What to watch: Week 8 college football viewing guide
Every week throughout the season we’ll give you a college football viewing guide by highlighting the five best games of the coming weekend. We will pick those five games against the spread and highlight some other matchups that caught our eye from a betting perspective.
In Week 8, we'll finally get some movement at the top of the Big Ten standings.
Beyond No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State, the conference is thoroughly mediocre. Michigan, the two-time defending conference champion, won't face OSU or PSU until November but the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will square off Saturday in Columbus in a highly anticipated matchup with major stakes.
That game being played at noon ET should set the tone for an incredible day of college football. There are three other ranked vs. ranked games on tap, as well as a bevy of other potential upsets scattered throughout the day.
(Note: All times ET, odds from BetMGM)
No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State
Time: Noon | TV: Fox | Line: OSU -4.5 | Total: 45.5
One of the biggest games of the season is finally here. Ohio State and Penn State are both 6-0 and looking to pick up a major win in both the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff picture. Penn State has not beaten Ohio State since 2016 and the last time the Nittany Lions won in Columbus was 2011. This is a major step for James Franklin’s program in its quest to get to the CFP.
For Ohio State, it’s the next major test for a program looking to return to the top of the Big Ten and get back to the CFP. The Buckeyes won a nail-biter at Notre Dame last month, but PSU should represent a tougher challenge. The Nittany Lions have not been explosive on offense, but they have one of the nation’s best defenses. Ohio State’s defense has been excellent this season as well, so two first-year starters at QB (Ohio State’s Kyle McCord and Penn State’s Drew Allar) are going to face the toughest challenge of their careers. Who will be ready for the moment?
Nick Bromberg: PSU +4.5, Sam Cooper: PSU +4.5
No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama
Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: Alabama -8.5 | Total: 49
Alabama (6-1) hasn’t been its usual dominant self, but it’s still winning games. Nick Saban’s team has won five straight since the Week 2 loss to Texas and is 4-0 in SEC play with a West division showdown against LSU on Nov. 4 lingering. But before that, the Crimson Tide want some revenge over Tennessee, which snapped its 15-game losing streak to Alabama on a last-second field goal last season in Knoxville.
Last year’s Tennessee team had arguably the best offense in the country. This year has been a different story. The Vols are off to a 5-1 start but have not played a true road game since Week 3, when they lost 29-16 to Florida. Since then, UT has won three straight, including SEC victories over South Carolina and Texas A&M. The passing game struggled mightily against the Aggies, with Joe Milton completing only 11 of his 22 passes for 100 yards with an ugly interception. Milton will need to be much better if UT wants to go into Tuscaloosa and pull off the upset.
Nick: Alabama -8.5, Sam: Alabama -8.5
Washington State at No. 9 Oregon
Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Oregon -20.5 | Total: 62.5
How will Oregon respond after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Washington? The win was there for the taking for the Ducks. However, three failed fourth-down decisions made by coach Dan Lanning proved costly. The first two came inside the UW 10-yard line and the other came in the final minutes when Oregon had a 33-29 lead. When the Ducks couldn’t convert, it gave Washington a short field to set up the go-ahead touchdown. Now 5-1 on the year, Oregon has to get up off the mat and be ready to play a Washington State team that has been floundering after a hot start.
Washington State started 4-0, but things have gone sideways quickly as the Cougars have lost back-to-back games. First was a 25-17 loss at UCLA before an ugly 44-6 beatdown at home to Arizona. The WSU offense that was on fire early in the year has been struggling mightily. Against Arizona, the Cougars could muster only 234 yards and turned it over three times. Cam Ward was playing at a really high level in September. Can he recapture that magic and lead WSU to an upset at Autzen Stadium?
Nick: WSU +20.5, Sam: WSU +20.5
No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: FSU -14 | Total: 49
Florida State and North Carolina seem to have separated themselves from the pack in the ACC race, but we can’t count out Duke. The Blue Devils are 5-1 (2-0 ACC) and their only loss was a heartbreaker to Notre Dame on Sept. 30. At the end of that game, Duke lost QB Riley Leonard to a high ankle sprain. Duke had a bye the following week before beating NC State 24-3 with Leonard still sidelined. Leonard is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the country, so it’s hard to envision Duke pulling off the upset in Tallahassee if he can’t play.
Florida State, meanwhile, is 6-0 and coming off two comfortable wins. The Seminoles had two close calls on the road vs. Boston College and Clemson but responded by blowing out Virginia Tech and Syracuse at home. Duke is much better defensively than the Hokies and Orange, so FSU will need another strong game performance on offense to remain undefeated.
Nick: Duke +14, Sam: FSU -14
No. 14 Utah at No. 18 USC
Time: 8 p.m. | TV: Fox | Line: USC -7 | Total: 53.5
Utah, despite a barrage of injuries, is still firmly in the Pac-12 race. The two-time defending conference champions improved to 5-1 (2-1 Pac-12) with a 34-14 win over Cal over the weekend. It was a nice bounce-back from the 21-7 loss at Oregon State, but the game was a bit closer than the final score makes it appear. Still without starting QB Cam Rising, the Utes went with a heavy running attack that included safety Sione Vaki playing both ways. Vaki rushed for 158 yards and two scores, including a 72-yarder in the fourth quarter that allowed the Utes to pull away.
On the other side, USC is coming off an ugly 48-20 road loss to Notre Dame. Caleb Williams, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, had a miserable outing as he threw three first-half interceptions and later had a fumble returned for a score. Even with the loss, the Trojans (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) are undefeated in the Pac-12 and looking to rebound at home. But they just haven’t looked quite right this season as there’s been sloppiness on both sides of the ball. Utah cost USC a CFP berth and Pac-12 title last year, so perhaps Lincoln Riley's team will come out with much more focus.
Nick: Utah +7, Sam: USC -7
Head-to-head ATS: Nick: 13-22-2, Sam: 21-14-2
Week 8 best bets
No. 22 Air Force (-10.5) at Navy: It's two service academy teams that run the option. They play every season and know how to defend this style of offense. And now the clock will stop even less than it did before the rule change. The under is an auto-play even at this number. Pick: Under 34.5
No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama (-8.5): Alabama can defend Tennessee's ground attack and I have no faith in Joe Milton's ability to make tough throws on the road. At the same time, the Vols defense has really improved and could really get after Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. I think Alabama wins, but I'm not comfortable backing the Tide to cover this number. I'm on the under. Pick: Under 49
South Carolina at No. 20 Missouri (-7): I think we see a strong effort from South Carolina. At 2-4, the Gamecocks have played a tough schedule and their bowl chances are dwindling. I can't back this team with the way it is playing on defense, but I do like the over. Missouri has a nice collection of weapons on offense, and I think Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks will put up enough points to send this one well into the 60s. Pick: Over 59.5
Oklahoma State at West Virginia (-3.5): West Virginia lost last week to Houston on a Hail Mary, but I think WVU will bounce back at home. Oklahoma State is coming off home wins over Kansas State and Kansas, but those seemed like sort of fluky results. Oklahoma State gives up a lot of big plays on defense and struggles finishing drives on offense. I think WVU wins comfortably. Pick: WVU -3.5
No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State (-14): I have serious doubts that Duke QB Riley Leonard will play. If he does, he'll have limited mobility coming off a high ankle sprain. Leonard's ability to run is what makes him a dangerous player. If he's contained to the pocket or backup Henry Belin IV has to play, I don't like Duke's chances at all. Pick: FSU -14
Clemson (-3) at Miami: To me the best unit in this game is the Clemson defense. Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke is banged up and turnover-prone, and I think Clemson can bait him into a few mistakes. At the same time, I don't trust the Clemson offense enough to cover a field goal on the road. The Tigers just do not have difference-makers at receiver, so I'll play the under. Pick: Under 48.5
Last week: 5-1
Season to date: 27-18
