Texas Tech wins the Big 12 and other bold predictions for the 2016 season

College Football season has arrived, and many of the early preseason polls are predicting an Alabama-Clemson national title game rematch.

It would be easy to jump on board with that logic as both teams are loaded yet again, but what fun would it be to agree with the mass media? It's time to get creative and go out on a limb and get weird with some guesses for the 2016 campaign.

Without further delay, here's five bold predictions that will only get brought up again if they come true.

1. Texas Tech wins the Big 12

You wanted bold? Picking Texas Tech to win the Big 12 is about as bold as it gets. The Red Raiders are listed by Bovada at +2500 to capture the conference title, with six programs ahead of them. So what's the case for them winning? Junior quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is about to take the nation by storm. The 6-foot-3 pivot was fourth in the country with 4,653 yards passing last season, and looks to air it out even more in Kliff Kingsbury's high-octane offense. Texas Tech gets Oklahoma and Texas at home and plays Baylor at a neutral site. The defense is certainly a question mark yet again, but outside of the Sooners' Baker Mayfield, Mahomes will be miles ahead of any opposing quarterback this season. The game has gotten so easy for the prolific passer that he's added difficulty by not even looking at his receivers.

It's wacky, it's bold, but don't be shocked to see Mahomes and the Red Raiders capture the Big 12 in 2016.

2. Louisville wins the ACC, goes to College Football Playoff

One of the most difficult things college programs must go thru every year is roster turnover. Louisville has seemingly eliminated that problem for 2016 by returning almost every single player. Both quarterbacks, the top three running backs, virtually every receiver, and five top offensive linemen will power the offensive unit. That sound okay? Well then let's check out the defensive side of the ball. Four of the program's top six linemen, four of the top five linebackers, and six top defensive backs are all returning. In today's world of early draft entry, returning that many players is absolutely insane. Louisville does face the daunting task of playing in a division with Florida State and Clemson, but this is the year the Cardinals knock both of those perennial powerhouses from their perch. Clemson's defense was devastated by early NFL draft defections and are ripe for prolific quarterback Lamar Jackson to pick them apart. The veteran defense has the potential to slow Deshaun Watson enough to escape with a road victory. Florida State comes to Louisville for an early Saturday kickoff on Sept. 17. Stop Dalvin Cook and victory will be the Cardinals'.

3. Brady Hoke's defense leads Oregon to Pac-12 crown

Laugh if you want at Brady Hoke's Michigan tenure, but under the veteran coach's watch the Wolverines had a top-30 defense in three of his four seasons. Oregon's defense in 2015 was an absolute nightmare, allowing 36.8 points per game, 114th in the country. Hoke was hired as coordinator to shore up the dismal unit and help the Ducks compete in the Pac-12. Oregon's offense seems to roll regardless of who plays quarterback, and with Royce Freeman in the backfield, 40 points a game seems like an easy target. If Hoke can field just an average defensive unit, expect Oregon to reclaim the conference crown it held three times since 2010.

4. Tulsa beats Ohio State at home

Having 12 players taken in the NFL draft is an incredible recruiting tool for Ohio State's program. It also has decimated their roster for the 2016 season. Nobody is weeping for the Buckeyes though as Urban Meyer delivered yet another top recruiting class in the offseason, and Ohio State is a preseason top-10 team. In the past two seasons, the Buckeyes suffered curious losses at home, first to Virginia Tech in 2014 and Michigan State last year. While a Tulsa team that went 6-7 in 2015 doesn't seem much of a threat, the Golden Hurricane are actually one of the highest-scoring teams in the country. Prolific quarterback Dane Evans was eighth in the country last year with 4,332 yards passing and should be able to exploit a young Ohio State secondary. Unless the Ohio State offense can keep pace, Tulsa could pull off the upset. A massive contest with Oklahoma looms the following week for the Buckeyes, and it's likely the team will be looking ahead to that showdown.

5. Jim Harbaugh annoys someone

This is neither bold, nor wacky, but one of these predictions had to be a guarantee.