College Football Straight Up Picks for Week 8 Top 25 Games

Reed Wallach | 3 Hours Ago

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) passes during the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As we get further into the college football season, the games begin to heighten in terms of meaning with conference futures and College Football Playoff viability on the line.

For the likes of Indiana and Nebraska, legitimacy is at stake when the two Big Ten upstarts meet in Bloomington on Saturday. Can the Hoosiers continue their sterling start to the season by knocking off a conference foe and entering the CFP race?

We have picks for every game on Saturday featuring a top 25 team, let's get into it.

Season Record: 77-27

Oregon vs. Purdue Prediction and Pick

Pick: Oregon (-4500)

Oklahoma State vs. BYU Prediction and Pick

Pick: BYU (-330)

Miami vs. Louisville Prediction and Pick

Pick: Louisville (+162)

Virginia vs. Clemson Prediction and Pick

Pick: Clemson (-1800)

Nebraska vs. Indiana Prediction and Pick

Pick: Indiana (-230)

In what can be a tight affair, Indiana has a significant edge in special teams that can’t be ignored on its home field, ranking first in SP+ special teams ranking while Nebraska is a meager 126th.

Further, the Nebraska offense has had to put a lot on freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola’s plate, failing to rush for more than four yards per carry on the year.

I’ll side with the home favorite to remain undefeated.

Auburn vs. Missouri Prediction and Pick

Pick: Auburn (+152)

I’m going to take the points with the road Tigers, who I believe are undervalued due to some unlucky variance in terms of turnovers.

Auburn profiles as an elite team, but is 2-4 as the team can’t avoid turnovers. While Missouri will be a stiff test, the hosts don’t have the ability to slow down the physical offensive line of War Eagle. The Tigers rank right at the national average in tackles for loss and are outside the top 100 in explosive rush and pass rate.

As long as Auburn avoids sloppy turnovers and plays a clean game, I trust the defense can keep a lid on Missouri’s offense which ranks closer to average than elite on offense. Mizzou is 48th in EPA/Play and 74th in EPA/Pass.

I think these teams are closer to even despite a stark difference in reference, I’ll bank on Auburn finally putting together a sound effort against an overrated opponent.

East Carolina vs. Army Prediction and Pick

Pick: East Carolina (+475)

Alabama vs. Tennessee Prediction and Pick

Pick: Tennessee (+126)

It’s tough to trust either group at the moment, but I do believe that the Vols have an avenue to success through another team’s ability to keep pace with the Crimson Tide.

Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh is the head coach at South Florida, who led Alabama in the second half on the road earlier this season. While USF struggled to move the ball, the team’s ability to space out the relatively green Alabama secondary was notable.

Now, can Iamaleava hit those deep passes to make the Crimson Tide pay? That’s to be seen, but I do believe that the winner of this game will come from who can push the ball down the field with more success.

While Milroe has feasted on deep passes this season, the Crimson Tide’s run game has been one-dimensional around the quarterback’s ability to extend plays. However, like South Carolina, Tennessee has an elite defensive line that can limit his ability to move around the pocket and break contain.

I’ll side with the home underdog at a field goal as Tennessee’s defensive line should be up to the test while I think Alabama has too many questions to be laying a field goal on the road against a difficult offensive scheme to handle, even if it isn’t operating at its best.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech Prediction and Pick

Pick: Notre Dame (-430)

Michigan vs. Illinois Prediction and Pick

Pick: Michigan (-160)

Charlotte vs. Navy Prediction and Pick

Pick: Navy (-880)

Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Prediction and Pick

Pick: Texas A&M (-650)

LSU vs. Arkansas Prediction and Pick

Pick: Arkansas (+114)

Georgia vs. Texas Prediction and Pick

Pick: Georgia (+146)

This number has drifted towards Texas based on results this season, but the Longhorns have yet to face a team that is elite on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, Georgia was knocked off by Alabama on the road, but despite spotting the Crimson Tide 28 points in that matchup, the Bulldogs had the lead with a few minutes to go.

While the Texas offense gets a lot of credit under Steve Sarkisian's tutelage, the team’s ground game may be ineffective against the vaunted Georgia defensive line. If the team isn’t able to get into third and manageable for this game, the pressure will pick up on Ewers to make plays with his arm as he is far less mobile than someone like Jalen Milroe, who gave Georgia fits in the Bulldogs' loss.

Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t faced a legitimate offense to date, will the team feel the effects of losing two NFL defensive linemen in this type of matchup, which has been masked in every other game this season?

This is way too much respect for Texas. I’ll take the team that everyone pegged as the National Championship favorite and was favored in Tuscaloosa a few short weeks ago to get off to a stronger start and keep this within a field goal.

UCF vs. Iowa State Prediction and Pick

Pick: Iowa State (-600)

Kansas State vs. West Virginia Prediction and Pick

Pick: West Virginia (+135)

SMU vs. Stanford Prediction and Pick

Pick: SMU (-690)