The 10 best college football games of Week 8: Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Tennessee and more

Two of the most exciting weeks of college football in recent memory will be followed by a jam-packed Saturday with a trio of SEC headliners, including a top-five matchup between Blue Bloods. There are also several cleat rivalry games (so to speak) and a possible College Football Playoff show in, of all places, Bloomington, Indiana.

Bless this sport.

Let's rank the top 10 games of Week 8, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.

Honorable Mention: Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU, Ohio at Miami (Ohio), Virginia at No. 10 Clemson, Auburn vs. No. 19 Missouri, Louisiana at Coastal Carolina, Toledo at NIU, Colorado at Arizona, James Madison at Georgia Southern, UCF at No. 9 Iowa State.

(All point spreads come from BetMGM; click Here for live odds. Stream college football on fubo. All kick-off times are Easter and Saturday unless otherwise stated.)

Let's give flowers to two teams that exceeded expectations in the Big 12. Both were projected to finish at the bottom of the conference, but Saturday's winner will have played their way into contention for the conference title. Arizona State and wrecking ball running back Cam Skattebo have been proving the doubters wrong for weeks. However, the Sun Devils are without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt due to a rib injury; Jeff Sims, a fifth-year journeyman, will start in his place. The Bearcats and gunslinging transfer QB Brendan Sorsby will look to take advantage of an early kickoff for depleted ASU crossing two time zones.

Line: Cincinnati -4.5

9. UNLV (5-1) at Oregon State (4-2), 10 p.m., FuboThe CW

The Rebels bounced back from an overtime loss to Syracuse by posting a 50-yarder against Utah State last week to keep pace with Boise State in the Mountain West standings. There's a huge game against the Broncos next week in Las Vegas that will have huge implications for the conference race and the battle for the Group of 5 spot in the CFP. But a win this Saturday in Corvallis would add a nice point to UNLV's resume in the meantime. Oregon State, looking to bounce back from a surprising loss to Nevada, should ultimately be an instructive mutual opponent for the two. The Beavs play at Boise State next month.

Line: UNLV-7

8. No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) at West Virginia (3-3), 7:30 p.m. Fubofox

This week features exciting matchups between the Big 12's three ranked teams, including No. 13 Oklahoma State taking on BYU and No. 9 ranked UCF taking on Iowa State. But K-State has the most at stake. It is the only one of the three ranked teams to go away and the only one to suffer defeat. Of the teams in the top five of the Big 12 preseason poll, the Wildcats are also the only one that hasn't been a disappointment so far. However, a second loss would quickly put their conference title and CFP hopes on life support, even in the always chaotic Big 12. Kansas State can't afford to stumble against a mixed but resilient West Virginia in Morgantown, in a tough one Situation. from two skillful rushing attacks.

Line: Kansas State -3

7. No. 24 Michigan (4-2) and No. 22 Illinois (5-1), 3:30 p.m. FuboCBS

It's a bit surprising that a ranked game is so low on the list – aside from the fact that Michigan has one of the worst offenses in college football (and perhaps shouldn't be ranked?). Illinois only needed overtime to beat a terrible Purdue team that scored 40 points in the second half. Still, hats off to the Illini, who are 5-1 and playing their first ranked game at Memorial Stadium since 2000. Illinois will also honor legendary halfback Red Grange – the Galloping Ghost – a century after his epic 402-yard, six-touchdown game against the Wolverines. The Illini will wear retro uniforms and hand-painted helmets that took 18 months to make.

Line: Michigan -3.5

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Expect this game to be different than the 55-0 shutout Notre Dame posted the last time these teams met in 2021. Unfortunately, injuries will be an issue. The Irish lost All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King will be a game-time decision after suffering a hit in last week's win over North Carolina. If King can't go, the job will fall to sophomore backup Zach Pyron, who has completed 5 of 7 passes and scored four touchdowns in limited action. In any case, the Irish can't take this game lightly as the remaining schedule looks to be much more difficult than we all expected, including ranked games against Navy and Army before the regular season finale at USC.

Line: Notre Dame -12.5

5. Nebraska (5-1) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0), noon, Fubofox

I really enjoyed Indiana and Curt Cignetti's media campaign this week, including this excellent profile of Cignetti by Joe Rexrode. The Hoosiers are excited about their first 6-0 start since 1967, and rightly so. They were one of the biggest surprises of this season in their first year under Cignetti and still have six games left. Fox's Big Noon Kickoff heads to Bloomington, where IU faces Nebraska and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is smart beyond his years. Great game with two top-10 defenses (and a top-5 offense for Indiana). The Huskers, who have lost 25 straight to ranked opponents, will get two straight cracks at Indiana and then Ohio State. On the other hand, another win for the Hoosiers will shift the talk from fast start to true playoff contender.

Line: Indiana -6.5

4. No. 8 LSU (5-1) at Arkansas (4-2), 7 p.m. FuboESPN

It's the battle for the Golden Boot, one of the most underrated rivalry names and trophies in college football. LSU has won seven of the last eight meetings, but both teams have claimed mammoth victories.

The Tigers won an overtime classic against Ole Miss despite never taking a lead until the game's final play, and Arkansas popped the first lick in Tennessee's balloon a few weeks ago. The Razorbacks are better than expected — and Sam Pittman may have saved his job — while LSU has returned to the top 10 and the CFP rankings after its season-opening loss to USC. The Tigers will need more consistency from Garrett Nussmeier to make a splash in the SEC, but his performance at the end of the Ole Miss win showed how high his ceiling can be.

Line: LSU -2.5

3. No. 6 Miami (6-0) at Louisville (4-2), noon, FuboABC

More premium rivalry gear — and shoes: The Schnellenberger Trophy, introduced last season and currently on the Cardinals. Battle for the Golden Boots???

The Louisville Sports Commission announces that Louisville and Miami will play annually for the Schnellenberger Trophy: “It will feature the authentic, now bronzed, Western boots that coach Howard Schnellenberger wore when he led both programs to national prominence.” pic.twitter.com/khBoFZOpHQ

— Mark Ennis (@MarkEnnis) July 24, 2023

This game will stay under the radar thanks to a loaded SEC slate, but should be an entertaining, high-scoring barnburner. Miami desperately needed a bye after two close contests against Virginia Tech and Cal, but Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and the Hurricanes remain one of 11 undefeated teams in college football. Louisville ended a two-game break with a win at Virginia last Saturday, with a top-15 offense (7.2 yards per play) led by quarterback Tyler Shough. Miami has The His 8.2 yards per game is the best offense in the FBS, and Ward leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards per game (369.8).

Line: Miami -5

2. No. 7 Alabama (5-1) and No. 11 Tennessee (5-1), 3:30 p.m., FuboABC

A almost Top 10 matchup between two teams that are either national title contenders or complete cheaters, depending on which message board thread you read. Either way, the third Saturday in October should provide some insight, and it's crucial as both teams look to avoid a second loss and a growing fan base. This is a tough game to handle: Alabama has a top-10 offense, Tennessee has a top-2 defense, but both teams have been inconsistent on the field. David Ubben did a good job delving into that variability as an anonymous coach who studies the game, and Kennington Smith III examined how Alabama's first-year head coaches fared in the Tennessee rivalry.

Line: Alabama -3

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1. No. 5 Georgia (5-1) vs. No. 1 Texas (6-0), 7:30 p.m. FuboABC

Praise be: It's our third top-five showdown of the season. The first two – Georgia vs. Alabama and Ohio State vs. Oregon – resulted in two of the best games of the year so far. This will be the sixth meeting ever between Georgia and Texas and the first since the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

The Dawgs are underdogs for the first time in the last 50 games (!) and may need a road win against the top team in the country to keep their CFP hopes alive. Texas, on the other hand, has been outstanding on both sides and is currently in a class of its own, despite never having faced an opponent as good as Georgia. Quinn Ewers looked a little rusty in his return from injury against Oklahoma last week, so we'll see if it stays that way. But the coaches we spoke to about the game as part of our coaching trust believe Texas has the upper hand.

Another win for the Longhorns would solidify them as the clear national title favorites. But if the chaos of this college football season continues, we'll see Georgia beat the Horns in Austin, and the top of the sport will officially look more vulnerable than it has in years.

Line: Texas -4.5

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Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images