THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER ALREADY?! COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 8 PREVIEW + PLAYS

We hit a great bounce back spot last week and I'm back in tune with the way things are going in the CFB season. We finished 4-2-1 last week. So far on the year that puts us at 29-27-2 +0.6 Units. I'm going to continue to drill into these games as the season goes on so I can give you best insight each week. Follow or Fade that's your choice, all I ask is you read my reasoning! If you disagree then let me know why! As always if you're just looking for the plays click here.

WEEK 8 BIG GAMES

FRIDAY 10/17

Louisville @ #2 Miami

7pm ESPN

We’re approaching that point in the season where Friday night games have some juice. I’m going to assume this one is flying under the radar for most people. Louisville isn’t being talked about much since they lost to UVA in OT but they’re a sneaky ACC contender. With QB Miller Moss and RB Isaac Brown they should be able to keep up with Miami but they’ll have to get past Ruben Bain and that Canes DL. Miami is in the drivers seat with the rest of their schedule they just can’t afford to play down to competition. Not going to put Miami on upset alert here but I’ll be tuned into this for sure.

SATURDAY 10/18

#10 LSU @ #17 Vanderbilt

12pm ABC

I was starting to think we’d never see the day. Vanderbilt is FAVORED over an SEC team for first time SINCE 1978! Long gone are the days of “oh it’s just Vanderbilt” and you can thank Clark Lea and Diego Pavia for that. The Dores are rolling this season with just one loss to Alabama and wins over SC and VA Tech. Meanwhile LSU started the season hot but has stumbled against Ole Miss and struggled to be consistent on offense. This is a matchup of GOOD on GOOD. Vandy’s OL is in contention for the Joe Moore Award and LSU has one of the better overall defenses in the country! If LSU wants to escape Nashville alive they’ll need Nussmeier and this offense to get rolling against a susceptible Vanderbilt defense.

Washington @ Michigan

12pm FOX

Washington is the team no one is talking about…except for the BIG10. If you’ve opened Twitter at all this week you’ve probably seen this sentence in one form or another: “If Washington was in the SEC they’d have a number next to their name” and those people are probably right! Washington has looked good with its only loss to #1 Ohio State in which they held the Buckeyes to their lowest scoring total all season. QB Demond Williams ranks 17th nationally in pass yards per game and has 10 TDs and 1 INT through the air while rushing for 382 and 4 TDs. He’s accompanied by Jonah Coleman one of the best RBs in the country. They’ll have the opportunity to prove themselves against a good Michigan defense. Meanwhile Michigan is looking to bounce back from the USC loss and still has a path if they can win out. This is turning into a do or die game for both teams.

#14 Oklahoma @ South Carolina

12:45pm SEC Network

This isn’t the best game to watch and I can assume that’s why they put it on the SEC Network but it is relevant. After OU’s 23-6 loss to a struggling Texas team, they can’t afford to drop anymore. While it is Cocktober and no I will not go into the stats on that, this South Carolina team is amidst a stretch of 5 games in a row against ranked opponents. If learned anything from Spencer Rattler and Beamer Ball it’s that this team doesn’t lie down. They’ll be looking to play spoiler to every team with a number next their name over the next few weeks and don’t be surprised if they catch one.

#5 Ole Miss @ #9 Georgia

3:30pm ABC

Undoubtedly the meme game of the week right here. The back and forth between Kirby and Lane is awesome and that’s the kind of stuff that makes CFB so fun. I don’t think I really have to explain why you should watch this game it’s truly a no brainer. Ole Miss enters this game undefeated looking to repeat last years result with a victory over Georgia. Meanwhile Kirby and the Dawgs have righted the ship since the Alabama loss and are looking to take revenge on the Rebs. One thing to lookout for is how slow Georgia has been to start games this year especially in conference. It’s also worth noting this is Trinidad Chambliss’ first road start.

#11 Tennessee @ #6 Alabama

7:30pm ABC

I can’t believe it’s already the 3rd Saturday in October. This season is flashing right before our eyes. Remember just a few weeks ago when Bama was surrounded by question marks after getting trounced by the Seminoles? Now they’ve ripped off 5 straight wins including 3 against ranked teams in Georgia, Vanderbilt and Missouri. Now they’ll face a Tennessee team who’s only loss is to Georgia. Alabama hasn’t loss to Tennessee at home since 2003 but under Heupul this Vols team has consistently improved. This is one of 3 ranked teams left on Tennessee’s schedule it’s time to put up or shut up.

#20 USC @ #13 Notre Dame

7:30pm NBC

The Bush Push has been popping up on my timeline all week and I can’t get enough. This is one of those matchups that just embodies college football. From the uniforms to the play styles to the history this is one of college football’s crown jewels. Despite starting the season 0-2 the Fighting Irish have fought their way back up the rankings with a 4-2 record. The defense wasn’t great to start the year but has seriously tightened up over the last few games. USC’s prolific offense led by Jayden Maiava will have their work cutout for them this week. USC, as all Lincoln Riley coached teams do, has a great offense. This year we’ve seen the defense step up and add a level of physicality that wasn’t always there. Now they’ll have to prove it against one of the most physical teams in the country on both sides of the ball. Not to mention CJ Carr has been outstanding for Notre Dame as well. Neither team can afford to lose if they want a shot at the post season. Games like this are why I get up on Saturday morning.

#23 Utah @ #15 BYU

8pm FOX

THIS IS THE HOLY WAR. Despite some of your national networks policing college football’s best rivalry game names, we won’t be censored! BYU has won the last two meetings between these teams but Utah won 9 straight before that. BYU enters this matchup 6-0 while the Utes 5-1 with a loss to Texas Tech. Bear Bachmeier and the Cougars look to make it 3 straight Holy War victories and continue an undefeated season in BIG12. While Devon Dampier and the Utes already dropped a conference game and have no more wiggle room. Not only does this rivalry have classic bragging rights and pride on the line but a path to the BIG12 championship game could be on the line here as well.

WEEK 8 PLAYS

Vandy -1.5

Georgia Tech +2.5

Georgia -7

Texas A&M/Arkansas OVER 58.5

USC +9.5

Auburn ML +102

Vandy -1.5

While I’ve been high on LSU all year long, I can’t make plays based on emotion. Vanderbilt hasn’t been favored against another SEC team since 1978! The books are trying to tell us something. Besides that Vandy has one of if not the best OL in the country! Currently they rank #1 averaging 6.7 yards per carry and due to their ability to stay ahead of the chains they rank #2 nationally in converting on 3rd down at over 56% of the time. Vandy is home for a noon game against a ranked LSU so you know Pavia will have them up. LSU has struggled to move the ball consistently on offense especially on the ground. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up with Vandy’s offense and Vandy won’t need to see the End Zone too many times.

Georgia Tech +2.5

This is a respect play more than anything. When it comes down to this game you can analyze all you want but it’s really a coin flip. That shows with the line movement. This game opened with Duke as a 3 pt favorite but has come down and gone back up. According to DK 59% of the handle is on Duke while only 24% of the bets. I’ve been hearing a lot of people on Duke here but I just can’t do it. Out of respect for Brent Key and Haynes King’s GRIT, I have to plant my flag. The key to this game is Time of Possession and avoiding turnovers. If Georgia Tech can grind it out like we know they do and just “Run the damn ball” as Brent Key says, they’ll be fine. While Duke’s passing offense is explosive under Darian Mensah they rank 112th in Time of Possession nationally. Throwing away drives will come at cost against this Tech team especially since Duke’s defense ranks 109th in opp 3rd down conversion. The Blue Devils will have some flashy plays but Haynes King will limp his way to victory like he always does.

Georgia -7

At 7.5 I debated but I’ll take it at 7. First off, can’t see Georgia losing at home for a second time this season, that just won’t happen. Ole Miss is also king of getting off to a hot start and splattering egg all over their face before they get to the actual Eggbowl against Mississippi State. Georgia has started slow in first halves all year long yadda yadda. If there’s any coach I’d expect to right his wrongs and have his team rolling in a spot like this it’s Kirby Smart. Georgia’s defense hasn’t been getting home a ton with sacks but their run defense is impenetrable. Ole Miss has an explosive offense that relies heavily on Kewan Lacy opening it up with the run game. The Rebels also rank 125th nationally in penalty yards against averaging over 70+ penalty yards a game! With a freshman QB in his first road start at Sanford Stadium against angry Kirby Smart looking to get revenge for last year? Yeah I know where I’ll lay my money. Keep an eye out for Time of Possession in this one. Ole Miss plays at extreme tempo and Georgia will look to limit their chances at explosive plays by being methodical on offense. As long as Georgia maintains that steady run D and monitors TOP we’ll be in good shape.

Texas A&M/Arkansas OVER 58.5

Both teams are 4-2 to the over. Arkansas has NO DEFENSE what so ever. A&M has proven all season they could score in a multitude of ways. Taylen Green has been sensational on offense and Bobby Petrino is willing this team into the end zone. The line being a TD and a hook is enough for me to believe Arkansas is going to test them. If Arkansas is in the game it won’t be because it’s a rock fight.

USC +9.5

I can’t believe this spread 9.5?! Simply too many points. USC is one of the best offenses in the country across most categories. While ND’s offense has been good, they’re not close to what USC is doing. I keep hearing much ND has improved but against who? A bad NC State team with a lucky win over UVA? or a sub-standard Boise State team that can’t compete with the top of the G5? Yeah ND’s defense improved slightly but last time they saw an offense even close to this they gave up 40! This is a rivalry game that runs deep and USC will be up for it. They also rank 7th in the nation in sacks and will cause havoc for CJ Carr this game. The Trojans will be live here and can win this game outright. Not to mention this is a do or die game, loser of this one won’t have a chance at the playoff.

Auburn ML +102

Just hold your nose and take this play. Mizzou’s offense is highly dependent on the run game. Auburn has one of the best run defenses in the country only allowing 2.6 YPC. Neutralizing Hardy is what Bama did to beat this Mizzou team. Add in the fact Auburn is home and due for a big win I like the spot. Missouri played tight with Bama but I’m not sold on them yet as this will be their first game on the road. Auburn also ranks #15th in the nation in sack percentage is will cause havoc for Pribula. Auburn gets a big win here and Cam Coleman has some presence in this one.