Week 8 Predictions

      Happy Saturday Football Fans and welcome to Week 8! The Week 7 slate did not disappoint last week, but we could see even better games this week. Plus, my Huskers are playing so it's already a step up. I will have predictions for all the games you should know about this weekend along with a few of the best bets you can make as part of my "Perfect Parlay" for the week. Enjoy the picks and your college football Saturday.

Week 7 Results: 15 - 4

Overall Results: 88 - 39

Week 8 Predictions:

#6 Miami at Louisville (Battle for the Schnellenberger Trophy)

     The Cardiac 'Canes take their unbeaten record on the road again as Louisville looks to upset the top team in the ACC. There's a pair of Howard's Schnellenberger's actual boots that have been bronzed up for grabs as the two teams honor their former coach. A stellar QB battle will take place as Cam Ward and Tyler Shough sling it all over the place. Ward has more than 2,200 yards with 20 TDs and just 5 picks while Shough has nearly 1,700 yards with 14 TDs and 3 picks. They are both great to watch, and I could see this game with a lot of points. Miami seems like they can't lose this season, so I'll take the 'Canes to win this one 31-21.

Arizona State at Cincinnati

     Ex-Husker Quarterback Jeff Sims is set to start for the Sun Devils, so Cincy once again has an opportunity for turnovers in this one. They're just +1 on the season, but from witnessing the Jeff Sims experience first-hand, that number can increase for a defense quickly. However, Sims does have a very stellar back to rely on in Cam Skattebo. The Senior is averaging just under 6 yards per carry with over 1,000 total yards this season, both receiving and rushing with 8 TDs. He's rushed for 360 yards in the past two weeks and is the game breaker in this one. Give me the Sun Devils behind another big Skattebo performance. Arizona State 26, Cincy 21.

Louisiana at Coastal Carolina

     There's still a lot to be decided in the Sun Belt Conference, and two of the best are set to battle in Conway, SC. The Chanticleers need to bounce back after being crushed by JMU 39-7 last week, while Louisiana handled Appalachian State 34-24. Coastal really struggled to get their run game going, but that will be a big deciding factor in today's game. The Ragin' Cajuns rank 71st in the nation, so there is ground to be gained. I like the Chanticleers coming back home, but this should be a close game. Coastal Carolina wins 28-24.

North Texas at Memphis

     The Mean Green & Tigers are both looking to keep pace with Army & Navy in the American conference race and need this win. Memphis is trying to get back into G5 playoff picture. Both offenses can put up points quickly, and Senior RB Mario Anderson Jr. is a problem to deal with on the Tigers' side. He's rushed for 456 yards with 8 TDs this season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. The Mean Green are led by Chandler Morris on offense, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards, 20 TDs and 7 picks. The Memphis defense is my key to watch in this game. They rank 21st in total defense and have a +8 turnover margin this season. Tigers win it with turnovers 36-24.

#7 Alabama at #11 Tennessee

     It's the third Saturday in October, which means the winner of Alabama & Tennessee gets to smoke victory cigars on Rocky Top this evening. Both teams have struggled the last couple weeks and need this win to stay toward the top of the SEC race with a lot of schedule still left. For Alabama, their offense needs to be more creative. Right now they have two plays: Jalen Milroe run or Jalen Milroe pass to Ryan Williams. They have so many weapons, but being able to get them the ball effectively in space has been very tricky. Tennessee needs to lean on their run game and feed Dylan Sampson to take pressure off of QB Nico Iamaleava. Sampson averages 5.9 yards per carry and has rushed for 100+ in every game this season separate of Oklahoma and has racked up 15 TDs. The rest of the Vols' offense has not done much in recent weeks so this game is all about who gets out of the funk quicker. I am not fully convinced on either squad yet, but I'll take the tide to win at Rocky Top. They have too much dominance in this rivalry, but this should be a good one. Roll Tide 30-24.

#12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech

     The Fighting Irish travel to Atlanta to take on the very upset-minded Rambling Wreck. The Yellow Jackets have been battle tested throughout the ACC thus far in the season, but Notre Dame is looking to stay in the playoff hunt and needs quality wins. Georgia Tech ranks 23rd in the nation against the run, so Riley Leonard and crew will have their work cut out for them. Defensively is where Notre Dame holds the edge, especially with 16 sacks on the season. They need to find a way to get pressure though because they've only given up once sack all season, that's the best protection in the nation. Haynes King is out again this week with an injury, but Irish need to be careful in this one because GT can get their offense moving quick if you don't get them off script. I'll take the Irish close on the road 28-20.

#24 Michigan at #22 Illinois

     The Wolverines are trying out a third QB in Senior Jack Tuttle as they travel to Champagne to take on Illinois. Michigan is coming off a BYE and Illinois is coming off a 1-point OT Thriller after nearly losing to Purdue. The Big Blue still have a dominant defense, but Luke Altmeyer has been hot all season long. He still has just 1 pick while throwing 14 TDs and completing 67.7% of his passes. Turnovers will be the difference maker in this one and the squads are -4 (Michigan) and +4 (Illinois). Can't believe this is the case, but give me the Fighting Illini to beat the Wolverines. Illinois wins at home 27-24.

Colorado at Arizona

     The Buffs travel to the desert to take on Arizona in an offensive shootout waiting to happen. Shedeur Sanders and the Buffs average nearly 400 yards per game and Arizona has potential to do the same. Both teams feature two of the best wideouts in the nation with Travis Hunter and Tetaiora McMillan. We could even see them line up against each other when Travis Hunter is on defense. Coming into the season, I had high hopes for the Wildcats' offense, but Noah Fafita has struggled with turnovers, throwing 9 interceptions so far this year. Give me the Prime Time Buffs to win on the road 34-31.

#8 LSU at Arkansas (Battle for the Golden Boot)

     The Tigers and Hogs battle for the Golden Boot trophy in the shape of the two states of Arkansas and Louisiana. The Tigers are coming off a big win at home against Ole Miss, but now deal with an Arkansas team that has already knocked off Tennessee a couple of weeks ago and are healthy off a BYE. Garrett Nussmeier is basically all of the offense for LSU as their run game has been less than mediocre this season. The Hogs' defense allows just 33% of opponent third downs to be converted while the Tigers average a conversion rate of 48%. I've got LSU on upset watch, but they win the Golden Boot by beating the Hogs 26-21.

#17 Kansas State at West Virginia

     The Wildcats are back in the Big XII race despite their beat down to BYU a few weeks ago but have another tough road test at West Virginia. They snuck out a late game victory against Colorado in Boulder last week and now head the other direction to the Appalachians. West Virginia has been a tough team all season long, but gave up some games with poor defensive tackling late in the game. You need everyone on your defense to tackle if you want to beat K-State, because the Wildcats average nearly 250 yards per game on the ground. Junior RB DJ Giddens made Colorado's defense look like swiss cheese last week with 182 yards on the ground by himself. I like West Virginia to hang around, but much like their game against Iowa State last week, K-State will pull away at the end with a rugged ground game. Cats win on the road for the second straight week 27-14.

#1 South Dakota State at #2 North Dakota State (Battle for the Dakota Marker)

     The two best FCS teams meet in the Fargo Dome for a Dakota Duel leading to the inside track to the #1 seed. Both teams have been rolling through their schedules since losing openers to FBS opponents. This is always a fun game to watch and is the first meeting between these two in a prime time slot on ESPN. Always love the Bison until they play my home state team. GO JACKS! SDSU wins the marker 37-34.

#5 Georgia at #1 Texas

     The Bulldogs and Longhorns meet for the first time as SEC opponents. Texas looks to roll with Quinn Ewers spinning the rock as he is back in his second game from an oblique injury. The offense has so many dynamic players and Georgia's defense will be tested once again. They were gashed by Alabama early in that game in Tuscaloosa, so look for them to put early pressure on Ewers to try and counter that. Offensively, it lies upon the shoulders of Carson Beck. I never have been very impressed by him as it's typically the weapons he has around him, but he'll need to make plays on his own in this game if they want to win. If Carson Beck can make some key plays with his legs, that will keep Texas' defense on their heels and open up more passing lanes. The Longhorns have all the hype and all the belief that they are the best team. Now is the time to prove it, but UGA doesn't lose often. Give me the Horns to stay unbeaten. Hook 'Em for 34-30.

Nebraska at #16 Indiana

     The Huskers are back in action against the undefeated Hoosiers on the road. Nebraska has not beaten a ranked team on the road since 2011, so history will need to be changed for the Huskers to win this game. Luckily, they've got a top notch defense and are fresh off a BYE week for an offense that needed to gather itself. The Blackshirts have yet to give up a rushing TD on the season, and slate up against the Indiana offense ranking 4th in the nation in total yards. They have not played much competition though, so this is arguably the first real test for the Hoosiers. Former JMU Coach Curt Cignetti now leads Indiana and has quickly brought his winning culture to Bloomington. This team is nasty up front, averaging over 5 yards per carry, very well disciplined, averaging just 5.8 penalties per game and they do not let off the gas. Nebraska needs to protect Dylan Raiola in this game and give him clean lanes to pass in. Husker Wideouts needs to create separation and be more aggressive like earlier games in the season. Without key offensive production, Nebraska won't be able to keep pace in this game, even with a solid performance from the Blackshirts. This is one of the games that has made me nervous on the schedule, so I hope I'm wrong. Indiana defeats Nebraska 27-21. I'll be cheering for the road upset so GO BIG RED!

Quick Hit Predictions:

Virginia at #10 Clemson - The Cavs couldn't quite hang on against the Cardinals last week and now travel to Death Valley against a Tiger team that is ROLLING. Clemson 40, Virginia 10.

Wisconsin at Northwestern - Badgers are starting to figure things out on offense and have dominated lower level opponents. Wisconsin 38, Northwestern 10.

South Carolina at Oklahoma - Gamecocks nearly mounted a comeback against Alabama and Oklahoma still doesn't have much for offense. Give me Rocket Sanders with a big game for the Gamecock victory 25-20.

USC at Maryland - Trojans are not adjusting well to BIG 10 play and now have to travel across the country to take on the Terps. Talent will win out here, but keep an eye on this game if Maryland gets some turnovers. Fight On as USC wins 33-24.

UCF at #9 Iowa State - The Cyclones are quietly rolling through the Big XII and have a favorable schedule to get to the Championship with little resistance. This defense is legit and they shut down UCF for a 27-14 victory.

Iowa at Michigan State - Somehow the Hawkeyes have an offense that can score, despite Cade McNamara being very limited by the forward passing concepts of modern college football. Kaleb Johnson is a menace though, and he'll rumble for a couple more scores. Iowa 28, Michigan State 14.

#21 SMU at Stanford - The Ponies are getting hot and could find their way into the ACC Championship if they keep on this pace. Give me more of SMU, they win 33-14 on the Farm.

TCU at Utah - Frogs off a BYE after getting smacked by Houston, Utes off the upset from Arizona State. Both teams need it, but I'll take Utah at home 20-13.

The Perfect Parlay:

1. Army -16 at home against East Carolina. The Black Knights have only one game on the season that has been within 20 points and that was their 17-point win against FAU. East Carolina gave up 55 to Charlotte two weeks ago ahead of their BYE. Don't mess with the military men, Army covers easy.

2. Navy -16 at home against Charlotte. Much like their rivals, the Midshipmen have just one game that was within two scores, their 12-point shootout with Memphis. Every other game has been dominated by the Mid-shipmen, and Charlotte gives up an average of 31.7 points per game. Navy also covers easy.

3. Iowa State - 13 at home against UCF. The Cyclones defense has been dominant this season, giving up just 11 points per game. The Knights of UCF have scored just 13 in each of their last two games. Combined with the offensive weapons Iowa State has and I like this cover by two TDs.

Thanks for reading my Week 8 Predictions and I hope you enjoy all the great football coming your way today. GO BIG RED!

#CFBKnowItAll

Alex Fernando