College Football Week 8 Picks Highlight Texas-Ole Miss Matchup
Analysts Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer present their Week 8 game predictions, with a focus on Texas versus Ole Miss and other key contests affecting playoff prospects.
Week 8 marks the start of the second half of the college football season, when résumé considerations and playoff discussions gain importance. Only six unbeaten teams remain, and every game now carries heightened urgency for those with a loss.
Analysts Brad Crawford (44-18 straight up, 33-28-1 ATS) and Chris Hummer (46-16 straight up, 33-28-1 ATS) released their picks for Saturday’s marquee matchups. Crawford noted that the Big 12’s recent win over Notre Dame positions the conference for two CFP bids, a development that could limit at-large options for the SEC and Big Ten.
In the Texas-Ole Miss game, Hummer favored Texas, citing Arch Manning’s potential to improve and a run game that could exploit Ole Miss’s average defensive front. He predicted a 35-31 Texas victory. Crawford, however, backed Ole Miss, pointing to Texas’s inconsistent quarterback play and the loss of edge rusher Colin Simmons, and projected a 27-23 Ole Miss win.
Other highlighted picks include Texas Tech over Cincinnati, LSU over Auburn, Indiana over Michigan, BYU over UCF, South Carolina covering Tennessee, Iowa covering Minnesota, USC covering Wisconsin, and Utah covering Houston. Each analyst provided brief reasoning based on recent performance, defensive strengths, and offensive capabilities.
The analysts’ differing viewpoints illustrate the volatility of mid-season betting lines and the impact of recent results on playoff positioning.