Week 8 brings a full board of ranked matchups and a few heavyweight tests that could shake up the college football picture fast.
The day starts with one of the biggest pressure points on the schedule for Indiana. Coming off its first loss in 22 games, the reigning national champion heads to Michigan for a road game that immediately tells us a lot about where the Hoosiers stand after Ohio State snapped the streak. Indiana is one of three AP top 25 teams going on the road against unranked opponents in the early window, and LSU is in that same group after an 0-2 road start this season sends the Tigers to Auburn, fresh off the Tigers’ win over Georgia.
Pittsburgh at 1 Miami
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| ESPN
Line: Miami -19.5
6 Indiana at Michigan
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| Fox
Line: Indiana -7.5
8 Texas Tech at Cincinnati
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| FS1
Line: Texas Tech -11.5
18 LSU at Auburn
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| ABC
Line: LSU -7
California at 23 SMU
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| CW
Line: SMU -18.5
Rutgers at 24 Northwestern
Sat., Oct. 24 | 12 p.m.
| Peacock
Line: Northwestern -15.5
The afternoon slate keeps the rankings under stress. Second-ranked BYU, still riding the emotional boost from the win over Notre Dame, travels across the country to face UCF in a game that has upset-trap written all over it.
Tennessee also gets a spotlight game after its win over Alabama, with South Carolina laying a small number despite the Vols’ momentum. And Alabama is trying to stop a two-game slide when it takes on Texas A&M, one of the SEC teams that made the playoff a year ago but has not been at that level this season.
2 BYU at UCF
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m.
| Fox
Line: BYU -7.5
Michigan State at 9 UCLA
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m.
| CBS
Line: UCLA -14.5
11 Tennessee at South Carolina
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m.
| ESPN
Line: South Carolina -2.5
Texas A&M at 13 Alabama
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m.
| ABC
Line: Alabama -13.5
15 Iowa at Minnesota
Sat., Oct. 24 | 3:30 p.m.
| FS1
Line: Iowa -7.5
The night slate starts with another ranked team in a road spot, as Boise State visits Washington State, but the biggest games come later. Ole Miss heads to Texas in a ranked-on-ranked SEC matchup, with the Longhorns on a two-game losing streak against unranked opponents and the Rebels bringing a strong profile into Austin. Then Houston and Utah meet in a game with real value in the Big 12 title race.
21 Boise State at Washington State
Sat., Oct. 24 | 6 p.m.
| USA Network
Line: Boise State -13.5
7 Ole Miss at 19 Texas
Sat., Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m.
| ABC
Line: Texas -3
Vanderbilt at 12 Kentucky
Sat., Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m.
| SECN
Line: Kentucky -10.5
16 USC at Wisconsin
Sat., Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m.
| NBC
Line: USC -3
Iowa State at 25 Arizona
Sat., Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m.
| ESPN2
Line: Arizona -10
14 Houston at 10 Utah
Sat., Oct. 24 | 10:15 p.m.
| ESPN
Line: Utah -6.5
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
LSUs Auburn Grades Exposed Whos Fueling This Surge And Who Isnt
LSUs 38-17 win over Auburn came with another strong mark from Pro Football Focus, as the Tigers posted an overall team grade of 83.6 for the second straight week above 80. That kind of consistent grading matters because it suggests the performance was not just a one-off bounce, but a sign that LSU is starting to stack complete games on both sides of the ball.
The individual numbers help explain why. Jackson Harris led the way with a 90.2 grade, while DJ Pickett also stood out at 84.6, giving LSU impact plays at key spots. On the other end, Tre Brown and William Satterwhite II landed near the bottom of the chart, a reminder that even in a convincing win, there are still areas the Tigers will want to clean up as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Climbing But One Thing Still Stands Between The Tigers And The Playoff
A wild weekend across college football has opened the door for movement in the AP poll, and LSU could be one of the teams to benefit from the chaos. Two previously unbeaten teams fell to unranked opponents, and two other one-loss teams did the same, giving pollsters plenty to weigh as they reshuffle the top of the rankings. Miami is expected to stay at No. 1 after another dominant win, but the ripple effects could be felt well beyond the top spot.
For LSU, the bigger picture is clear: the Tigers are climbing, and the landscape around them is helping. With so many teams in the mix taking losses, the path to the playoff looks a little more favorable on paper, even if the Tigers still have work to do to keep moving in the right direction. Oklahoma State, Iowa and Texas Tech are among the teams facing potential movement as well, making this one of those weeks when the rankings could tell as much about survival as they do about success. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New Backcourt Just Changed The Feel Around This Team
For the first time with its full roster on the floor, LSU gave a clearer glimpse of what this team might look like this season in an exhibition against Florida State. The Tigers came up short 89-87, but the game still offered plenty of reasons for optimism, especially with the new backcourt starting to take shape and the offense showing more rhythm than it has at other points in the preseason.
Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark were the headliners, with Dent finishing with 24 points and nine assists and Clark adding 21 points and eight rebounds. Those numbers mattered less than the way the two seemed to steady LSU throughout the night, a promising sign for a team that appears to have more balance and shot-making than it did a year ago. The real test starts November 3 against LSU New Orleans Privateers, but the feel around this group has already changed. [Read more 🡒]