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...
Michigan May Have A Costly Kyle Whittingham Decision Coming
Kyle Whittinghams first year in Ann Arbor has already put Michigan in a familiar modern college-football bind: the bigger the coaching gamble, the bigger the financial consequences if it does not work out. Whittingham was hired on a five-year, $41 million deal, and the buyout language attached to the contract means Michigan would owe 75% of his remaining salary if it moved on without cause, a figure that currently sits at $25.8 million.
The same concern extends to offensive coordinator Jason Beck, whose three-year, $9 million contract carries its own financial protections if the school decides to change direction before the deal runs out. For Michigan, the issue is no longer just whether the staff is delivering on the field, but how much it would cost to reset if the results never catch up to the investment. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Has Made Jason Beck The Real Story
Michigans offense has become the defining issue in a season where the defense has done enough to keep games within reach. In the 13-6 overtime loss to Indiana, the Wolverines had chances in favorable field position, including multiple drives that started deep in Indiana territory, but came away with only three points. The recent stretch has featured too many punts, too many turnovers and too little yardage on possessions that did not begin after defensive takeaways.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham has acknowledged the offense needs to get better, but he has not offered much clarity on how that happens, and the pressure has settled squarely on offensive coordinator Jason Beck. The results have made the play-calling and overall direction of the unit impossible to ignore, especially for a Michigan program that expects far more when its defense is giving it opportunities. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Escaped Michigan But A Bigger Problem Is Starting To Show
Indianas 13-6 overtime win in Ann Arbor was the kind of road result that will be remembered in Bloomington for decades, not just because it finally broke a drought stretching back to 1967, but because it came in a game defined by offensive frustration on both sides. Michigan never found a rhythm, managing only three yards per play, while Indiana was hardly any cleaner despite leaving with the win.
For Michigan, the larger concern may be what the performance said about the offense itself, especially with freshman quarterback Tommy Carr making his first career start. Carr got off to a shaky beginning and the Wolverines never fully recovered, letting Indiana hang around long enough to create the opening that decided the game. [Read more 🡒]