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Jackson's Week 8 college football predictions for all ranked games and top-25 matchups. His picks for Alabama vs. Vanderbilt, Miami vs. Florida State, and more.
Week 8 College Football Predictions
With the college football season in the thick of conference play, each week brings must-see slates and top matchups to the table. In Week 8, there are five ranked vs. ranked matchups, so the College Football Playoff picture will shift by Saturday’s end.
Without further ado, let’s get to the picks for all Week 8 Top-25 matchups!
No. 25 Nebraska vs. Minnesota
Matt Rhule has Nebraska in the rankings after a 5-1 start to the season. The Hornhuskers are learning how to win close games, and an 11-1 or 10-2 season is within reach. That would likely mean a College Football Playoff berth.
Will the team and Rhule be distracted by the “Rhule to Penn State” rumors? That remains to be seen, but for now, we trust Dylan Raiola and company to take care of business on the road Friday.
Prediction: Nebraska 30, Minnesota 20
No. 24 Cincinnati at Oklahoma State
Scott Satterfield entered the season on the hot seat, but he has the Bearcats in the No. 24 spot after ripping off five consecutive wins following the Week 1 loss to Nebraska. Brendan Sorsby is playing great football, and the Bearcats could be poised to make noise in the Big 12.
Although no team is ever safe away from home, Oklahoma State is one of the worst teams in Power 4 football. Cincy can’t let this one slip away.
Prediction: Cincinnati 41, Oklahoma State 17
No. 22 Memphis at UAB
If the season ended today, the Tigers would be just outside of a College Football Playoff spot thanks to the excellence of South Florida. The two Group of Five contenders will meet next week in a potential CFP eliminator, so Memphis needs to be careful not to overlook UAB.
Dynamic quarterback Brendon Lewis, in his sixth season in college, will make sure that doesn’t happen. Tigers win big here.
Prediction: Memphis 37, UAB 13
No. 21 Texas at Kentucky
Texas looked like it was headed for a disastrous season after suffering early losses to Ohio State and Florida, but its Week 7 performance in the Red River Shootout saved its College Football Playoff chances, at least for now. Next on the menu is a matchup with the SEC’s worst team, Kentucky.
That said, Kentucky always seems to knock off a team it shouldn’t, so the Longhorns need to carry the momentum from a big rivalry win into this week. Will Arch Manning show vast improvement in the second half of the season? It’s possible.
Prediction: Texas 24, Kentucky 10
No. 19 South Florida vs. Florida Atlantic
Like Memphis, South Florida needs to avoid the trap game before a big-time match-up with American Conference Championship implications between the two Group of Five powerhouses. The Bulls made a statement in their win over North Texas last week and are in a favorable spot against the Owls this week.
The game total is set at a whopping 73.5 points, and most of the scoring should be done by Alex Golesh’s squad.
Prediction: South Florida 52, Florida Atlantic 24
No. 18 Virginia vs. Washington State
Virginia was patient with head coach Tony Elliott, and it has proved to be a great decision. The Cavs have knocked off Florida State and Louisville over the last two games and draw a mediocre Washington State squad following a bye.
Virginia has a manageable schedule down the stretch, so don’t be surprised if it is in the ACC title game in December.
Prediction: Virginia 38, Washington State 20
No. 16 Missouri at Auburn
Missouri fell just short in its upset bid over Alabama, but the Tigers proved they can compete with the best in the conference. Auburn has been on the wrong side of some of the most questionable officiating calls in the conference, but they must regroup and find a way to secure a home victory.
I expect this Tigers vs. Tigers matchup to be close, but the Missouri offense has a major advantage over the Auburn offense and will make more plays in the end.
Prediction: Missouri 23, Auburn 17
No. 15 BYU vs. No. 23 Utah
This is one of the sport’s most underrated rivalries, so it being a ranked contest is a lot of fun. About a month ago, Utah looked to be headed toward another down season, but it turns out Texas Tech, the only team Utah has lost to, is just that good. Utah remains a solid team that can compete with anyone in the conference, except the Red Raiders.
Points could be at a premium here, as both defenses are among the best in the Big 12. However, it’s easier to trust veteran quarterback Devon Dampier to deliver when the game is on the line.
Prediction: Utah 20, BYU 17
No. 14 Oklahoma at South Carolina
John Mateer made it back in time for last week’s showdown against Texas in Dallas, but unfortunately, he played his worst game as a Sooner. You can blame the injury if you want, but his three interceptions didn’t seem related to his surgically-repaired thumb.
Oklahoma has the better all-around team, but South Carolina might have the best individual offensive and defensive players. Edge rusher Dylan Steward could have a field day based on what we saw from OU’s offensive line last week. Upset alert in Columbia!
Prediction: South Carolina 21, Oklahoma 20
No. 13 Notre Dame vs. No. 20 USC
It’s a shame this rivalry is seemingly going away for the foreseeable future, but luckily, the last one currently scheduled is a top-20 matchup with playoff implications. If the Irish can get past the Trojans, a 10-2 season is well within reach. And whether you like it or not, Notre Dame will likely be in the dance if they run the table.
Both teams have great offenses, but have not been able to stop the pass. However, Notre Dame’s defense has settled in recently, and CJ Carr continues to improve. The books have this one at Notre Dame -9.5. I think it’ll be close, but I lean toward the Irish winning with home-field advantage at night.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, USC 35
No. 12 Georgia Tech at Duke
Georgia Tech remains undefeated heading into Week 8, but its win over Clemson doesn’t look as impressive as it did at the time, and the Yellow Jackets have struggled to put away Virginia Tech and Wake Forest in recent weeks. Another mediocre performance could cost them a victory in a spot like this.
Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has been fantastic in his last three outings, and it should carry over against Tech. The Yellow Jackets will drop their first game of the season on Saturday.
Prediction: Duke 33, Georgia Tech 31
No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt
This is the first time Vanderbilt has been a favorite against LSU since 1948. Saturday will also snap a 51-game streak of Vandy being the underdog in a conference game. We’re in wild times, and it would be a surprise if this is a blowout one way or another.
With the Commodores coming off a bye, Diego Pavia and the team’s offensive staff will find a way to put points on the board against a stingy LSU defense. With the Tiger offense yet to find its stride, we agree with the books here.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 30, LSU 20
No. 8 Oregon at Rutgers
Oregon is coming off its first loss of the season after Indiana pulled away for a victory in Eugene last weekend. The Ducks must turn the page ahead of the 2,700-mile trip to Rutgers. Oregon has a massive talent advantage, but we’ve seen another Big Ten team come out of a loss and struggle mightily after a cross-country trip. Yes, that’s Penn State.
But that should not happen here with Dan Lanning at the helm. Instead, the Ducks will come out with relentless effort and take care of this one with ease.
Prediction: Oregon 41, Rutgers 14
No. 7 Texas Tech at Arizona State
Sam Leavitt (lower body) is expected to return for the Sun Devils for Week 8, but it’s not ideal to be bringing your banged-up quarterback into action against the dominant Red Raiders. Whether Behren Morton plays or not for Texas Tech, this should be another easy win.
The Red Raiders are poised for an undefeated regular season, so we’re picking them yet again.
Prediction: Texas Tech 34, Arizona State 20
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Tennessee
The Third Saturday in October has arrived, which can only mean it’s time for Tennessee vs. Alabama. The Vols lost this annual rivalry 15 straight games before winning two out of the last three. However, Tennessee hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2006. That was before Nick Saban got there.
Tennessee’s SEC-worst passing defense will prove to be fatal in this top-15 matchup at night. Bama’s receiver trio is one of the best in the country, and Ty Simpson is playing elite football.
Prediction: Alabama 42, Tennessee 31
No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia
The Rebels shockingly dominated Georgia in Oxford last season, so the Bulldogs have revenge on their minds when Lane Kiffin’s team rolls into Oxford this Saturday. Despite Ole Miss boasting a higher ranking and looking like the better team this year, Georgia is around a touchdown-favorite.
Georgia could have an uphill battle to make the CFB if it drops this one, and it’s difficult to imagine Kirby Smart dropping two home games in a month.
Prediction: Georgia 30, Ole Miss 27
No. 4 Texas A&M at Arkansas
Bobby Petrino’s Arkansas squad made it interesting last week against Tennessee. The Hogs trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter but stormed back to make it a three-point game in Neyland Stadium. Now, they will host the electric Texas A&M Aggies and are looking to play spoiler for the rest of the season.
I believe Arkansas is going to ruin a season for someone, but I’m not sure it’s in this matchup. Arkansas will give Texas A&M a scare, but we’ll take Mike Elko’s squad in a close contest.
Prediction: Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 42
No. 3 Indiana vs. Michigan State
What Curt Cignetti is doing in Bloomington is nothing short of spectacular. The Hoosiers have been one of the worst Power 4 programs historically, and Coach Cig has begun his tenure with a 17-2 record and led Indiana to the No. 3 spot in the polls. His only losses at IU came against the two teams that played for a national title last season. He’s been that good.
Here comes another blowout snooze fest.
Prediction: Indiana 40, Michigan State 7
No. 2 Miami vs. Louisville
The No. 2 team in the country will host Louisville on Friday night, and both teams are off a bye. Carson Beck has looked like the 2023 Georgia version of himself this year, and the Canes’ defense is one of the scariest matchups for offenses in the nation.
Jeff Brohm can never be counted out, but I expect Miami to keep rolling en route to an ACC Championship and CFP berth.
Prediction: Miami 33, Louisville 13
No. 1 Ohio State at Wisconsin
Ohio State has been one of the more “boring” teams to watch this season, because they are just that dominant. It’s about to get really ugly for Luke Fickell in Madison. Let’s leave it at that.
Prediction: Ohio State 37, Wisconsin 3
