Kirk Herbstreit reveals his top four teams and next two after Week 8

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•10/24/21•

Jonathan Wagner

College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit has revealed his top four and next two teams following an interesting Week 8 of college football. There was not a single game that contained two top 25 teams, but there were still some very important and intriguing results.

Herbstreit’s top four after Week 8

1. Georgia Bulldogs: Georgia was on bye in Week 8, but the Bulldogs remain as Herbstreit’s top team. Week 9 could be an interesting matchup against Florida for Georgia. The Bulldogs are an essential lock for the College Football Playoff at this point barring a collapse over the final five weeks of the season.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes: Ohio State had no issues against Indiana in a runaway 54-7 victory. Quarterback CJ Stroud continued his Heisman campaign, completing 21 of 28 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Running back TreVeyon Henderson deserves Heisman consideration as well, and he had 81 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. The Buckeyes have one of the best offenses in college football, and the defense held Indiana to ten first downs and 128 total yards. Herbstreit is high on Ohio State after Week 8.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide: After a slow start, Alabama bounced back to defeat Tennessee 52-24. Tennessee led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, and it was a close game until the fourth. Alabama scored 28 fourth quarter points to solidify the win. Bryce Young threw for 371 yards and rushed for 42, accounting for four total touchdowns. The Crimson Tide are still firmly in Herbstreit’s list of contenders for the College Football Playoff after Week 8.

4. Cincinnati Bearcats: It wasn’t pretty, but Cincinnati took down Navy to remain undefeated on the season. Desmond Ridder threw for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the red zone. Jerome Ford had 90 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Stopping Navy’s triple option can be tough, and Navy almost doubled Cincinnati’s time of possession. The Bearcats should have no issues against Tulane, Tulsa, or South Florida over the next three weeks.

Herbstreit’s next two

5. Michigan Wolverines: Michigan also remained undefeated with a 33-7 victory over Northwestern on Saturday. The Wolverines ran for 294 yards and four touchdowns as a team. Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins each had 110+ yards and two scores. Michigan is right there for Herbstreit after Week 8, and the regular season finale against Ohio State is shaping up to be a huge game for the College Football Playoff.

6. Oklahoma Sooners: Oklahoma was on upset watch for the majority of Saturday’s game against Kansas. The Sooners were slow offensively out of the gate, and Kansas led 10-0 at halftime. Caleb Williams played well in the second half, and Oklahoma came back to win 35-23. With matchups against Baylor and Oklahoma State looming in the next month, the Sooners need to continue finding ways to win.