Bowl Predictions 2014: Heavy Favorites in Danger of Postseason Upset

Just when it seems the college football landscape appears set, another massive upset takes place. That shocker in Week 8 came when Baylor was knocked off by West Virginia in a convincing 14-point victory.

Outside of Morgantown, several other programs made a statement Saturday. Of those, the biggest wins came from Alabama and Florida State, who both took down teams in the Top 25.

That brings up an interesting dynamic when the postseason rolls around with so many up-and-down teams. It's already difficult enough to figure out who will make the College Football Playoff, so predicting who will lose at this point is a true test.

With the midway point of the season in the rearview mirror for most teams, here's a look at the programs in danger of a bowl upset.

Florida State

I'm sure this is going to upset the Seminoles fans who have seen their team go 23-0 in their last 23 games, but they are far from perfect. Sure, every team has flaws, but Florida State has been pushed against the ropes multiple times this season.

Against a Notre Dame team that was ranked inside the Top Five, FSU narrowly escaped with a win thanks to a late penalty. Running back Karlos Williams referenced the way the game went Saturday night for the Noles, per Paul Myerberg of USA Today: "We felt like they gave us their best shot. They left us in the game when they only scored 17 points. They could've put us away very, very early. They made mistakes and didn't execute well, that only allowed them to score 17 points."

Much of that success was thanks to Jameis Winston, who was 15-of-16 for 181 yards and a touchdown in the second half. But with Florida State continuously getting tested, it's bound to run into a team that won't make those miscues like the Irish.

The Seminoles have been resilient this season but are far from the team that won the national championship last year. A little luck helped Florida State get to the point it's at now, but that will eventually run out in the College Football Playoff.

UCLA

Despite having two losses already this season, the UCLA Bruins still have a good chance of making it to a notable bowl game. Oregon should get first choice, but UCLA can run the table and secure a berth.

However, UCLA will need some help if it faces an offensive team. For example, ECU has a plethora of weapons in Shane Carden, Justin Hardy and Isaiah Jones that can take the top off any defense.

Prior to this weekend's narrow win for UCLA over California, ESPN College Football noted the woeful numbers for the Bruins:

While UCLA still has a chance to turn things around, it won't be a simple task to win in its bowl game. Overall, the Bruins defense ranks 84th in the country with 425.6 yards allowed and 88th with 29.3 points per game.

In a tough Pac-12, the Bruins might still make it to a huge bowl game by the end of the season. But with a defense that has been ravaged all season, UCLA is a team that can be picked apart by a top offense on the big stage. 

Clemson

The Clemson Tigers might be on the low end of what we'd consider a "heavy favorite" to make a notable bowl, but they are still on track. However, in the two big games it's played so far, Clemson has come away 0-2.

In the first game of the year, Clemson was routed by Georgia by 24 points on a national stage. Against a Florida State team that was without Jameis Winston, the Tigers still came up short, 23-17, and they lost any public perception as a College Football Playoff contender.

Meanwhile, the team still remains just behind the Seminoles in the ACC. If Florida State does make the College Football Playoff, it will likely be the Tigers that make it to the Orange Bowl.

Clemson is still a heavy favorite to make it to one of the top postseason bowls, but it simply doesn't have the makeup to knock off the best teams. Even if Deshaun Watson is back from a hand injury, he won't be enough to propel the Tigers to a win.

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