If you thought week seven was eventful then buckle up as week eight is set to have major repercussions as far as the rankings and the CFP are concerned. There may only be 12 games involving a ranked team, but virtually every one has significance. For the Big 12 & PAC 12 in particular, the wrong result could pretty much end their CFP hopes. Eight of the top 25 have the week off and both Michigan & Georgia will know that barring an act of god they will still be ranked going into week nine.
In the ACC the remaining two undefeated teams Syracuse & Clemson face off at the Memorial Stadium. Whoever wins will have a clear path to the Conference Final. An undefeated ACC champion is not getting left out of the playoffs even if it is Syracuse! They both play in the same division so whoever loses is pretty much out of CFP contention.
Pac 12
Similarly, it’s D-Day in the Pac 12 where the last undefeated team UCLA faces a testing road trip to Oregon. A win for the Bruins would put them in pole position in the conference and set things up nicely for their 19th November clash with USC. As above a one-loss PAC 12 champion might struggle to get into the final four.
Finally, the Big 12’s last great hope TCU takes on Kansas State. The Wildcats have no chance at the CFP places thanks to their early season loss to Tulane, however, they will still be eyeing a Rose Bowl place. An undefeated Horned Frogs team would have a strong case for inclusion in the final four, although as we saw in 2014 nothing is certain where the CFP committee is concerned!
Anyway, the twelve games involving ranked teams are below (our predicted winners are in blue).
All Ranked Games
No.14 Syracuse @ No. 5 Clemson
No.24 Mississippi State @ No.6 Alabama
No. 17 Kansas State @ 8 TCU
No.9 UCLA @ No.10 Oregon
No.20 Texas @ No.11 Oklahoma State
Alabama has the chance to keep its CFP hopes alive against Missippi State. Win out including the SEC Championship and they are in. Another loss and they might not make a New Year’s Bowl. Similarly is do or die for Oklahoma State, a one-loss Big 12 Champion could with a bit of help still edge into the Playoffs but two losses and forget it.
SEC Games
UT Martin @ No.3 Tennessee
No.7 Ole Miss @ LSU
Tennessee is on a hiding to nothing in this one. Blow out UT Martin and people will say well it’s a “Cup Cake Game”. Struggle even slightly or dare we say lose and they could find themselves behind and 8-0 Ole Miss or Clemson in the rankings.
Speaking of Ole Miss they have a chance to prove themselves with a twin in Death Valley. It will not be easy though.
Big Ten Games
Iowa @ No. 2 Ohio State
Minnesota @ No.16 Penn State
The Penn State game is of most interest here as it will tell us if Michigan are for real.
ACC
Boston College @ No.13 Wake Forest
A win for Wake Forest would give Clemson’s resume a bit of a boost and also keep the Deamon Deacons alive in the Atlantic Divisional race. They would need Clemson to lose twice though.
American Athletic
No.21 Cincinnati @ SMU
Memphis @ No.25 Tulane
These two are in pole position for the Group of Five “at large” place in the Cotton Bowl this year. They meet in the final game of the regular season, however, both have a hard road ahead.
Not Playing
Quite a few have the weekend off. They can sit back, relax and see how the rankings shake out before resuming their quest. Those not playing are:
Georgia, Michigan, USC, Utah, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, & North Carolina State.
Other Games Worth Watching Out For
The main interest outside the ranked games this week is on the divisional races headed by…
UCF @East Carolina
The Black Knights are out of the rankings but still very much alive in the AAC. They put 70 points on Temple last week and remain undefeated in conference play. They are nicely placed to take advantage of any slip-ups from Cincinnati & Tulane and still have to play both. Right now UCF is our prediction for the G5’s Cotton Bowl place.
North Texas @ UTSA
Both are 3-0 in C-USA play so the winner will move into the pole position. UTSA were last year’s champions and a win would leave them strong favourites for a repeat.
Toledo @ Buffalo
This is a huge game in the MAC as they are both 3-0 in conference play and top of their respective divisions. With plenty of 2-1 teams chasing them the loser could end up out of the top spot.
Boise State @ Air Force
The Broncos have not had the season that many expected, however, they are the only team with a 3-0 record in the Mountain West. Winning this one would be a huge step towards clinching the Mountain Division. We tipped Airforce for the Conference pre-season and still think the Falcons can make a run. This one should be hard-fought.
Finally, keep an eye on…
Purdue @ Wisconsin
The Boiler Makers are 5-2 but both losses have been by 4 points or less and both to currently ranked teams. They are still very much alive in the Big Ten West and a win here would make for a very interesting run-in. A place in the conference final is in their own hands and a win here would almost certainly move them into the top 25.
That completes our quick look at what’s on offer in week Eight. Before you go why not check out our Week Seven roundup and check back next week for week nine’s games.