NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 8 PREDICTIONS & BEST BETS

If you thought you had the college football landscape figured out, Week 7 just tore up your betting slip and tossed it in the trash. It was a weekend defined by absolute chaos and jaw-dropping upsets, headlined by Auburn marching into Sanford Stadium and shocking the world against Georgia between the hedges. That’s the beauty and the brutality of this sport—nobody is safe on any given Saturday, and the underdogs are barking louder than ever. But as the dust settles from a slate that shook up the rankings and ruined parlays nationwide, it is time to turn our attention to Week 8. The stakes are getting higher, conference races are tightening, and teams are either looking to build on massive momentum or desperately bounce back from heartbreaking letdowns. Let's dive into the matchups and find the edge for this weekend's slate.

18 LSU vs. Auburn

Records: #18 LSU (5-2) vs. Auburn (4-2)

Matchup Data: 65°F Sunny | Spread: LSU -7.5 | Total: 51.5

Auburn shocked the entire country with one of the biggest upsets of the year by beating Georgia in between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. I’ll say it, that’s the most impressive win any team has got this year. Now, Auburn will look to keep that momentum going vs a tough LSU team, fresh off of dismantling Mississippi State, albeit without Kamario Taylor. Has LSUs defense turned a corner? Has the Byrum Brown led Auburn offense turned a corner? This game all of a sudden has a lot of intrigue and could have major SEC implications. I think this will be a tightly contested defensive battle, with LSU coming out on top by a narrow margin.

Score: LSU 24, AUBURN 21

Best Bet: Under 51.5

6 Indiana vs. Michigan

Records: #6 Indiana (6-1) vs. Michigan (4-2)

Matchup Data: 57°F Sunny | Spread: IU -7 | Total: 41.5

Indiana will look to bounce back on the road versus Michigan, who announced Tommy Carr, the grandson of great Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, will be starting at QB in place of Bryce Underwood. Underwood, along wth DJ Lagway, makes it two consecutive years that a former number one quarterback recruit has struggled. Lagway ended up transferring from Florida to Baylor after two disappointing seasons, and it looks like Underwood is on that same trajectory. It will be interesting to see where he lands. Maybe Curt Cignetti could turn him around? Regarding the game. I expect Indiana to come out amped up after losing to Ohio State by mere inches and unleash their frustration and exotic looks on the inexperienced QB. Oh, and by the way, Curt Cignetti has an astounding 47-3 career record in games after he lost the week before. Yeah. I’ll take Indiana.

Score: Indiana 27, Michigan 3

Best Bet: Indiana -7

2 BYU vs. UCF

Records: #2 BYU (6-0) vs. UCF (3-3)

Matchup Data: 79°F | Spread: BYU -6.5 | Total: 43.5

BYU is number 2… Insane. Can we slow down the hype train a little bit? I get that they beat a very talented Notre Dame team at home but Notre Dame didn’t exactly play their cleanest game of the year and arguably their best defensive player was ejected 5 plays into the game… The Mormons will have to go door-to-door a little more for me to become a true believer. Fortunately, BYU won’t have to deal with Alonza Barnett III at QB for UCF, as he continues to battle with a hamstring injury. However, the Bounce House is a dangerous place to play and is known fr its upsets. You can be sure that stadium will be rockin. I think BYU has a classic let down game and isn’t as sharp. I like BYU to win but UCF to cover.

Score: BYU 23, UCF 17

BEST BET: UCF +6.5

11 Tennessee vs. South Carolina

Records: #11 Tennessee (6-1) vs. South Carolina (3-3)

Matchup Data: 69°F | Spread: SC -2.5 | Total: 50.5

Tennessee dismantled Alabama at home last week using a stroud defense and their home crowd advantage to stifle Keelon Russell and the Tide offense. For South Carolina, their bye week probably couldn’t have come at a worse time, considering how they dismantled Florida two weeks ago. Usually I like teams to do well coming in off bye weeks in college, but not this time. I think Tennessee’s defense will stifle LaNorris Sellers and win in Columbia.

Score: TENN 26, SCAR 20

BEST BET: TENN +2.5

15 Iowa vs. Minnesota

Records: #15 Iowa (5-1) vs. Minnesota (4-2)

Matchup Data: 73°F | Spread: IOWA -6.5 | Total: 40.5

Both of these teams come in off bye weeks looking to take home the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. In case you don’t know what the Floyd of Rosedale is, it’s a giant 98 lb bronze pig trophy. The origin of this trophy goes way back to 1935, when the governor of Minnesota and Iowa wagered a live pig on the winner of the game between the two schools. The only thing that would make the Floyd of Rosedale better is if it were 98 lbs of bacon. I’m sure the hogs at Iowa and Minnesota would love that. These two teams share a similar identity and toughness, but I think Iowa has a little bit more size and athleticism to separate themselves. If you’re a fan of old school football, this one’s for you.

Score: Iowa 31, Minnesota 20

Best Bet: Over 40.5

7 Ole Miss vs. #19 Texas

Records: #7 Ole Miss (5-1) vs. #19 Texas (4-2)

Matchup Data: Spread: TEX -3.5 | Total: 41.5

She’s from Texas I can telllllll by the way, their national championship hopes are fading out the room… Ok, no more Ella Langley impersonations. I’m sure Arch Manning might be regretting choosin’ Texas over those other schools. Unfortunately, part of being in the spotlight means that there’s no hiding from the bad stuff. In response to back to back losses, Coach Sarkisian has increased the reps of backup QB KJ Lacey Jr. We’ll see if this is just a scare tactic to motivate Manning, or if Texas is desperate enough to make the switch. This tells me that Manning might not be making the correct reads, which is a scary thought considering the level of talent in the SEC. One thing’s for sure… there’s turmoil in Texas. Ole Miss on the other hand absolutely dismantled Missouri at home, and reminded everyone how serious they should be taken as national title contenders. All signs in this game are pointing to Ole Miss. Because this season has made absolutely zero sense, I’m going to roll with Texas. Considering that Texas is already favored, I might wait right up until kickoff if possible to place the wager on Texas. I expect the spread to shift in favor of Ole Miss quite a bit.

Score: Texas 31, Ole Miss 28

Best Bet: Texas Moneyline

16 USC vs. Wisconsin

Records: #16 USC (6-1) vs. Wisconsin (4-2)

Matchup Data: Spread: USC -3.0 | Total: 49.5

Wisconsin faces another LA team for the 2nd week in a row, but this time at home. USC should be well rested for their trip to Madison as they sat idle last week. USC already knocked off Penn State on the road earlier this year in the primetime slot, so the spotlight won’t be too bright for the Trojans. The biggest test for USC will be stopping Wisconsin’s running game, which was stifled by UCLA last week. I expect USC to rise to the occasion, considering they have had an extra week to game plan.

Score: USC 27, WISCONSIN 17

Best Bet: USC Moneyline

North Dakota State vs. New Mexico

Records: NDSU (6-1) vs. New Mexico (5-1)

Matchup Data: Spread: UNM -4.5 | Total: 41.0

Analysis: This is a matchup us college football nerds dream about. Preseason Mountain West Favorite New Mexico hosts upstart and FCS newbie North Dakota State, who just seems to win at every single level of football. Both of these coaches expect this to be a very physical game, and so does Vegas, considering the line is at 41. Both defenses rate a 90 per PFF, and I expect the same. Give me New Mexico in a rock fight.

Score: New Mexico 20, NDSU 17

14 Houston vs. #10 Utah

Records: #14 Houston (6-1) vs. #10 Utah (6-0)

Matchup Data: Spread: UTAH -6.5 | Total: 56.5

It’s about time the Big 12 heated up. Houston was able to knock off Oklahoma State last week in a shootout, while Utah escaped Boulder with a win against a mediocre at best Colorado team. Maybe Utah was looking ahead? Either way, I think Houston has played the tougher schedule so far, and I expect them to keep it close. Screw it, Utah, you have a problem.

Score: Houston 27, Utah 26

Best Bet: Houston +6.5