Here’s one bold prediction for every top 25 team in college football in Week 8. Which big underdogs pull the upset and which names emerge in the Heisman race?
See Also: How did the Week 7 bold predictions turn out?
Nobody saw Week 7 coming. Four Top 10 teams fell to unranked opponents. From Friday evening to late Saturday night chaos reigned in the college football ranks. While we didn’t call any of those staggering upsets this time, there were more than a few bold predictions that were spot on.
We did say that Arizona State would have a two touchdown lead over Washington, we just weren’t crazy enough to think they’d hold on to win, which they did. Michigan was involved in a game that hit the over. After a mediocre start to his season, J.T. Barrett rejoined the Heisman race in earnest. Finally, we had Wisconsin freshman Jonathan Taylor topping 200 yard rushing. He finished with a whopping 219 on the ground.
For every hit there are more than a few misses, some worse than others. Kelly Bryant did not have 400 yards of total offense, and even before leaving the game against Syracuse, he did not look good. The Red River Rivalry did not go to overtime, although it came close. NC State didn’t keep Pitt out of the endzone and Navy’s Zach Abbey did not throw two touchdowns, rather he had just one pass completion.
Like we said. There will be some good calls and so bad one’s, but that won’t stop us from taking a stand. Here’s one bold prediction for every Top 25 team in Week 8.
Bold prediction: Memphis has a short stay in the Top 25. The Tigers edged out last week’s No. 25 team, Navy, by a field goal. That fortune reverses itself tin Week 8 as Houston knocks off Memphis from the ranks with relative ease.
Bold prediction: LSU loses by 20. The Tigers are not a good football team. Ole Miss might not be much better, but there’s no way a team that got their lunch handed to them by Troy is going into the Grove and walking out with a win. Shea Patterson shreds the Tiger defense with his legs and bounces LSU from the Top 25.
Bold prediction: Zach Smith out passes Will Grier. Smith isn’t a better quarterback than Grier, but he doesn’t have much help. Baylor is looking for their first win of the season, still, but they’re going to fall behind early to the Mountaineers. While Grier can rely on the Mountaineers’ rushing attack, Smith will be forced to take to the air.
Off week
Bold prediction: Jarrett Stidham has a four touchdown day. Everything about the finish to the LSU game was fluky. Auburn is a much better team than the final half of football revealed in Week 7 and they are going to be prepared to quiet any concerns. Stidham has his breakout game that everyone has been waiting for against a woefully overmatched Arkansas secondary.
Bold prediction: Knights held below 36 points for the first time this season. It’s a bit crazy when your floor is five touchdowns a game. It’s also unsustainable. UCF picks up the win, but their high-powered offense falls back to a more realistic level against a Navy ground-game that loves to control the clock.
Bold prediction: The Michigan quarterbacks throw for less than 100 yards. First it was Wilton Speight then it was John O’Korn. Neither have looked impressive. The Penn State defense has looked like one of, if not the best defensive unit in the country. The Nittany Lions flummox Jim Harbaugh‘s offense and the passing game disappears.
Bold prediction: Felton Davis III tops 100 yards receiving. Michigan State hasn’t had much of a passing offense this season, but this feels like a game where quarterback Brian Lewerke gets something going. Who better to step up than the Spartans’ leading receiver, Davis III.
Bold prediction: Bulls knocked from the Top 25 with a loss to Tulane. Quinton Flowers hasn’t looked sharp lately and the USF offense was lethargic in their 33-3 win over Cincinnati. Flowers was held without a passing touchdown. He’s trending in the wrong direction and is going to get outgunned by Tulane on Saturday.
Off week
Bold prediction: Luke Falk gets his revenge. After throwing five interceptions in the Cougars’ upset loss against Cal in Week 7 Falk is due for a bounce back week. He’s the school’s all-time passing leader and will add to his already gaudy numbers with 300+ yards and three touchdowns against a struggling Colorado defense.
Bold prediction: Hokies surpass 700 yards of total offense. Virginia Tech was off last weekend, but only climbed one spot in the midst of all the upsets. The Hokies have as good a shot at the Playoff as anyone. Just beating UNC won’t wow anyone, but an offensive explosion will get noticed.
Bold prediction: The Irish upset USC. Notre Dame has the name, but an early season loss to Georgia dampened their post season hopes every so slightly. A statement win against a pre-season pick to go to the Playoff will vault the Irish into the Top 10, at least.
Off week
Bold prediction: Sam Darnold throws a game-altering Pick Six. It’s been an up and down season for Darnold, who started the year as college football’s golden boy. The most concerning flaw in his game has been the copious amount of interceptions. Darnold has nine picks through his first seven games. Number 10 or 11 will be the death knell of the Trojans’ Playoff dreams.
Bold prediction: Oklahoma State has a pair of 3-touchdown quarters. These two teams have split their last 10 games 5-5. Texas is a trendy sleeper pick to win the Big 12, but that goes out the window as Mason Rudolph and James Washington put on a show in Austin on Saturday.
Bold prediction: Trey Sermon posts his best rushing performance of his career. Oklahoma’s offense is more than just Baker Mayfield. Running back Trey Sermon has been a consistent asset to the Sooner team, but he hasn’t fully taken over a game yet. He gets his chance against a Kansas State team, smashing his previous career high of 12 carries for 148 and two touchdowns against Baylor.
Bold prediction: Syracuse falls flat. Yes, the Orange just beat Clemson. But that won’t do them any favors against the Canes. Miami will be extra-prepared to avoid following the Tigers and there’s no way the Orange have enough magic left to pull off a pair of Top 10 wins in one season, especially with this game coming in Florida.
Off week
Off week
Bold prediction: Badgers win the turnover battle by three. Is Maryland on their fifth quarterback yet? The Terrapins have not been able to keep a signal caller healthy this year which poses a problem when combined with the Badgers suffocating defense. Wisconsin will be the first team to truly rattle Maryland passer Max Bortenschlager as the Badgers control the ball and run away with this game early.
Bold prediction: Kenny Hill starts to receive Heisman hype. There are plenty of elite running backs this season. It seems a forgone conclusion that guys like Bryce Love and Saquon Barkley earn an invitation to New York. But the Heisman is a quarterback award. Despite a quiet season, Hill fills the prerequisites: he’s on a winning team and he’s a quarterback. Right or wrong, a big day against Kansas will result in Heisman Hill being muttered among the college football media.
Off week
Bold prediction: Saquon Barkley tops 300 all-purpose yards. There isn’t anything that Barkley can’t do. At the midpoint of the season he already has a return touchdown, a passing touchdown, two receiving touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns. Maybe it’s not so bold to call for a massive game from the Penn State stalwart with a few more touchdowns to add to the growing resume.
Bold prediction: Nick Saban gets Butch Jones fired. The writing has been on the wall for a while now, but this is the tipping point. Tennessee doesn’t have a prayer in Tuscaloosa this weekend and there couldn’t be a more poignant way for the Butch Jones era to come to an end than a blowout at the hands of the coach that has already caused the end of so many other coaches in the SEC.
Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 7
There weren’t any matchups between two Top 25 teams in Week 7, but that was just laid the groundwork for some of the most exciting upsets of the season. No. 19 Michigan visits No. 2 Penn State and No. 11 USC plays at No. 13 Notre Dame. Both of those games should be worth the price of admission, doubly so if a few of these bold predictions come to pass.