Kirk Herbstreit reveals top-performing teams from Week 8
Following an exciting Week 8 schedule, ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit has revealed his top-performing teams from this past weekend.
From shocking upsets to taking down the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — here are the seven teams that made this week’s list:
1. Virginia Cavaliers
No one had Virginia beating an undefeated top-ten North Carolina team during Week 8’s slate — but the impossible happened, seeing the Cavaliers down the ACC powerhouse 31-27 on the road.
Quarterback Tony Muskett threw for 208 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also contributing 66 yards on the ground. Running back Mike Hollins scored three touchdowns during the contest as well. Meanwhile, UNC quarterback Drake Maye still threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns during the losing effort.
Virginia has now won two games in a row after starting off the 2023 season 0-5.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Death, taxes, and Ohio State beats Penn State. The Buckeyes cruised to a 20-12 victory over the Nittany Lions last Saturday, notching Ohio State’s 11th victory over Penn State in 12 games, including seven consecutive wins.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was the difference-maker in this matchup, hauling in 11 receptions for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown. The win has catapulted the Buckeyes into the top four heading into a Week 9 matchup vs. Wisconsin.
3. Utah Utes
Bryson Barnes went toe-to-toe with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams — and won. The Utes defeated USC 34-32 as Barnes lit up the Trojan defense with 235 yards and four total touchdowns.
Utah is 6-1 heading into a Week 9 matchup against No. 8 Oregon. A win against the Ducks on Saturday, and then a victory on the road against No. 5 Washington two weeks later would put Utah in a prime position to win the Pac-12 Championship in its final year with the conference.
4. Miami Hurricanes
Miami helped aid in Clemson‘s downfall in double overtime over the weekend. Defeating the Tigers 28-20, the Hurricanes were led to victory by an unlikely player — true freshman quarterback Emory Williams.
He didn’t do anything crazy, passing for 151 yards, a touchdown and an interception — but the fact that the ‘Canes were able to win without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke against an opponent like Clemson — speaks volumes of the potential Miami possesses this season.
5. Nevada Wolfpack
Nevada’s 16-game losing streak was snapped thanks to an ugly 6-0 victory over San Diego State. Of course, a win is a win, regardless of how it happened — especially in this situation.
Aside from the season-finale against Wyoming, Nevada doesn’t have an opponent with a winning record on their schedule. One win could turn into two very quickly if the opposition isn’t careful.
6. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Ollie Gordon II had the game of his life during Oklahoma State‘s 48-34 victory over West Virginia. The sophomore tailback took 29 carries for a whopping 282 yards and four touchdowns during the contest.
With Gordon’s performance in mind, the Cowboys are set to host Cincinnati for a first-time-ever Big 12 Conference matchup. After that, they host No. 6 Oklahoma in a rivalry matchup that could have serious College Football Playoff implications if Oklahoma State were to take down their in-state foe.
7. Minnesota Gophers
Before Saturday, Minnesota had nothing to write home about its 2023 season. Now, they can say they’ve defeated Iowa for the first time since the turn of the century.
Placekicker Dragan Kesich made four field goals during the contest, which was good enough for the Gophers to take home the 12-10 victory over the No. 24-ranked Hawkeyes. With Michigan State and Illinois on the schedule next, the Gophers could be bowl-bound sooner rather than later after splitting the first six games of the season.