Table of Contents
After two of college football’s most compelling weeks in recent memory comes a packed Saturday with a trio of SEC headliners, including a top-five matchup between bluebloods. There are also multiple rivalry games involving boots (sort of), and a potential College Football Playoff showcase in Bloomington, Indiana, of all places.
Bless this sport.
Let’s rank the top 10 games of Week 8, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable mention: Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU, Ohio at Miami (Ohio), Virginia at No. 10 Clemson, Auburn vs. No. 19 Missouri, Louisiana at Coastal Carolina, Toledo at NIU, Colorado at Arizona, James Madison at Georgia Southern, UCF at No. 9 State of Iowa.
(All point spreads are from BetMGM; click here for live odds. Stream college football on fubo. All kickoff times are Eastern and Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
Let’s give flowers to two teams that have exceeded expectations in the Big 12. Both were expected to finish bottom of the conference, but Saturday’s winner will have clawed their way into the conference title conversation. Arizona State and wrecking ball running back Cam Skattebo have been proving the doubters wrong for weeks. But the Sun Devils won’t start quarterback Sam Leavitt due to a rib injury; fifth-year journeyman Jeff Sims will start in his place. The Bearcats and gunslinging transfer QB Brendan Sorsby will look to take advantage of a depleted ASU crossing two time zones for an early kickoff.
Line: Cincinnati -4.5
9. UNLV (5-1) at Oregon State (4-2), 10 p.m., FuboThe CW
The Rebels bounced back from an overtime loss to Syracuse by hanging a 50-burger on Utah State last week, keeping pace with Boise State in the Mountain West standings. It sets up a huge game next week in Las Vegas against the Broncos that will have huge implications for the conference race and the battle for the Group of 5 spot in the CFP. But a win next Saturday in Corvallis would add a nice point to UNLV’s resume in the meantime. Oregon State, looking to bounce back from a surprising loss to Nevada, should end up being an educational common opponent between the two. The Beavs play at Boise State next month.
Line: UNLV-7
8. No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) at West Virginia (3-3), 7:30 p.m., FuboFox
There are intriguing matchups this week involving the Big 12’s three ranked teams, including Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU and UCF at No. 9 Iowa State. But K-State has the most at stake. It is the only one of the three ranked teams to go on the road, and the only one with a loss. Of the teams in the top five of the Big 12 preseason poll, the Wildcats are also the only ones without disappointment thus far. A second loss, however, would quickly put their conference title and CFP hopes on life support, even in the ever-chaotic Big 12. Kansas State can’t afford to stumble in Morgantown against a streaky but resilient West Virginia, in a face-to-face situation. .. after two skillful, hasty attacks.
Line: Kansas State -3
7. No. No. 24 Michigan (4-2) and No. 22 Illinois (5-1), 3:30 p.m., FuboCBS
A bit surprising that a ranked matchup is so low on the list – other than the fact that Michigan has one of the worst offenses in college football (and maybe shouldn’t be ranked?). Illinois just needed overtime to beat a terrible Purdue team that scored 40 points in the second half. Still, hats off to the Illini, who are 5-1 and playing the first ranked matchup at Memorial Stadium since 2000. Illinois will also honor legendary halfback Red Grange – the Galloping Ghost – a century after his epic 402-yard , six-touchdown game against the Wolverines. The Illini will wear retro uniforms and hand-painted helmets that took 18 months to create.
Line: Michigan-3.5
GO DEEPER
What does Michigan-Illinois mean? Preview of sneaky big game for Wolverines, Illini
Expect this one to go differently than the 55-0 shutout Notre Dame pitched when these teams last met in 2021. Unfortunately, injuries will be a storyline. The Irish lost All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King will be a game-time decision after taking a hit in last week’s win over North Carolina. If King can’t go, the job will fall to second-year backup Zach Pyron, who has completed five of seven passes and rushed for four touchdowns in limited action. Either way, the Irish can’t take this lightly, with a remaining schedule looking much tougher than we all expected, including ranked games against Navy and Army ahead of the regular season finale at USC.
Line: Notre Dame -12.5
5. Nebraska (5-1) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0), noon, FuboFox
I really enjoyed the Indiana and Curt Cignetti media blitz this week, including this great profile of Cignetti by Joe Rexrode. The Hoosiers are basking in the glow of their first 6-0 start since 1967, and rightly so. They were one of the biggest surprises this season in Year 1 under Cignetti and still have six games behind them. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff is headed to Bloomington, where IU takes on Nebraska and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is acting wisely beyond his years. Big game with a pair of top-10 defenses (and a top-five offense for Indiana). The Huskers, who have lost 25 in a row to ranked opponents, will get two straight cracks at Indiana and then Ohio State. On the other hand, another win for the Hoosiers will shift the conversation from a fast start to a legitimate Playoff contender.
Line: Indiana -6.5
4. No. 8 LSU (5-1) at Arkansas (4-2), 7 p.m., FuboESPN
It’s the Battle for the Golden Boot, one of the more underrated rivalry names and trophies in college football. LSU has won seven of its last eight games, but both teams are coming off huge wins.
The Tigers won a classic in overtime against Ole Miss despite never leading until the final play of the game, and Arkansas leaked the first puncture in Tennessee’s balloon a few weeks ago. The Razorbacks are better than expected — and Sam Pittman may have saved his job — while LSU has returned to the top 10 and the CFP picture after its season-opening loss to USC. The Tigers will need more consistency from Garrett Nussmeier to make some noise in the SEC, but his performance at the end of the Ole Miss win showed just how high his ceiling can be.
Line: LSU-2.5
3. No. 6 Miami (6-0) at Louisville (4-2), afternoon, FuboABC
More premium rivalry hardware — and shoes: the Schnellenberger Trophy, which was introduced last season and currently resides with the Cardinals. Battle for the Golden Boots???
The Louisville Sports Commission announces that Louisville and Miami will play annually for the Schnellenberger Trophy: “Wearing the real western boots, now bronzed, worn by Coach Howard Schnellenberger as he led both programs to national prominence.” pic.twitter.com/khBoFZOpHQ
— Mark Ennis (@MarkEnnis) July 24, 2023
This game will fly under the radar thanks to a loaded SEC slate, but it should be a fun, high-scoring barnburner. Miami desperately needed a bye after a pair of close calls against Virginia Tech and Cal, but Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and the Hurricanes remain one of 11 undefeated teams in college football. Louisville ended a two-game skid with a win at Virginia last Saturday, featuring a top-15 offense (7.2 yards per play) led by quarterback Tyler Shough. Miami has the top offense in FBS at 8.2 yards per play, and Ward leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards per play (369.8).
Line: Miami 5
2. No. 7 Alabama (5-1) and No. 11 Tennessee (5-1), 3:30 p.m., FuboABC
A almost top-10 matchup between two teams that are either national title contenders or completely cheating, depending on which message board thread you read. Either way, the third Saturday of October should provide some insight, and it’s crucial as both teams try to avoid a second loss and a growing fan base. This is a tough game to handicap: Alabama has a top-10 offense, Tennessee has a top-two defense, but both teams have been erratic on the field. David Ubben did a good job delving into that variability for an anonymous coaching confidant on the game, and Kennington Smith III examined how first-year Alabama head coaches have fared in the Tennessee rivalry.
Line: Alabama -3
GO DEEPER
What’s going on with Alabama and Tennessee? Coaches who have had to deal with it weigh in
1. No. 5 Georgia (5-1) and No. 1 Texas (6-0), 7:30 p.m., FuboABC
All credit: it’s our third top-five showdown of the season. The first two – Georgia vs Alabama and Ohio State vs Oregon – resulted in two of the best games of the year so far. This is the sixth all-time meeting between Georgia and Texas and the first since the 2019 Sugar Bowl.
The Dawgs are underdogs for the first time in the last 50 games (!) and may need a win over the top-ranked team in the country to maintain their CFP hopes. Texas, meanwhile, has been excellent on both sides of the ball and may be in a league of its own right now, though it has yet to face an opponent as good as Georgia. Quinn Ewers looked a little rusty last week after his injury against Oklahoma, so we’ll see if that sticks. But coaches we spoke to for our confidential coaching about the game see Texas having the upper hand.
Another win for the Longhorns would make them the clear national title favorite. But if the chaos timeline of this college football season continues, we’ll see a somewhat diminished Georgia beat the Horns in Austin, and the sport’s top ranks will officially look as vulnerable as they have in years.
Line: Texas -4.5
GO DEEPER
Coaching Confidential: Texas has the edge against Georgia in the SEC showdown
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images