College Football Top 25: Recapping Week 8, previewing Week 9

10. Ole Miss (6-1)

Week 8 result: Defeated LSU 31-17

After suffering an injury and being considered day-to-day up until kickoff, Matt Corral ended up playing this week and led his team to a victory over LSU. He looked pretty good, too, all things considered, missing on only five of his 23 throws. It wasn’t his prettiest game by any means but he played well enough for his team to win.

Ole Miss didn’t even need to throw much in order to win this game either. They mostly kept the ball on the ground and ran 50 times. The three running backs of Snoop Conner, Jerrion Ealy, and Henry Parrish Jr. all had over 10 carries each and were very effective with the ball in their hands.

But the Rebels continue to run Corral far too often which could bring more injuries to their quarterback if they are not careful. He has run the ball over 40 times in the past two games which is way too much in my opinion. They should try to limit the designed quarterback runs and let him drop back more to avoid injuries at all costs.

Next game: vs. Auburn
My prediction: Win 36-33

11. Notre Dame (6-1)

Week 8 result: Defeated USC 31-16

Notre Dame played arguably its best game of the season against USC on Saturday. The Irish proved that they are still deserving of their rank and that they can still put points on the board.

Starting running back Kyren Williams finally broke out for the game we’ve all been waiting to see out of him this year. He ran for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and also had 42 receiving yards. This earned him a final PFF grade of 72.6.

The only concern for the Irish from this game was safety Kyle Hamilton leaving with a knee injury. This is obviously a huge loss for the team but is more worrisome for Hamilton himself who is expected to be a top 10 in the upcoming NFL draft. I’m hoping he is alright and that it’s nothing serious. If I were him, I would not play another down for the Fighting Irish and I would focus on the draft at all costs. A bad injury would be catastrophic for his future.

Next game: vs. North Carolina
My prediction: Win 30-27

12. Kentucky (6-1)

Week 8 result: Bye

The Wildcats were on a bye this week. They got a nice rest after that tough game against Georgia last week. Now it’s time to get back to work, though, and prove that you’re not a fluke this year. Kentucky still has a lot to play for and has a very realistic chance of winning the rest of their regular-season games which would be huge for Mark Stoops and this program.

Next game: vs. Mississippi State
My prediction: Win 28-20