We've reached the halfway point of the College Football Season and there are still so many questions on which teams will make their way into the playoffs. Week 8 brings us a fantastic set of games, many of which will help to clear up this playoff picture. It's time for some teams to make a statement and separate themselves from the rest. Before we get to all that, I do need to give a quick recap and analysis from the Huskers' win on the road at Maryland last week. I've got my GOOD, EXPECTED and BAD breakdown below. Enjoy Week 8 of College Football!
GOOD - Emmett Johnson and 4th Quarter Dylan Raiola. Starting with the Husker QB, he's really been great all season long, but when looking at his 4th quarter stats alone, he's been sensational. Against the 3 BIG 10 opponents, he's 24-33 (72.7%) with 267 yards and 3 TDs while leading 4 TD drives and 3 FG drives. That is elite level QB play. If Raiola can continue this level of play, especially in the 4th quarter of BIG 10 games, Nebraska could make a serious run into playoff contention with the remaining schedule. Combine that with the absolute BEAST that Emmett Johnson is at running back, and the Nebraska offense could finish as a top 20 offense in the nation. Johnson racked up 196 yards of total offense against the Terps and has been the most reliable source of offense for the Huskers through the first half of the year. Keep feeding him Huskers, let Emmett run wild!
EXPECTED - Maryland QB Malik Washington putting on a show. Despite the Huskers big win, I want to tip my cap to Malik Washington for his performance. The freshman QB was dynamic all afternoon, throwing for 249 yards and 1 TD with a 72.9% completion rate. He rushed for another 23 yards and extended multiple drives and plays with his scrambling abilities. Washington spread the ball around to 8 different receivers on the Terps' squad and kept the chains moving with the offense going 7-15 on third down. He's going to be fun to watch not just through this season, but for years to come. Terps better get ready to pay him because he will be sought after quickly with NIL deals in the Portal.
BAD - Interceptions. I've given Dylan his flowers, but now is time for some critique. After a strong start to the season, he's thrown five interceptions in the last three games and had three of them against the Terps, one of which went for a touchdown. There have been a few other throws that probably should've been picks over those games too and this is an area Nebraska cannot afford to play poorly in. The Huskers are not dominating teams enough to give away multiple possessions a game. I'll give Maryland some credit as they are the top team in the nation with 12 picks and 3 of them going for touchdowns, but Raiola needs to take care of the ball as the Huskers head further into conference play.
Week 7 Record: 15 - 5
Overall Record: 114 - 40
Week 8 Predictions:
Louisville at #2 Miami
Week 8 action kicks off with a loaded Friday night that includes a spicy ACC battle in addition to my Huskers on the road at Minnesota. The Cardinals are at #2 Miami and could be in for a trap game. The Cardinals rank 12th in total defense and could easily be unbeaten had they not botched the Virginia game 2 weeks ago. Both teams are coming off a BYE week and each offense has done well to put up points this season. Miami has been dominant on the line of scrimmage though, allowing just 6 sacks all season. Miller Moss has been much better with the Cards than his days at USC, but Carson Beck has been playing at an elite level through the season thus far and I think Miami's defense should make a couple of big stops. Give me the 'Canes in a battle at home 36-27.
#10 LSU at #17 Vanderbilt
Vandy welcomes a top 10 LSU squad into Nashville, and for the first time since 1948, they're favored against the Bayou Bengals! QB Diego Pavia is a big reason for that as he leads this gritty offense to their top 20 total offense ranking and has them averaging 43.2 points per game. LSU's defense has yet to give up more than 24 points in a game, but their offense hasn't scored more than 20 against a P4 opponent. The Tigers shut down South Carolina last week, but Vanderbilt has proven to be a different beast, and they've been sitting on their Alabama loss for 2 weeks as they come out of a BYE. They went toe-to-toe with the Tide, and with some better throw decisions from Pavia in the red zone, that could've been a different game. This team is on a war path and I wouldn't want to be in their way. Offensively for LSU, QB Garrett Nussmeier has struggled in conference play, completing just 59.6% of his passes with a 4 TD and 4 INT ratio against SEC opponents. Combining that with a lack of a rushing attack and you can understand why LSU's offense has been questioned by the media. Give me the Commodores at home 30-20.
#12 Georgia Tech at Duke
The Yellow Jackets and Blue Devils square off to see who can keep their perfect conference record intact. Duke was initially written off by me (and plenty of other CFB analysts) following their early season losses to Illinois and Tulane, but have 3 ACC wins in a row scoring 45, 38 and 45 points. Darian Mensah has found some rhythm with his offense and has a 15:2 TD to INT ratio to prove it. For the Yellow Jackets, they've been tested a bit in the last couple of weeks, but have found ways to keep their record unblemished. You know what they're going to bring to the game, they have a bully-ball mentality on the line of scrimmage and look to push teams around in the run game. Duke is in the upper middle of the pack in terms of rush defense, so I'm anxious to watch how they handle Haynes King and Jamal Haynes pounding the rock behind one of the one of the best offensive lines in the country. They will need to take care of the ball though, as Duke's defense has 12 takeaways on the season and have a +5 turnover margin on the season. Duke could certainly make this spicy, but I'm riding with Georgia Tech until the wheels fall off the Ramblin' Wreck. Yellow Jackets 28, Blue Devils 24.
Washington at Michigan
Michigan plays host to Washington as both teams look to keep their name toward the top of the BIG 10 list. The Wolverines were beaten soundly out in LA 31-13 by USC, mustering just 109 rushing yards on the ground. The Huskies rank 7th in rush defense an have already held the Buckeyes to 149 on the ground. Having watched this Michigan squad against Nebraska, it's clear Bryce Underwood is extremely talented, but also very young. Again, this is just his 7th college football game, and Washington's defense will be tough to move on, especially if Justice Haynes can't get the ground game going. As for the Dubs' offense, I would expect a heavy dose of RB Jonah Coleman. Sophomore QB Demond Williams Jr. gets a lot of praise (as he should), but in my opinion the true x-factor for the Huskies is Coleman. He's racked up 11 rushing TDs to go with 518 yards so far this season and averages 5.4 yards per carry. Michigan is typically stout against the run, but USC dropped 224 rush yards on the Wolverines, most of which came from backup RB King Miller after Waymond Jordan went down with an injury. If Washington can get a ground game with Coleman established, Michigan will have a tough time defending the dual-threat ability of Williams, especially in play-action. Give me Washington with a statement on the road in the Big House. Huskies beat the Wolverines 27-21.
Michigan State at #3 Indiana (Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon)
James Franklin may not be the only BIG 10 coach fired in the next couple of weeks as Sparty fans are not pleased with Jonathan Smith in East Lansing. Michigan State has lost 3 straight to start conference play and now travel to Bloomington to take on Indiana who arguably has a claim to the #1 ranking in the nation. Regardless, I don't think the Brass Spittoon is going anywhere as Indiana looks to flex their muscles after extending Curt Cignetti's contract and making him one of the highest paid coaches in the nation this past week. The Hoosiers won by 37 last year and it could be worse this year. Aiden Chiles will be under a lot of heat and I've got Indiana big. This could prompt the Jonathan Smith firing as Indiana will bury Sparty 52-10.
Baylor at TCU (Bluebonnet Battle)
Both teams are still dangerous contenders in the Big XII race, especially when Sawyer Robertson and Joshua Hoover are playing at their best. These two are leading the nation as the top two passers with Robertson throwing for 2,058 yards and a 19:4 TD to INT ratio, followed closely by Hoover with 1,893 yards 18 TDs and 6 interceptions. The respective pass defenses for these teams tend to struggle, so I would expect a high-scoring affair for this Big XII classic. Multiple times I've picked each of these teams in key games and they've let me down. From watching both I think Baylor has the higher ceiling, and even on the road I'll take them to win a close one. Sic 'Em Bears for a 38-34 thriller.
#14 Oklahoma at South Carolina
John Mateer's return against Texas was plagued by miscues as he threw three interceptions. Despite the hand still in recovery, I think most of those mistakes were mental based due to missing so much practice time. With a week back in the saddle, I expect him to have a much better command of this offense against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are spiraling with a 1-3 conference record and begin a gauntlet over the next few weeks with Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M on the schedule. If they don't steal this one, there's a very high possibility of finishing with 1 SEC win by the end of the season. LaNorris Sellers has been a bit banged up this year, limiting his effectiveness. He's also limited help from his playmakers as this offense has gone a bit stagnant. I expect Oklahoma's defense to get pressure early and often, hopefully forcing some turnovers as that's one of the few areas they need to improve in defensively. Boomer Sooner 30-21.
#4 Texas A&M at Arkansas (Southwest Classic)
I think Texas A&M is the best team in the SEC and they're about to showcase it against their rival Arkansas. Bobby Petrino had the hogs playing well against Tennessee but ultimately fell short. Unfortunately for him, the Aggie's defense rank 19th in total defense as opposed to Tennessee's 101st ranking. Texas A&M is efficient when you watch this team defensively. There's not a lot of wasted movement with their linebackers and defensively linemen flowing to the run game, and the secondary always seems to be in good position to either make a play on the ball or the tackle. They rank 1st in the nation with just a hair over 20% of third down's being converted on the Aggies. Offensively, Marcel Reed still has plenty more of his game to develop before he's an elite QB, but he takes care of the ball and puts his playmakers in position to get yards after the catch. This offense is improving by the week, and when you have a lock down defense you'll continue to win games. Hogs get shut down by the Aggies defense and Texas A&M wins 34-20.
#5 Ole Miss at #9 Georgia
Two top 10 teams meet between the hedges as Ole Miss travels to Athens to take on Georgia. The Bulldogs survived their trip to Auburn last week, but a few questionable calls may have helped them out. Their only loss is the Alabama at home, but we haven't seen the traditional dominance from Georgia this year as we've come to known over the last few seasons. They rank 52nd in total offense and have been very mediocre in most every stat category throughout the season. Ole Miss has a dynamic QB at the helm with Trinidad Chambliss, and his legs should be a big factor in this one. I'm not convinced Ole Miss is the best team in the SEC, but with a better Oline and a defense holding opponents to 19.2 points per game, they have a great opportunity for a statement win here. I'm leaning toward the Rebels despite being on the road. If they get hot quickly, I don't believe Georgia has the offense to keep pace in a shootout. Ole Miss wins a big one on the road 31-24.
UNLV at Boise State
The Rebels have been playing with fire, gasoline and dryer lint each and every week of the seasons, but still find themselves unbeaten and atop the early standings of the Mountain West Conference. Now they travel to the reigning champs as the Broncos host on the Blue Turf. Boise has looked good offensively in conference play, but the defense has been another question. I expect a lot of points in this one as both rank 74th (Boise) and 111th (UNLV) in points allowed per game. Give me the home team with a shootout win 41-30. Go Broncos!
#7 Texas Tech at Arizona State
Other than a road trip to K-State and BYU at home, this is arguably the toughest game left on the Red Raider schedule. The Sun Devils are coming off a beat down at the hands of Utah, and are still unsure if Sam Leavitt will be back in the line up or not. Jeff Sims started last week against the Utes and Arizona State's offense amassed just 273 total yards with 10 points. Texas Tech may be without their starting QB as Behren Morton left the game last week against Kansas. Freshman Will Hammond has stepped in well multiple times this season and with the Red Raider defense suffocating opponents, I trust him much more than Jeff Sims. Guns Up, Wreck 'Em! Texas Tech 34, Arizona State 17.
Mississippi State at Florida
The Bulldogs have been so close, but still can't capture that elusive SEC conference win. Florida is once again trying to save their season and Billy Napier's job, but the writing may be on the wall for that already. Regardless, they've got a football game to play and Mississippi State comes in averaging more than 33 points per game. Florida's strength this season has been the defense, allowing just 19.8 points per game. Offensively they're still a mess, but playing at home always helps. Gators Chomp the Bulldogs in the Swamp 27-17.
Penn State at Iowa
The Nittany Lions season is in complete disarray from just a couple of weeks ago as they've fired HC James Franklin after losing 3 straight games. They've also lost veteran QB Drew Allar for the season to injury. Now they travel to Kinnick Stadium for a night game against the Hawkeyes. There certainly won't me much to watch for pass game enthusiasts with this one, but if you love defense welcome to BIG 10 country. I'm really curious to see if Penn State will get off the mat for this game because this season could spiral completely out of control in the back half. Iowa will do their normal things, solid defense with little to no offense yet somehow be in the mix to win things late due to a Penn State mistake. I'd like to see the Nittany Lions bounce back with some life, and I always enjoy picking against Iowa. Let's go Penn State 23, Iowa 17.
#11 Tennessee at #6 Alabama (Third Saturday in October)
It's the third Saturday in October, which means we have Bama and Tennessee. The Vols find themselves in the SEC mix, but have to visit T-Town to try and get a step closer. They haven't won at Bryant Denny Stadium since 2003, and have a very difficult Alabama team to deal with here in 2025. Ty Simpson has been one of the best QB's in the nation since the opening week loss against Florida State, throwing for 16 TDs and just 1 pick on the season while completing more than 70% of his passes. Vols QB Joey Augilar has been dynamic as well, throwing for 14 TDs with 5 picks on the season. Bama could be without star running back Jam Miller, so the Vols could look to bring extra pressure on Simpson. Defensively I'm anxious to see how Alabama deals with Augilar because they have yet to be fully tested in the secondary. The Vols rank 7th in pass offense in the nation, so look for a couple of big plays downfield. This should be a fun one in the history of the rivalry, but I trust Bama at home to get things done. Look for Simpson to move the pocket with his legs and avoid pressure. Roll Tide 36-31.
#16 Missouri at Auburn
Two of the SEC's Tigers meet in Jordan Hare Stadium as Mizzou goes on the road to take on Auburn. After a close loss at home against Bama, this is a key game for Missouri as they look to get back on track in the SEC. They've got a couple of tricky games coming up and Auburn is on a 3-game skid. The War Eagle Tigers had Georgia on the ropes last week, but some questionable officiating and a scoreless second half led to another loss and the temperature of Hugh Freeze's seat being turned up. Defensively both squads have been better than I initially predicted, ranking 16th (Missouri) and 18th (Auburn) in scoring defense. Points could be hard to come by in this one, but I was very impressed by Missouri's fight against Alabama, especially how they moved the ball on their scoring drives. If they get out to a fast start I'm not sure Auburn can keep up. Missouri wins the battle of the Tigers 24-20.
#20 USC at #13 Notre Dame (Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh)
The Trojans and Irish meet for what looks to be another classic in the rivalry with both teams ranked in the top 20. Notre Dame doesn't have many big wins to hang their hat on this season, so beating a ranked USC team would certainly give a boost to their resume. USC is back into the BIG 10 mix after last week's win over Michigan, but if they want to get to the Playoffs, they need a statement win against last year's runner-up. The Trojans were able to shut down Michigan's run game last week, holding the Wolverines to just 109 yards on the ground. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are two of the best backs in the nation, combining for more than 950 yards and 15 TDs while averaging 5.3 and 6.7 yards per carry respectively. USC will need to be sound in their rush defense on the line of scrimmage for the second week in a row and force CJ Carr to throw the ball. Carr has been very impressive as a first-year QB, especially with taking care of the ball. He's got a 13:3 TD to INT ratio and does well to stay out of harms away. He'll need to make sure the offense is humming in this one though as USC looks to put pressure on him early like they did with Bryce Underwood, sacking him 3 times last week. Road games have always been a tricky spot for Lincoln Riley, especially in the BIG 10. However, he's got a veteran QB in Jayden Maiava and Notre Dame's secondary has been torn apart for an average of 245 yards per game, ranking 106th in the nation. USC's RB room is banged up with Waymond Jordan out, but I like the Trojans for an upset victory on the road. Fight On! USC 36, Notre Dame 33.
#23 Utah at #15 BYU (Holy War: Battle for the Beehive Boot)
An in-state rivalry with major Big XII Conference implications and a Boot inside of a Beehive on the line. Utah and BYU meet in Provo, UT for the Holy War and with the Cougars still unbeaten, the Utes need to win this to get back on the inside track to the conference title game. BYU QB Bear Bachmeier and crew pulled one out of the fire against Arizona on the road last week, but face a Ute squad with a much tougher defense. Both defenses have been impressive in the first half of the season, and I expect both QB's to be tested as Devon Dampier will continue to lead things for Utah. I really see this game going either way, but it's time to see if BYU is for real. I said Utah would rematch with Texas Tech in the Big XII title game, so I'll take the Utes and see if the Cougars can prove me wrong. Utah 26, BYU 24.
#25 Nebraska at Minnesota (Battle for the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy)
The Huskers are back in the top 25 and now take that ranking on the road to Minneapolis on a short week for the Friday night game on FOX. There's a Broken Chair trophy on the line and Emmett Johnson had this game circled on his calendar and the Husker RB looks to make a statement in his homecoming to the Twin Cities. He's averaging 6.2 yards per carry and ranks 2nd in the BIG 10 in rushing. Minnesota ranks 28th in rush defense, so they will put the test to Emmett Johnson and the Husker Oline. This is where Raiola needs to continue his impressive play and try to cut down on the interceptions. Defensively for the Blackshirts, Minnesota is led by two fabulous freshmen at QB and RB. The Drake Lindsay/Fame Ijeobi duo has had a strong start to their careers in the twin cities, leading the Gophers to a 4-2 record. Lindsay especially has been fun to watch, throwing for nearly 1,300 yards with 9 TDs and 3 picks while also leading the 4th quarter comeback against Purdue last week. This game was one that I had as a potential loss for Nebraska early in the season, especially with the short week on the road. The Huskers always seem to struggle in this stadium as well, but I'll be in attendance and hope to see the same 4th quarter dominance we've seen over the last few weeks. Feed Emmett Johnson and hopefully the Blackshirts can get some pressure to make Lindsay uncomfortable early in the game. Nebraska wins the chair 37-28 and don't forget to donate to defeat childhood cancer with the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Link. GO BIG RED!
Quick Hit Predictions:
North Carolina at Cal - Bill Belichick is about to learn the hard way what the Calgorithm is all about. Golden Bears 31, Tar Heels 21.
#1 Ohio State at Wisconsin - It's nearly impossible to understand how Luke Fickell still has a job at Wisconsin right now, but Ohio State should finish his tenure there. The Badgers can't move and the Buckeyes should have no issues. Ohio State 45, Wisconsin 14
Arizona at Houston - The Wildcats nearly pulled the upset on BYU last week, but couldn't close it out at home. The defense was shaky late in the game, but Noah Fafita was impressive as he's been all season long. I'll ride with him and Arizona pulls off a good looking road victory against an under appreciated Houston team. Wildcats 33, Cougars 30.
SMU at Clemson - The Ponies travel to Death Valley to rematch the Tigers from the ACC Championship. Clemson held off the SMU comeback and found their way into the Playoffs by way of a game-winning field goal in the ACC Championship last year. Both teams have fallen off a bit from that, especially Clemson, but playing at home is always a boost. Kevin Jennings needs a bit more help on offense in games like this, but I sold all my Clemson stock a few weeks ago and I'm taking the Ponies for an upset on the road. This defense is still stingy and can force some Clemson turnovers. SMU is +5 while Clemson is -4 in turnover margin, so look for that to be the difference maker. Pony Up as SMU wins 30-23.
#8 Oregon at Rutgers - Dan Lanning knowns how to get his team to respond after a loss. Despite the long travel, I've got the Ducks putting up a lot of points in this game while Rutgers just won't be able to keep pace. Oregon 48, Rutgers 14.
Maryland at UCLA - In a somewhat meaningless game by conference title race standards, we do have two dynamic QBs to watch. Nico Iamaleava and the Bruins have had a resurgence since the firing of Deshaun Foster, scoring 80 points over the past two weeks. Maryland is coming off back-to-back losses at home, but Malik Washington has been fabulous in both games. I think Maryland is the better team overall, but traveling East to West is not easy. I'll give them the nod because I don't think the UCLA resurgence will last much longer as their schedule difficultly increases. Terps 34, Bruins 31.
Thanks for reading my Week 8 Predictions and enjoy a fantastic weekend of College Football! GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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