by Ben Perks
Week 8 of college football sees several top-ranked teams put their reputations on the line by facing huge underdogs. Will Indiana add to this season’s list of upsets by beating No. 5 Ohio State at home and could LSU continue their giant slaying with a win against Ole Miss? Get insights and the latest odds for this week’s top matchups.
It seems that If Indiana was going to pull a big upset at home against a top-tier Big Ten East rival this season, last week’s game against Michigan State was the perfect moment. However, the Hoosiers fell short and lost 20-15. This week they welcome an Ohio State team averaging 59 points over its last three games. Also, the Buckeyes enter this matchup well-rested after coming off a bye. Therefore, it’s not surprising that oddsmakers see Indiana as a huge underdog. However, the Hoosiers have provided problems for this powerhouse team in past games, and they have the home advantage. So, could online sportsbooks have got this one wrong?
Although No. 10 Oregon faces much lower-ranked opposition this week, the Ducks are the underdogs against UCLA. On Friday, Oregon kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive after getting a narrow 24-17 win over the California Golden Bears. However, apart from beating Ohio State in Week 2, they have been underwhelming. Yet, a resounding victory at UCLA could boost their rep.
With a backfield tandem of C.J. Verdell and Travis Dye, the Ducks are a good running team. But this week, they face one of the best rushing defenses in the country. UCLA has allowed an average of just 91.1 rushing yards per game. Therefore, if Oregon’s offense can’t get things together, the Ducks could trip up against the Bruins. Although they sit lower in the college football rankings table, online sportsbooks have made UCLA the favorite to win this NCAAF matchup.
This matchup is the unofficial Sun Belt East title game. Last week, Appalachian State (4-2, 1-1 Sun Belt) lost to Louisiana in a cross-division game. But the Mountaineers would have a tiebreaker in the East on Coastal Carolina if they can defeat the Chanticleers (6-0, 2-0). Yet, this won’t be a walk in the park. Statistically, Coastal Carolina has been one of the best college football teams this season. The Chanticleers rank in yards per play at 8.3 and sit in 17th for opponent yards per play at 4.6. As for the Mountaineers, they rank 51st (5.8) and 64th (5.5) in those two respective statistics. All the data points to Carolina continuing its undefeated streak this week.
The question for Mississippi Ole Miss and LSU is how much have they got left to give? Each team pulled off dramatic victories over SEC East rivals last week. Despite being a massive underdog, LSU won 53-48 at home against Florida. Ole Miss also worked hard to get a 26-31 win over Tennessee. Despite a growing injury list, LSU still has fit and gifted athletes, such as Tyrion Davis-Price, who can change games. Yet, sportsbooks think it will be a step too far for the Tigers.
The Crimson got back to winning ways on Saturday night by thrashing Mississippi State 49-9. This week, they host an emotionally drained Tennessee team after losing 26-31 to Ole Miss. Many expect Nick Saban to give coach Josh Heupel a hostile welcome to this old rivalry, especially when you consider that the Volunteers discarded former Saban assistant Jeremy Pruitt after the 2020 season. These subplots could make for exciting viewing when Alabama faces Tennesse this week.
Other Top NCAAF Matchups in Week 8
- South Carolina No. 17 Texas A&M (-18.5)
- USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (-6)
- No. 18 NC State (-2) at Miami
- No. 3 Oklahoma (-38) at Kansas
- No. 8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State (-5.5)
- Tulane at No. 21 SMU (-14)
- No. 2 Cincinnati (-26) at Navy
- Illinois at No. 7 Penn State (-23.5)
- Northwestern at No. 6 Michigan (-21)
- No. 16 Wake Forest (-3) at Army
- No. 22 San Diego State at Air Force (-4)
- Wisconsin (-3) at No. 25 Purdue
View: the latest odds for all NCAAF matchups in Week 8.
Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
