Updated: Looking into the future

The world of sports leaves some people unable to predict what will transpire. I'm not one of them.

• Ohio State won't win a national championship. The Buckeyes have struggled mightily on the road, winning by four points against Cincinnati and five against Wisconsin, not to mention their last-minute, come-from-behind victory against a Purdue squad that was 4-5 at the time. With games at Illinois and against Michigan remaining, Ohio State has only a mediocre chance at finishing the regular season undefeated. If the Buckeyes do make it to the Fiesta Bowl, they better hope that Larry Coker's Hurricanes aren't on the other side of the field. A Miami-Ohio State championship game? Canes win by 21, and only because Dorsey sits out part of the fourth quarter.

• The Rams will make the playoffs. No team has even reached the postseason after starting 0-5, but this team looks poised to buck that trend. Of St. Louis's seven remaining opponents, five have losing records. Now at 4-5, the Rams should be able to win six of their last seven and finish 10-6, good enough for a wild card berth.

• The Dolphins won't make the playoffs. Though the Dolphins currently have a 5-4 record, Miami has not won a game since quarterback Jay Fiedler broke his right thumb, and backup Ray Lucas has provided no reason to think that this will change. Fiedler probably won't be back until December, which may be too late to lead the team back into the playoff hunt.

• Mike Dunleavy won't continue to suck. He's had a miserable start to the season, averaging 2.4 points per game while shooting 13.8 percent from the floor. Anyone who watched Dunleavy play during his three years at Duke know that he's going to start knocking down his shots--it's just a matter of time. People who are already questioning Dunleavy's decision to turn pro need to sit down and shut up. If these numbers don't change by the All-Star break, then there's an argument to be made.

• Maryland basketball fans will disgrace themselves in some way this season. File this one under "mortal lock."

• Texas basketball won't live up to its preseason expectations. Number four in the preseason AP poll? Are you kidding? This team was 22-12, defeated exactly two ranked teams and was a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. T.J. Ford is the real deal, but these guys aren't going to New Orleans anytime soon.

• If it's at all possible, the NBA will get even more unbearable to watch.

• Duke will win a close one at home against Butler Jan. 30. Mike Krzyzewski scheduled Duke against a mid-major team so that his squad can see how dangerous such an opponent can be. Coming off games against N.C. State and Georgia Tech, the Blue Devils might be poised to take Butler lightly. If they do, they could get burned.

• The phrases "Chris Duhon" and "double-double" will begin appearing together in print frequently this season. His assist-to-turnover ratio should be tops in the ACC.

• Regardless of how well they play, the Pittsburgh Panthers will continue to get no respect throughout the season. The Panthers were ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP poll, yet they aren't even an option on a six-team CNNSI.com online poll asking "who will win the national championship?" Maybe, after they beat UConn for the Big East title, the Panthers will finally get some respect.

Evan Davis is a Trinity senior and senior associate sports editor. His column appears every Wednesday.