Week Eight Guide: Games To Watch

Welcome to Week Eight of the College Football Season.

After a successful road trip to Madison, the Iowa Football team returned to Iowa City with the Heartland Trophy. This week, the Hawkeyes are set to host a Penn State squad that is freefalling at an alarming rate. Iowa will try to hand the Nittany Lions their fourth consecutive loss on Saturday, but that’s not the only game on the college football slate this week. If you are someone who sets up 2-3 TVs, like me, that means watching several games at a time. We’ve got you covered with what to watch. Once again, let’s skip an extended intro and just get into the games. HawkeyeReport breaks down the top games to watch during week eight of the college football season.

***All betting odds/lines are provided by Bet MGM***

Must Watch Game of the Week: #23 Utah (5-1) at #15 BYU (6-0)

Game Info: Saturday, October 18th – 7:00pm CT – FOX Line: Utah -3.5

Yeah, I could have been like College Gameday and gone with basic matchup of two highly ranked SEC teams, but you can’t pass up a ranked Holy War meeting. This is the 103rd meeting between the two programs and it’s the first time they’ve met as ranked sides since 2009 when both teams were in the Mountain West. Utah enters with a 4-1 record, and they’ve been dominant in their last two, defeating WVU (48-14) and Arizona State (42-10).

When Jake Retzlaff was forced to transfer to Tulane, many wrote off the Cougars, but true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier (63.2%, 8-3) has thrown for eight touchdowns and rushed for seven more. They haven’t played a super tough schedule to this point, and the Utes will be their toughest test. Both of these sides are very much in the hunt to make the Big 12 Title Game and that means they’re in the CFP hunt.

Best Weekday Game: Louisville (4-1) at #2 Miami FL (5-0)

Game Info: Friday, October 17th – 6:00pm CT – ESPN Line: Miami -13.5

Last time I threw a weekday game with a ranked ACC team facing an unranked opponent, Virginia upset then #8 Florida State. That being said, it’s abundantly clear that Miami FL is better than Florida State and they get this one at home. Still, the Canes really haven’t had a sleepy game, so they might be due, and I can’t imagine Hard Rock Stadium will be packed on a Friday night.

Enter Louisville. The Cardinals are a capable side if quarterback Miller Moss (67.0%, 7-4) can avoid turnovers, especially with receiver Chris Bell. Their defense has 14 sacks and six interceptions, which they’d need both to win here. As for Miami FL, they haven’t finished top ten in the final AP Poll since 2003, but they’ve reached the top ten during the regular season eight times since then. With Carson Beck (73.4%, 11-3) at quarterback and a defense that’s allowing 13.6 points per game, this looks like a team that can make the CFP and finish inside the top ten. Just keep an eye on this one.

Best 11:00am Game: #10 LSU (5-1) at #17 Vanderbilt (5-1)

Game Info: Saturday, October 18th – 11:00am CT – ABC Line: Vandy -2.5

This is a massive game from a CFP standpoint because the assumption is that a 9-3 record might not be enough. It wasn’t last season. Both LSU and Vanderbilt have three ranked opponents left on the schedule after this one, so the loser will almost be forced to win out to make the CFP. The Tigers are 5-1, but they are averaging just 19.8 points per game against FBS teams and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier leads the SEC in completions, as well attempts, but has thrown five interceptions.

Meanwhile, Vandy is the new kid on the block. This is their first year with a top 25 ranking since 2008, but they, like LSU, don’t have any impressive wins, but they’ve scored more points. Quarterback Diego Pavia had his worst game of the season against Alabama, which still meant 60.0% completion percentage, but just 4.94 yards per attempt. The Commodores were held to a season-low for offensive plays (54) and their second-lowest yardage output (333) against Alabama. The winner of this game will finally have a resume building win and the loser will be 5-2 without a notable win.

Best 2:30pm Game: #5 Ole Miss (6-0) at #9 Georgia (5-1)

Game Info: Saturday, October 18th – 2:30pm CT – ABC Line: Georgia -7

The biggest SEC game of the week, the implications differ for the Rebels and Bulldogs. If Ole Miss were to win, they’d all but lock up a CFP bid, with a very manageable remaining schedule that includes one ranked team, three unranked teams and an FCS team. As for UGA, they’re still in a good position at 5-1, but a loss would make remaining games at Texas and Georgia Tech loom pretty large. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (65.4%, 7-1) has been great, but they nearly fell asleep for what would have been a major upset loss against Washington State (24-21). Overall, they’re 4-0 in one possession games, which a flip from last year when they were 0-3.

As for Georgia, they had their 33-game home win streak snapped against Alabama and there’s no doubt that loss will still be fresh in their mind for this home game at Sanford Stadium. The normally strong UGA defense has just eight sacks in six games, which is a surprise. The big stat to know? The Bulldogs are shockingly an 8.5-point favorite and are 20-35-1 against the spread as a home favorite under Kirby Smart.

Best Primetime Game Part II: #11 Tennessee (5-1) at #6 Alabama (5-1)

Game Info: Saturday, October 18th – 6:30pm CT – ABC Line: Alabama -8.5

The “Third Saturday in October” has gained quite a bit of steam over the past few seasons, after the Vols broke the 15-game winning streak, winning two of the last three meetings. However, Tennessee hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003 and even that win took 5OT to get it. The Vols enter at 5-1 but are still searching for a ranked win to add to their resume. App State turned UCLA turned Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (64.8%, 14-5) leads the SEC in pass yards (1,680) and has thrown seven touchdown passes to receiver Chris Brazzell. The offense is averaging 48.2 per game and has not scored less than 34 points in a game.

As for Alabama, they’ve righted the ship very well since the FSU loss to open the year and have won three consecutive games against ranked opponents. Quarterback Ty Simpson (70.9%, 17-1) has been spectacular, and the defense has forced 11 turnovers this season. The Crimson Tide are playing as well as anyone right now.

Underrated Game of the Week: #20 USC (5-1) at #13 Notre Dame (4-2)

Game Info: Saturday, October 18th – 6:30pm CT – NBC Line: ND -9.5

This game is completely flying under the radar this week. Notre Dame was basically written off after their 0-2 start and there’s four other ranked vs ranked games this week, so it’s not entirely surprising. But this is a game big game and a rivalry game, with the Jeweled Shillelagh on the line. The visiting Trojans are back in the top 25 after picking up a 31-13 win over Michigan last weekend. Their offense, led by quarterback Jayden Maiava (71.9%, 13-2) is averaging 45.5 points per game, but the big news was that their defense held the Wolverines to just 13 points and forced two turnovers. That’s a group that had allowed 82 points and 1,196 yards in their first three Big Ten games.

As for the forgotten about Irish, they’ve bounced back with four wins in a row, outscoring opponents 176-57 during that stretch. Redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr (66.5%, 13-3) has been good, but it’s the Jeremiyah Love–Jadarian Prince RB duo that has combined for 952 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Irish defense is allowing 14.3 points and just 226.8 yards per game during their winning streak, forcing 11 turnovers. Don’t put Notre Dame away just yet.

Other Games to Watch

#25 Nebraska (5-1) at Minnesota (4-2) (+7.5) (Friday – 7:00pm – FOX)

The battle for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy! Since the trophy was created in 2014, Minnesota has won seven of ten meetings, including five in a row. Nebraska enters this one ranked 25th, which marks the first time they’ve been ranked at the midway point of the season since 2016, when they reached as high as #7 in the AP Poll. Quarterback Dylan Raiola (73.4%, 16-5) has completed a lot of passes, but has seen major pressure, with Nebraska ranking 112th in sacks allowed per game (2.67). They’re run game hasn’t been great, rushing for less than 3.5 yards per carry in three games.

On the other side, Minnesota comes in a 4-2, led by freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey (60.1%, 9-3), but they’ve been very unimpressive overall. They lost on the road against California, needed a missed field goal to beat Rutgers, got run out of Columbus by Ohio State and needed a 4th and goal stop to beat Purdue last week.

Washington (5-1) at Michigan (4-2) (-5.5) (Saturday – 11:00am – FOX)

A rematch of the ’23 National Title Game, this matchup between the Huskies and Wolverines should be a good one. Washington’s only loss came against #1 Ohio State, but they’re looking for their first notable win. Quarterback Demond Williams (74.1%, 10-1) has been good in the passing game and the rushing game where he has 382 rush yards, alongside back Jonah Coleman who has 518 yards and a Big Ten leading 11 touchdowns. As for Michigan, they have a win over #25 Nebraska, but are 0-2 against top 20 teams, getting outscored 55-26 in those two losses. The run game is where the Wolverines have flourished, averaging 216.3 yards per game, but they’ll go against a UW defense that is giving up just 82.8 rush yards per game.

#7 Texas Tech (6-0) at Arizona State (4-2) (+9.5) (Saturday – 3:00pm – FOX)

Let me preface this by saying that the status of ASU QB Sam Leavitt will change this one quite a bit. The Red Raiders are the best team in the Big 12 by a decent margin, while they don’t face Cincinnati and BYU is at home, so a 12-0 season is very much on the table. That being said, Texas Tech is averaging 47.5 points per game and haven’t won a game by less than 24 points. Are they due for a close game?

Quarterback Behren Morton (68.4%), 14-4) was injured against Kansas and should be fine for this one. As for the Sun Devils, if Leavitt is out this will be a much different game. Backup signal caller Jeff Sims has plenty of collegiate experience but was just 18-of-38 against Utah. If it’s Sims, they will need more out of him if they want to have a chance to pull the upset. It’s worth noting that ’19 Ohio State and ’23 Michigan are the only CFP era teams to start 7-0 with seven 21+ point victories. Can Texas Tech be next?

Rest of the Week Eight Big Ten Schedule

• Purdue (2-4) at Northwestern (4-2) (-3.5) (Saturday – 2:00pm – BTN)
• #1 Ohio State (6-0) (-25.5) at Wisconsin (Saturday – 2:30pm – CBS)
• Michigan State (3-3) at #3 Indiana (6-0) (-27.5) (Saturday – 2:30pm – Peacock)
• #8 Oregon (5-1) (-17) at Rutgers (3-3) (Saturday – 5:30pm – BTN)
• Penn State (3-3) at Iowa (4-2) (-3) (Saturday – 6:00pm – Peacock)
• Maryland (4-2) at UCLA (2-4) (-3.5) (Saturday – 6:00pm – FS1)