Joe McKnight and the Trojans will almost certainly have to run the table to get into the national championship game. Icon SMI Related Links SI.com's Midseason All-Americans

After providing their original forecasts back in August, SI.com's college football writers Stewart Mandel, Andy Staples, Cory McCartney, Luke Winn, Arash Markazi, Bill Trocchi and Gennaro Filice regroup at the halfway point and offer their predictions for the rest of the season.

BCS projections

Mandel:
National title: Texas vs. Penn State
Rose: USC vs. Florida
Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs. Utah
Sugar: Alabama vs. Pittsburgh
Orange: Wake Forest vs. Boise State

Staples:
National title: USC vs. Penn State
Rose: Alabama vs. Michigan State
Fiesta: Texas vs. BYU
Sugar: LSU vs. Oklahoma
Orange: Wake Forest vs. South Florida

McCartney:
National title: Florida vs. Texas
Rose: USC vs. Penn State
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. BYU
Sugar: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh

Winn:
National title: USC vs. Penn State
Rose: Alabama vs. Oklahoma
Fiesta: Texas vs. BYU
Sugar: Florida vs. Boise State
Orange: Wake Forest vs. Cincinnati

Markazi:
National title: Texas vs. Alabama
Rose: USC vs. Ohio State
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Penn State
Sugar: Florida vs. BYU
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati

Trocchi:
National title: USC vs. Penn State
Rose: Ohio State vs. Alabama
Fiesta: Missouri vs. BYU
Sugar: Florida vs. Texas
Orange: Wake Forest vs. Pittsburgh

Filice:
National title: Alabama vs. Penn State
Rose: USC vs. Ohio State
Fiesta: Missouri vs. Utah
Sugar: Florida vs. Texas
Orange: Wake Forest vs. Pittsburgh

National champ

Mandel: Texas. The 'Horns will lose once but get in with their impressive résumé. Their swarming defensive front will spoil JoePa's retirement sendoff.

Staples: USC. Unfortunately for the SEC and Big 12, the conferences are so deep that it seems unlikely the champs will escape with one or zero losses. By December, USC's loss at Oregon State will be forgotten, and the Trojans will beat a previously undefeated Penn State.

McCartney: Florida. The win over LSU showed us how good this team can be when it's clicking on all cylinders. The Gators have more collective talent than any team in the race. A re-energized Florida is scary thing.

Winn: USC. Thanks to Big 12 and SEC attrition, the Trojans will creep back up to No. 2 by season's end -- and then shut down the Spread HD in the title game.

Markazi: Texas. It won't be easy with the Longhorns' incredible schedule down the stretch, but after Texas' win over Oklahoma last week, it's hard to imagine any team derailing Mack Brown's bunch.

Trocchi: USC. Pete Carroll adds to his trophy case and sends JoePa into retirement with an almost-perfect season.

Filice: Alabama. By containing Florida's electric playmakers in the SEC title game and taming Penn State's Spread HD in Miami, the Crimson Tide will prove once again that national titles are won in the trenches.

Second-half surprise team:

Mandel: Cincinnati. Once QB Tony Pike returns, the Bearcats will make a run at the Big East title (but come up just short).

Staples: LSU. The loss at Florida was an anomaly; the Tigers are loaded but raw.

McCartney: Tennessee. At 2-4, it can't get any worse in Knoxville. And if the performance against Georgia was any indication, the Volunteers defense is still potent. The Vols could finish strong with just one obvious loss (Alabama) among the last six games.

Winn: Cincinnati. Don't be stunned if the Bearcats pull off a Halloween upset of South Florida and take the Big East crown. They haven't looked like world-beaters yet but have a solid run defense (ranked No. 13 in the nation) and their conference's top passing offense.

Markazi: Cal. Except for an early morning loss at Maryland, Cal is undefeated and actually ahead of USC in the Pac-10 standings. No team will benefit from the Pac-10's weakness more than Cal, which just might find a way into the Rose Bowl if it can upset USC in the Coliseum.

Trocchi: Cal. A healthy Jahvid Best makes this team a contender for No. 2 in the Pac-10.

Filice: Arizona State. On the heels of their fourth-consecutive loss, the Sun Devils (2-4) get this week off. After the break, though, their schedule significantly lightens up; ASU's remaining opponents are a combined 15-22.