Matt Johnson
Week 8 of the college football schedule is almost here and it’s an enticing slate of matchups featuring Syracuse vs Clemson, Ole Miss vs LSU, UCLA vs Oregon and a variety of other must-see games. Before it all begins, let’s preview the Saturday schedule with our Week 8 college football picks.
We certainly won’t suggest Week 8 is going to live up to last weekend. However, we do get another clash between top-10 teams in the top-25 rankings when the UCLA Bruins vs Oregon Ducks game kicks off at 3:30 PM ET. It’s certainly the matchup with the highest stakes on Saturday, but it’s certainly not the only one to watch.
The Syracuse Orange vs Clemson Tigers battle in the ACC might seem lopsided, but Syracuse keeps proving that it’s not a program to be taken lightly. Home-field advantage is a top storyline on the college football schedule this week, especially with the Oklahoma State Cowboys hosting the Texas Longhorns and the LSU Tigers favored to beat undefeated Ole Miss.
Let’s dive into our Week 8 college football picks for each of the top-25 matchups. Further below, you can find specific breakdowns for some of the best matchups on the schedule.
Related: College Football Rankings Week 8
College Football Picks: Lines, point spreads and predictions for Week 8
Below we’ve made college football picks against the spread for all 12 top-25 games in Week 8. The spread and point total are set by BetMGM.
| Date | Matchup | Spread | Point Total |
| Saturday, October 22 | Iowa vs (2) Ohio State | -29.5 Ohio State | 49.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | UT Martin vs (3) Tennessee | N/A | N/A |
| Saturday, October 22 | (14) Syracuse vs (5) Clemson | -13.5 Clemson | 50.5 points (UNDER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (21) Cincinnati vs SMU | -3 Cincinnati | 60.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (7) Ole Miss vs LSU | +1.5 Ole Miss | 66.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (9) UCLA vs (10) Oregon | -6 Oregon | 69.5 points (UNDER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (20) Texas vs (11) Oklahoma State | -6 Texas | 62.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | Boston College vs (13) Wake Forest | -21 Wake Forest | 61.5 points (UNDER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | Memphis vs (25) Tulane | -7 Tulane | 56.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (24) Mississippi State vs (6) Alabama | -21.5 Alabama | 61.5 points (OVER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | Minnesota vs (6) Penn State | -4.5 Penn State | 44.5 points (UNDER) |
| Saturday, October 22 | (17) Kansas State vs (8) TCU | -3.5 Kansas State | 55.5 points (OVER) |
Related: College Football Games Today
Week 8 College Football Picks
Syracuse Orange vs Clemson Tigers preview
It’s perfectly understandable why Syracuse is a two-touchdown underdog on the road. Clemson has won 37 consecutive home games, sitting on the doorstep of becoming just the sixth team in the history of AP rankings to win 40 consecutive games at home. Memorial Stadium provides an environment like few other places across the country and it presents Syracuse with a daunting assignment on Oct. 22.
However, it’s not the only factor working against the Orange. Syracuse’s offense enters Week 8 with an offense that runs the football on 56% of its plays this season. It’s an effective ground game, averaging nearly 150 yards per game. Unfortunately for the Orange, it’s not particularly effective. Syracuse ranks 81st in yards per rush (3.8) and that spells trouble against a defensive front that allows just 2.7 yards per rush this season. Clemson’s defensive foundation is on the defensive line, allowing it to take away the No. 1 thing the Orange wants to do.
We do think there’s a realistic chance this is a low-scoring game, hitting the under with our college football picks against the spread. Syracuse’s defense ranks 37th in defensive efficiency, but quarterback D.J. Uiagaelelei will put the secondary and pass rush to the test. Ultimately, Clemson’s home-field advantage and its ability to contain the run will decide this one.
- College Football Picks: Clemson 27, Syracuse 17
Ole Miss Rebels vs LSU Tigers preview
The LSU Tigers have experienced a ton of fluctuation in their first season under Brian Kelly. Defeating the Florida Gators by 10 points in “The Swamp” is certainly an accomplishment, but this is also the same team that got embarrassed at home by the Tennessee Volunteers and needed a 21-point rally to defeat the Auburn Tigers.
It’s not like Ole Miss carries a record without its own faults. The 22-19 victory over Kentucky came with controversy and the Rebels’ defense allowed Auburn to score 31 points in three quarters. Tiger Stadium provides its own electric atmosphere, but it’s a very different place when kickoff is at 3:30 PM ET compared to a nighttime battle under the lights.
Besides, Lane Kiffin’s offense will have success against LSU’s defense. The Tigers allow 4.1 yards per rush (61st in FBS) and its last two SEC opponents combined for 473 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Kiffin is more than comfortable allowing his run game to carry him to a win. Ole Miss had three 100-yard rushers last Saturday. Coming off that performance, the Rebels’ offense ranks eighth in the FBS in yards per rush (5.7) and it averages the second-most rushing yards per game (277.8). With our Week 8 college football picks against the spread, give us Ole Miss to beat the spread in a shootout.
- Prediction: Ole Miss 38, LSU 31
UCLA Bruins vs Oregon Ducks preview
UCLA vs Oregon is our favorite game on the schedule. Rewind to Week 2 and look a the discourse around these PAC 12 programs. Even after a 45-17 win over Bowling Green, the only discussion around UCLA was Chip Kelly’s future and whether or not he should be the head coach. Meanwhile, the Ducks were humiliated by the Georgia Bulldogs in a 49-3 finish that wasn’t even as close as the final score.
Fast forward to Week 8 and we’ve got both teams atop the Pac-12 standings. In terms of each team’s strength of resume, the edge goes to the Bruins. UCLA defeated a then-ranked Washington Huskies team 40-32 and followed that up with a thrilling 42-32 victory over the Utah Utes. As for the Ducks’ opponents, they dominated a then-ranked BYU Cougars program, but there really isn’t a marquee win outside of that.
Ultimately, this is all coming down to the defensive minds in a chess match against the quarterbacks. Dan Lanning is only in his first season at the helm, but his background at Georgia demonstrates that he knows how to best utilize his talent and scheme up ways to stop explosive offenses. He’ll be challenged by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the breakout quarterback who is largely responsible for UCLA averaging the sixth-highest yards per play (7.1), the 10th most points per play (0.565) and the fourth-best conversion rate (56.25% on third downs)
Oregon doesn’t generate a ton of takeaways, averaging just 1.2 per game and it is allowing the fifth-highest conversion rate on third downs (53%) to the opposition. The talent simply isn’t there right now for the Ducks’ defense to do what Lanning needs against UCLA. Although, the same can be argued for the Bruins’ defense vs Bo Nix. Ultimately, this will likely come down to the final possessions with the safest bet for our college football picks against the spread being the over.
- Prediction: UCLA 42, Oregon 38
