels off when it went to Kansas State. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you and ten friends could have the 31st offense in the nation against SMU, Lamar, Rice, Texas Tech, Kansas and West Virginia – okay, maybe not West Virginia – but if it was so freaking easy to put up 60 points a game for five straight games – and 56 in the opener against SMU – everyone would do it.

The key is the schedule. TCU sputtered a bit against Texas Tech, and Baylor beat the Kliffers 63-35. The Horned Frogs are terrific, but they’re going to lose at least once – probably to Oklahoma – and have to go on the road to Oklahoma State. Oklahoma is Oklahoma – it’ll probably beat both Baylor and TCU, and gag against Texas Tech. Oklahoma State … no. Baylor has to go on the road to face Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU, but it’ll beat Oklahoma and Texas at home, win two of the three road games, and be the One True Champion – in a tie-breaker of some sort.

Big Ten

Preseason Pick To Win The Conference: Ohio State
Midseason Pick To Win The Conference: Ohio State

Iowa is already printing Big Ten West Champion t-shirts – done deal. Don’t just assume Michigan State vs. Ohio State will be for the playoff. The Spartans have been just mediocre enough at times to blow it against Nebraska on the road, or even lose to someone else along the way, to go along with a loss to Ohio State. If that happens, it’s Michigan vs. Ohio State for the Big Ten East, the Big Ten championship, and yeah, I said it, a spot in the playoff, even if it’s an 11-2 Michigan considering it’ll have to beat an unbeaten Ohio State – likely – and a one-loss at worst Iowa team to get there.

No reason to waver from the preseason Ohio State pick, but it’ll be over Iowa, not Wisconsin, as predicted in the preseason.

SEC

Preseason Pick To Win The Conference: Alabama
Midseason Pick To Win The Conference: Alabama

Jake Coker will be Jake Coker in one key game along the way, but the best defensive front seven in the Nick Saban era will pick up the slack. LSU has to go to Tuscaloosa, the final two Crimson Tide road games are at Mississippi State and Auburn, and Ole Miss – who wins the SEC West by winning out – will lose somewhere along the way to Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU or at Mississippi State. If the Rebels do pull it off and win their last five, Alabama gets into the playoff as an 11-1 wild card.

It won’t have to. Alabama over Florida for the SEC title.

Easy enough. There was no reason to watch the season – I told you what was going to happen months ago. And then there’s the …

Pac-12

Preseason Pick To Win The Conference: UCLA
Midseason Pick To Win The Conference: Stanford …. NO …

UCLA, I wish I knew how to quit you.

Myles Jack might be off to the NFL, Josh Rosen might still be a true freshman, and the defense is as soft as a melting Diddy Riese ice cream sandwich, but I’m going to make this team a Pac-12 champion by continuing to pick it until it comes true. The losses to Arizona State and Stanford don’t really matter – ASU will lose again and the Stanford gaffe was to a North team – so if the Bruins win out, and Utah loses to someone else along the way …

Okay, fine. Stanford is going to beat Utah for the Pac-12 title.

I’m not putting it past Oregon to be Oregon again for an upset over the Cardinal, but I’ll take my chances that Washington, at Washington State, at Colorado, Oregon and Cal equals a trip for Stanford to the Pac-12 title game over … UCLA! Fine, over Utah.

MORE: Week 7 College Football Rankings, No. 1-128