We’ve passed the halfway point of the 2022 college football season and the time for knitting is here. With at least five games between ranked opponents on the slate for the third straight week, there’s no doubt that College Football Playoff dreams will be crushed just weeks before the first CFP Rankings are released.
At least one undefeated will go down to start the day as No. 5 Clemson help Syracuse No. No. 7 Ole Miss (at LSU) may not be facing a ranked opponent, but the Tigers are coming off a road win over Florida that should give them confidence in the SEC West premiership. The aim of No. 11 Oklahoma State bounced back from a lopsided loss last week, but No. 1 has hit a new gear. 20 Texas since the return of quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The top-10 individual performance of the day is surprisingly coming from the Pac-12 as No. 9 UCLA’s undefeated mark on the line against No. . And then in the nightcap, No. 6 Alabama hosts No. 24 Mississippi State in a straight game it hopes after giving up the most points in a single contest since 1907 in a road loss to Tennessee last week. Not far behind, No. 8 TCU welcome No. 17 Kansas State as both programs look to remain undefeated and maintain their spot atop the Big 12.
By the time Saturday’s action wraps up, many conference title pictures will be clear and there could even be significant changes to Jerry Palm’s bowl projections (see those on Sunday). Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the very beginning. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 8.
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No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson
Featured Game | Clemson Tigers vs Syracuse Orange
Noon | ABC, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Syracuse has the skill set at linebacker and defensive back to be able to cause real problems for Clemson’s passing attack, especially when it gets into the red zone. This is shaping up to be the type of game where the Tigers can move the ball well but have to settle for frequent field goals, which will help the Orange hang in the game and within the no. This may interest you : Former director Bruce Straley Uncharted and Last of Us has announced a new studio. . Prediction: Syracuse +13.5 — Chip Patterson
Iowa at No. 2 Ohio State
Featured Game | Ohio State Buckeyes vs Iowa Hawkeyes Read also : Three shots on Oakland Tech’s high school campus.
Noon | Fox, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Put simply: I don’t like Iowa’s chances of winning this game. That said, I have too much respect for Iowa’s defense not to take the 29 points I’m getting on the spread. The Hawkeyes secondary is one of the best in the country year after year, and while it’s not going to stop the Buckeyes, it’s capable of slowing them down better than most other teams. The Buckeyes never sweat the result, but the Hawkeyes won’t be embarrassed too badly. Prediction: Iowa +29 — Tom Fornelli
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU
Featured Game | LSU Tigers vs. To see also : Local sports summary. Ole Miss Rebels
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSports.com, CBS Sports App — The wrong team is better here. I know LSU looked great against Florida and Ole Miss struggled against Auburn, but those are one-off games that don’t necessarily match the trends that have developed over the course of the season. Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and quarterback Jaxson Dart are nearly impossible to slow down on the ground, and the last thing LSU needs is to get into a shootout with a team far more equipped to operate that way. I’ll take Ole Miss to win outright and continue its march toward a magical November in Oxford, Mississippi. Prediction: Ole Miss (-105) — Barrett Sallee
No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State
Featured Game | Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Texas Longhorns
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try it free) – Quinn Ewers heads to Stillwater, Oklahoma to play his first real road game, and it won’t be easy. The Cowboys have won 13 straight games at home dating back to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic season. That said, the Pokes’ last home win was an overtime win over Texas on October 31, 2020. the Longhorns can pull out the win, but it will be a close game. Prediction: Oklahoma State +6 — Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon
Featured Game | Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins
3:30 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try it for free) — I will not only cover the Bruins but outright win. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has developed into one of the best players in the country, and the stress that Chip Kelly’s scheme puts on the rest of the front seven will be too much for the Ducks to handle. Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet will combine for more than 200 sack-adjusted rushing yards and stun what should be a raucous crowd in Eugene. Prediction: UCLA +6 — Barrett Sallee
No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama
Featured Game | Alabama Crimson Tide vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Mississippi State was far too overmatched away from home to trust an angry Alabama team. Although 5-2, both of the Bulldogs’ losses on the road have come by double digits against SEC foes. Even if they find some of the apparent holes in the Crimson Tide’s secondary, they won’t be able to keep up with QB Bryce Young, who played impressively in his return from a shoulder injury last week. Nick Saban has outscored Mike Leach 79-7 in their two meetings as division foes, and he clearly has a read on how to handle Leach’s offense. Prediction: Alabama -21 — David Cobb
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU
Featured Game | TCU Corned Frogs vs Kansas State Wildcat
8 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Try it for free) — TCU is on a magical run to 6-0 and has beaten three consecutive AP Top 25 opponents for the first time in program history. However, that run will end on Saturday when a fourth top-25 foe comes to town. Since struggling in a loss to Tulane, Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez has been incredible, averaging more than 330 total yards of offense with 10 touchdowns in three Big 12 games. Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs’ defense has allowed more more than 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the last two weeks to quarterbacks. Another factor to consider: TCU QB Max Duggan is working through a shoulder injury. He completed 57.5% of his passes against Oklahoma State, his first game under 69% completion all season. The Wildcats defense is the best TCU has played this season by a wide margin. If you manage to do this series of high quality teams in a row it will eventually lead to a relegation place. Pick: Kansas State (+143) — Shehan Jeyarajah
What college football picks can you confidently make in Week 8, and which top-20 favorites will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a computer-generated model that has returned nearly $3,000 in profits over six years — and find out.
