NCAAF · 1 hour ago

Ranking the Top 10 Potential Upsets for College Football Week 8

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. Houston at Utah
Houston Cougars @ Utah Utes
- Date: October 24 | Time: 10:15 PM ET | TV: ESPN
- AP Rank: Houston: 14 | Utah: 10
- Records: Houston: 6-1 | Utah: 6-0
- Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium | Location: Salt Lake City, UT
The Big 12 has emerged as a conference that could sneak three teams into the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech is still unbeaten, Utah has quietly started 6-0, and Houston has only one narrow loss (at Texas Tech). This week’s schedule is capped by the Houston Cougars traveling to Salt Lake City to take on the Utes in a possible Big 12 Championship Game play-in contest. The Utes are outstanding on the ground and want to dominate in the trenches. Still, Houston has shown an explosive attack capable of outscoring opponents (as evidenced by last week’s win over Oklahoma State). This should be a fun one on late Saturday night.
1. James Madison at Appalachian State
James Madison Dukes @ Appalachian State Mountaineers
- Date: October 22 | Time: 7:00 PM ET | TV: ESPNU
- AP Rank: NR
- Records: James Madison: 7-0 | Appalachian State: 3-3
- Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium | Location: Boone, NC
Former Florida head coach Billy Napier is earning his “Sun Belt Billy” nickname as he has kept the James Madison Dukes cruising in his first season in charge of the Group of Five party. The Dukes are 7-0 and fresh off a win over Georgia State, but they have been challenged before by close games against San Diego State and Georgia Southern, and now face a stiff test in a weeknight clash at Appalachian State in Boone. The Mountaineers are 4-2 after a win at Coastal Carolina and nearly topped North Carolina State a few weeks ago, making them a dangerous underdog.
2. Indiana at Michigan
Indiana Hoosiers @ Michigan Wolverines
- Date: October 24 | Time: Noon | TV: FOX
- AP Rank: Indiana: 6 | Michigan: NR
- Records: Indiana: 6-1 | Michigan: 4-2
- Stadium: Michigan Stadium | Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Teams coming off mammoth games this season have struggled. Georgia and Alabama both lost last week after playing each other. Ole Miss got stomped by Florida after beating LSU. Florida suffered the same fate after beating Ole Miss, and the examples will continue to grow. How will Indiana respond after a heartbreaking loss to Ohio State? Josh Hoover got banged up last week, and the Hoosiers now have to play at Michigan, a place they have not won since 1967. The Wolverines turned to Tommy Carr in the second half against Penn State, and he jump-started the offense and helped lead the Maize and Blue to a close victory. This figures to be a low-possession, tightly contested contest.
3. LSU at Auburn
LSU Tigers @ Auburn Tigers
- Date: October 24 | Time: Noon | TV: ABC
- AP Rank: LSU: 18 | Auburn: NR
- Records: LSU: 5-2 | Auburn: 4-2
- Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium | Location: Auburn, AL
The Auburn Tigers return home after a massive road victory over the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. Alex Golesh got an early signature win, and his team was just more physical than Kirby Smart’s squad on the lines of scrimmage. It will be difficult for Byrum Brown to replicate the rushing performance he had against Georgia, but if he can, Auburn will be in this game. Sam Leavitt is prone to turning the ball over, and if Auburn can win the turnover battle, as they did against UGA, they can get a second straight huge win.
4. Oregon at Illinois
Oregon Ducks @ Illinois Fighting Illini
- Date: October 24 | Time: 3:00 PM ET | TV: BTN
- AP Rank: NR
- Records: Oregon: 4-2 | Illinois: 3-3
- Stadium: Gies Memorial Stadium | Location: Champaign, IL
Illinois is coming off a bye week, so they have had two weeks to gameplan for the Oregon Ducks and try to come up with some fixes on defense after the midseason firing of their defensive coordinator. The Illini scored 38 points against Michigan State, and they do have a capable offense, plus Oregon is making the trip from Eugene to Champaign amid some controversy. Leading receiver Evan Stewart was reportedly arrested for driving under the influence, and the status of multiple offensive stars is up in the air for this road test.
5. BYU at UCF
BYU Cougars @ UCF Knights
- Date: October 24 | Time: 3:30 PM ET | TV: FOX
- AP Rank: BYU: 2 | UCF: NR
- Records: BYU: 6-0 | UCF: 3-3
- Stadium: Acrisure Bounce House | Location: Orlando, FL
This is a classic letdown spot for the BYU Cougars. Last Saturday night, Bear Bachmeier pushed himself to the limit and led his team to a colossal, emotional victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I am sure the coaching staff would love a bye week, but instead, they have to travel across the country and play an afternoon game at the Bounce House against the UCF Knights. UCF has a good defense, but there is reason for BYU to be concerned about this spot. Can the Cougars rebound emotionally and summon the energy needed to take care of business on the road after beating Notre Dame and rising to No. 2 in the rankings?
6. Tennessee at South Carolina
Tennessee Volunteers @ South Carolina Gamecocks
- Date: October 24 | Time: 3:30 PM ET | TV: ESPN
- AP Rank: Tennessee: 11 | South Carolina: NR
- Records: Tennessee: 6-1 | South Carolina: 3-3
- Stadium: Williams-Brice Stadium | Location: Columbia, SC
Much like BYU traveling to Central Florida, the Tennessee Volunteers hit the road after a giant win over rival Alabama. The spot is even worse for the Vols as South Carolina comes off a bye week. Before the bye, they played their best game of the season, hammering Florida in The Swamp. Tennessee’s offense is heavily reliant on the running game, an area South Carolina has defended well (3.7 yards per carry allowed). Plus, LaNorris Sellers is very capable of making a few huge plays with his legs that could flip a game. Keep in mind, as good as Tennessee looked against Alabama, they were also tied with Arkansas with two minutes remaining, so they are extremely beatable.
7. Iowa at Minnesota
Iowa Hawkeyes @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Date: October 24 | Time: 3:30 PM ET | TV: FS1
- AP Rank: Iowa: 15 | Minnesota: NR
- Records: Iowa: 5-1 | Minnesota: 4-2
- Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium | Location: Minneapolis, MN
The Iowa Hawkeyes enjoyed a week off and watched the chaos around the rest of the country. The Hawkeyes are now 15th in the AP Poll, and there is growing buzz about Iowa’s chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. Look at the schedule: at Minnesota, Wisconsin, at Northwestern, Purdue, at Illinois and Nebraska. That’s not easy, but Iowa doesn’t play USC, Indiana, UCLA or Oregon and the carnage elsewhere has opened the door. That’s only if Iowa can take care of business, and it won’t be easy at Minnesota. The Gophers have a defense capable of giving Iowa’s offense some issues, and I don’t think Iowa’s defense is quite as stingy as it usually is.
8. Ole Miss at Texas
Ole Miss Rebels @ Texas Longhorns
- Date: October 24 | Time: 7:30 PM ET | TV: ABC
- AP Rank: Ole Miss: 7 | Texas: 19
- Records: Ole Miss: 5-1 | Texas: 4-2
- Stadium: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium | Location: Austin, TX
You can’t measure desperation, and the Texas Longhorns now have their backs firmly against the wall. After losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida, Texas now hosts the Ole Miss Rebels, and Steve Sarkisian frustratingly said at a press conference that everything was on the table to be evaluated. While everything is going wrong for Texas, Ole Miss is humming along and brings possibly the nation’s best quarterback to Austin. Can the Longhorns rally, or will Sarkisian find himself on a scalding hot seat just weeks after being ranked No. 1 in the country?
9. USC at Wisconsin
USC Trojans @ Wisconsin Badgers
- Date: October 24 | Time: 7:30 PM ET | TV: NBC
- AP Rank: USC: 16 | Wisconsin: NR
- Records: USC: 6-1 | Wisconsin: 4-2
- Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium | Location: Madison, WI
The USC Trojans have not traveled well from the West Coast under Lincoln Riley, but they’ll need to be sharp coming off a bye week as they head to Madison to play the Badgers. Wisconsin has a strong defense and a dangerous quarterback in Colton Joseph. Yes, USC has quite a bit more talent, but this is a night game at Camp Randall Stadium, and it could get dicey for the Trojans as they possibly get caught looking ahead to the Halloween showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
10. Houston at Utah
Houston Cougars @ Utah Utes
- Date: October 24 | Time: 10:15 PM ET | TV: ESPN
- AP Rank: Houston: 14 | Utah: 10
- Records: Houston: 6-1 | Utah: 6-0
- Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium | Location: Salt Lake City, UT
The Big 12 has emerged as a conference that could sneak three teams into the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech is still unbeaten, Utah has quietly started 6-0, and Houston has only one narrow loss (at Texas Tech). This week’s schedule is capped by the Houston Cougars traveling to Salt Lake City to take on the Utes in a possible Big 12 Championship Game play-in contest. The Utes are outstanding on the ground and want to dominate in the trenches. Still, Houston has shown an explosive attack capable of outscoring opponents (as evidenced by last week’s win over Oklahoma State). This should be a fun one on late Saturday night.
1. James Madison at Appalachian State
James Madison Dukes @ Appalachian State Mountaineers
- Date: October 22 | Time: 7:00 PM ET | TV: ESPNU
- AP Rank: NR
- Records: James Madison: 7-0 | Appalachian State: 3-3
- Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium | Location: Boone, NC
Former Florida head coach Billy Napier is earning his “Sun Belt Billy” nickname as he has kept the James Madison Dukes cruising in his first season in charge of the Group of Five party. The Dukes are 7-0 and fresh off a win over Georgia State, but they have been challenged before by close games against San Diego State and Georgia Southern, and now face a stiff test in a weeknight clash at Appalachian State in Boone. The Mountaineers are 4-2 after a win at Coastal Carolina and nearly topped North Carolina State a few weeks ago, making them a dangerous underdog.