NCAAF · 1 hour ago

5 Bold Predictions for College Football Ahead of Week 8

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Wisconsin Jumps Around, Beats USC
Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans have struggled when forced to travel from the West Coast. While the trip to Madison is not as bad as going all the way to Penn State, it’s another trip, and the Trojans will be playing at night against a desperate Wisconsin squad in front of a raucous crowd at Camp Randall Stadium. Last week, the Badgers’ passing attack was just about as bad as it could be against UCLA in a game that Wisconsin really could have won. Colton Joseph will be better this week against a vulnerable USC defense. On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin’s defensive line largely won the battle against UCLA’s, and they have a chance to cause some problems for Jayden Maiava and the USC Trojans. I think Wisconsin gets the job done here in a hotly contested game, and the pressure ramps up again on Lincoln Riley.
1. IU's Defense Punishes Freshman Carr
The Indiana Hoosiers lost a heartbreaker to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The loss snapped a nation-high 22-game winning streak, and now IU travels to play at a place they have not won since 1967. The quarterbacks are the most interesting part of this game with Indiana’s Josh Hoover battling a shoulder injury after a fall against Ohio State and Michigan turning to freshman Tommy Carr after benching Bryce Underwood. Carr had some success against Penn State as the Wolverines turned the game around in the second half. Things are going to be different for Carr on Saturday, though. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines is particularly adept at making life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. While IU has been a bit susceptible to mobile quarterbacks and Carr has some nice wheels, Indiana’s defense is going to take away Michigan’s running game and force the Wolverines into third-down passing situations. When that happens, Haines will dial up the pressure and force Carr into mistakes that will ultimately swing the game in Indiana’s favor.
2. South Carolina Knocks Off Volunteers
Is Shane Beamer on the hot seat? Is Tennessee a legitimate SEC Championship contender? There are many questions to be answered on Saturday in Columbia. Still, the most important question is whether the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers can mentally rebound and replicate the effort they displayed last Saturday when they knocked off rival Alabama. The Vols’ defense was unbelievably good, and despite having very little passing game to speak of, Tennessee comfortably dispatched the Crimson Tide. Teams have not had much success this season in repeating that kind of effort from one week to the next, and I think that continues on Saturday at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a decent run defense and could at least slow down DeSean Bishop, while LaNorris Sellers can make a few game-changing plays with his legs. The Gamecocks get the win over Tennessee.
3. Ole Miss Sends Texas Into Spiral
If not for a very late rally against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Texas Longhorns would already have three losses. As is, the season in Austin is hanging on by a thread, and the Ole Miss Rebels come to town with a chance to really twist the knife and ratchet up the pressure on Steve Sarkisian. Trinidad Chambliss is playing with a lot of confidence, but the real reason for optimism in Oxford is the improvement being shown in the defense. The Rebels looked great last weekend against Missouri, and they shut down the Tigers’ running attack. Texas has struggled to run the ball consistently. If Ole Miss can replicate the defensive effort, they’ll make the home team one-dimensional, and I don’t think Texas can keep up with the firepower Chambliss provides. If Texas falls behind, the atmosphere at DKR could turn toxic.
4. Kentucky Keeps Rolling
With Halloween looming, Kentucky fans are used to turning attention towards the hardwood. That will need to wait a bit as new head coach Will Stein should have Big Blue Nation’s undivided attention. The Wildcats are 6-1 after back-to-back one-point wins over South Carolina and LSU, followed by a 21-13 triumph at Oklahoma. They now get to host a reeling Vanderbilt squad, and I don’t see how the Commodores keep this one competitive. Vanderbilt's offense is among the SEC’s worst, and UK’s defense has been decent. On the other side of the ball, Kentucky wants to pound the rock, and Vanderbilt allows 4.4 yards per rush (82nd nationally). It’s a bad matchup at a bad time for the Commodores, and the Wildcats are going to roll.
5. Wisconsin Jumps Around, Beats USC
Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans have struggled when forced to travel from the West Coast. While the trip to Madison is not as bad as going all the way to Penn State, it’s another trip, and the Trojans will be playing at night against a desperate Wisconsin squad in front of a raucous crowd at Camp Randall Stadium. Last week, the Badgers’ passing attack was just about as bad as it could be against UCLA in a game that Wisconsin really could have won. Colton Joseph will be better this week against a vulnerable USC defense. On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin’s defensive line largely won the battle against UCLA’s, and they have a chance to cause some problems for Jayden Maiava and the USC Trojans. I think Wisconsin gets the job done here in a hotly contested game, and the pressure ramps up again on Lincoln Riley.
1. IU's Defense Punishes Freshman Carr
The Indiana Hoosiers lost a heartbreaker to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The loss snapped a nation-high 22-game winning streak, and now IU travels to play at a place they have not won since 1967. The quarterbacks are the most interesting part of this game with Indiana’s Josh Hoover battling a shoulder injury after a fall against Ohio State and Michigan turning to freshman Tommy Carr after benching Bryce Underwood. Carr had some success against Penn State as the Wolverines turned the game around in the second half. Things are going to be different for Carr on Saturday, though. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines is particularly adept at making life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. While IU has been a bit susceptible to mobile quarterbacks and Carr has some nice wheels, Indiana’s defense is going to take away Michigan’s running game and force the Wolverines into third-down passing situations. When that happens, Haines will dial up the pressure and force Carr into mistakes that will ultimately swing the game in Indiana’s favor.

5 Bold Predictions for College Football Ahead of Week 8

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