College basketball down to three undefeated teams, but we predict two more fall before January ends

Last week, I correctly predicted Iowa State's dreams of an undefeated season would be dashed in Lawrence on Tuesday night. I also broke the news to the other five unbeaten teams at the time that a loss -- and likely multiple -- would be coming between now and the end of the season. It brings me no pleasure in knowing I was right and will continue to be right. (But let the record, of course, reflect that I was right.)

Since then, three unbeatens are no more, as Michigan and Vanderbilt joined Iowa State over the last week in suffering their first slip-ups of the season. And just like the Cyclones, Commodores and Wolverines, the three remaining unbeaten teams -- Miami (Ohio), Nebraska and Arizona -- will take losses soon. It is an inevitability.

When those losses come is the question. Could Arizona or Nebraska run the table in Big 12 and Big Ten play, respectively?! Is it possible Miami (Ohio) enters the postseason 31-0 as it is currently projected to do at KenPom? All of those scenarios are very much in play!

But color me skeptical any of those actually happen. Some may call me a curmudgeon but I like to think I'm a realist. And the truth is that in major college basketball, running the table for an entire season -- which has not been done since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers -- is a near-impossibility.

Here's when I think those slip ups come.

Arizona 

Record: 17-0

Next game: Saturday vs. UCF, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Predicted first loss: Jan. 26 vs. BYU

Projected final number of losses: 4

Arizona has largely throttled every team in its path this season and even in close games in which it hasn't had its best stuff -- vs. UCLA, UConn and Arizona State, for instance -- it has managed to remain unscathed. The perfect run ends on Jan. 26, though. On that Monday night road trip, Zona faces BYU -- a team that is 16-1 and a possession away from being undefeated itself -- and the Cougars will be who downs the Wildcats first. There's also several major spots for Arizona to stumble before the postseason. I have road trips to Kansas and Houston as losses as well. A three-loss Big 12 team might very well win the regular season even if, for Arizona fans, it wouldn't be the dream of running the table. 

Nebraska

Record: 17-0

Next game: Saturday vs. Northwestern, 4 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

Predicted first loss: Jan. 27 vs. Michigan

Projected final number of losses: 

Nebraska has zero losses so far but very well could be a four-loss team four weeks from now. The schedule is brutal ahead with Michigan, Illinois and Purdue as part of its next seven games. It also has to go on the road to Northwestern and Minnesota in that stretch. The Cornhuskers are a quality team tracking currently as a 2 seed, but they are the team I think has the highest likelihood of crashing, perhaps hard, back to reality in the next six weeks. 

College Basketball Power Rankings: Duke, Nebraska, BYU jump up; Michigan, Vanderbilt fall after first loss

Kyle Boone

Miami (Ohio)

Record: 18-0

Next game: Saturday vs. Buffalo, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Predicted first loss: Feb. 3 vs. Buffalo

Projected final number of losses: 3

The highest-ranked opponent at KenPom that Miami (Ohio) has faced this season so far is No. 62 Akkron. The next-highest team is No. 134 Wright State. But that shouldn't take away from the tremendous start the RedHawks are off to this season. And because they play in the MAC, it also suggests they very much can keep this up. There's a real chance they fall next Tuesday with a road trip at Kent State, but I'm going to be a true believer here and be bold: I think they make it to Feb. 3 before taking their first loss, becoming the last team in college basketball to remain undefeated.