College football week 8 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are 5 things learned from college football week 8.
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LSU came into the season as a team that was widly picked to make the CFP. They now sit at 5-2 with a lot of tough games left and a path to the CFP that is less clear. The season started off well, as they defeated Clemson on the road, but that win proved to be fool’s gold after Dabo Swinney’s squad continued to lose. They have two SEC wins, but they have lost their two toughest gams of the season. The Tigers dropped a game to Ole Miss on the road and then this week lost again at Vanderbilt.
While Vanderbilt is better than most years, LSU is not a program that will tolerate missing out on CFPs, especially as the 12-team era is in its second season. Brian Kelly has failed to get the team to play up to the program’s expectations, and short of winning out and making the CFP, there won’t be much more Kelly can do to get boosters to start mobilizing for his buyout.
Alabama has proven through a rough stretch of games that they are one of the elite teams in the country. They started the season off by dropping a game to Florida State, which looks worse as the season goes on. They rebounded since. Over the last four games, Alabama has defeated Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee, all teams who are still in the running for the CFP. The Crimson Tide defeated Tennessee relatively easily in week 8.
Ty Simpson has seen his Heisman odds skyrocket with his good play. The defense isn’t up to par with vintage Alabama defenses, but their offense makes up for it and they haven’t allowed more than 24 points in a game since the opener. While there are some tough games left, it is hard to see a world where the Crimson Tide aren’t in the CFP.
Georgia defeated Ole Miss in week 8 with a comeback win. The game showcased Georgia’s offensive capabilities and also helps the Bulldogs get back on the right path to make the CFP. Their lone loss of the season is to Alabama by three. They have a manageable schedule down the stretch and should be expected to make the CFP, even if they somehow take another loss.
The game against Ole Miss was one with little defense and few punts. While it is important to note that the offense played well, it is also necessary to point out that the defense has not looked like past Georgia teams. Their defense can show up in games that aren’t featuring the best competition, but they aren’t showing up in big games in a consistent fashion this season. When it gets to big games down the road, Gunner Stockton will have to be at his best for Georgia to win or the defense will have to show something they haven’t shown yet this season.
Notre Dame lost their first two games of the season to Miami and Texas A&M. Both teams are projected to be in the College Football Playoff, so the losses were understandable, especially as the Fighting Irish were breaking in a new quarterback. It put much more pressure on the season for the Fighting Irish, as they had to run the table for a reasonable expectation of making the CFP. They had their last-ranked matchup of the season in week 8, defeating USC 34-24.
Notre Dame is helping itself since their early-season struggles; other results around the country are helping as well. LSU and Tennessee took their second losses of the season. Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M are separating themselves in the SEC at the moment. If the Fighting Irish can win out it looks like three Big Ten teams (OSU, IU and Oregon), four to five SEC teams (TBD) and three other automatic qualifiers could be headed to the CFP. That leaves one to two spots open for Notre Dame to take advantage of, especially as other teams take losses down the stretch.
After starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff transferred out before the season, there were some doubts around BYU’s season. They weren’t projected to do well in the Big 12, but have started to prove doubters wrong. After a 6-0 start to the season, BYU found itself ranked 15th in the country. They still didn’t have a big win, but they were able to beat their rivals, Utah, in the Holy War to help legitimize their undefeated record.
Two Big 12 teams haven’t taken a loss in conference yet this season: BYU and Cincinnati. That wasn’t something that a lot of people saw coming. Texas Tech lost this week to Arizona State, while the Sund Devils already lost in conference. Houston is the other team with one conference loss. BYU has key games left against Texas Tech and Cincinnati. If they are able to win one out of two, an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game could happen.
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