Week 8 college football preview highlights key top-25 matchups
Analysts preview the two ranked Texas-involved games and other top-25 contests in Week 8, offering picks and odds for each matchup.
Two ranked games featuring Texas schools dominate the Week 8 slate. No. 7 Ole Miss travels to No. 19 Texas, a game that could influence the job security of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and the performance of quarterback Arch Manning, whose family has deep ties to Ole Miss. Analysts note Texas has lost its last two games to unranked opponents and that its offense has struggled.
Later, No. 14 Houston faces No. 10 Utah, a contest with implications for the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. Utah remains unbeaten among Power Four teams, while Houston’s only loss was a two-point defeat to Texas Tech.
Other top-25 matchups include No. 6 Indiana at No. 5 Michigan, No. 18 LSU at Auburn, and No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina. Commentators point to defensive strengths in the Indiana-Michigan game and suggest a low-scoring outcome, while LSU is favored to win by double digits against Auburn. The Tennessee-South Carolina game is highlighted as a critical test for both SEC programs.
Betting analysts provide specific picks: under 41.5 points for Michigan-Indiana, LSU –9.5 against Auburn, and a UCLA-Michigan State spread favoring the Spartans. For the Texas-Ole Miss game, the model projects a 29-17 Longhorn win, though some analysts favor Ole Miss with a +2.5 spread. In the Houston-Utah matchup, one expert predicts a Houston upset with a +6.5 line.
Overall, the week offers a mix of defensive battles and potential upsets as teams vie for playoff positioning and conference titles.