Top 5 best college football games for Week 8

The chase for the College Football Playoff is starting to heat up in October. The first CFP ranking will not be released until Nov. 4, so teams still have a few weeks to pad their resume as conference play is in full swing.

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Week 7 had several key contests. Indiana’s 30-20 win over Oregon propelled the Hoosiers to No. 3 in the country and set up head coach Curt Cignetti for an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. Alabama’s 27-24 win over then-No. 14 Missouri proved the Crimson Tide as a legit contender in the SEC.

Week 8 promises to have an exciting slate of games on Saturday. There will be five games where both teams are ranked.

Here are the best five matchups for Week 8.

All betting lines are from ESPN BET

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5. No. 23 Utah at No. 15 BYU (7 p.m. EST, FOX)

The BYU Cougars, No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 24 Cincinnati are the only undefeated programs remaining in the Big 12. Utah’s lone loss came to the Red Raiders on Sept. 20.

The Utes need to defeat BYU to keep their hopes of making the Big 12 championship alive. The Cougars can impress the CFP committee with a Top-25 win at home in prime time.

The Cougars are led by junior running back LJ Martin, who has 652 yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries. BYU’s rushing offense has been tremendous through its first six games, rushing for 1,428 yards on 252 carries (5.7 yards per rush).

Utah is a 3.5-point favorite to knock off the Cougars.

4. No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt (12 p.m. EST, ABC)

The matchup between LSU and Vanderbilt will feature two big games at quarterback. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeirer is trying to keep LSU in the thick of the CFP chase, as the Tigers only blemish was a 24-19 loss at then-No. 5 Ole Miss on Sept. 27.

Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia couldn’t beat Alabama two years in a row, but the senior has an opportunity to give Vanderbilt another prestigious win against LSU. The Commodores had a bye in Week 7, and could be a dark horse to make the CFP with a win over Brian Kelly’s squad.

Vanderbilt is a 1.5-point favorite over LSU.

3. No. 20 USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. EST, NBC)

After suffering losses in the first weeks of the season, the Irish need to beat USC to remain in the CFP conversation. Freshman quarterback C.J. Carr has been impressive all season and has Notre Dame looking like a contender, but the Trojans are the only ranked team remaining on Notre Dame’s schedule.

USC is coming off an impressive 31-13 win over then-No. 15 Michigan in Week 7. A win over Notre Dame would put head coach Lincoln Riley’s squad in the CFP conversation. The Trojans’ only loss came in a tight 34-32 contest on the road against then-No. 23 Illinois on Sept. 27

Notre Dame is a 9.5-point favorite.

2. No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama (7:30 p.m. EST, ABC)

The Volunteers have won two of their last three in this series, but they have not won on the “Third Saturday in October” in Tuscaloosa since 2003.

Tennessee is 2-1 in the SEC, and cannot afford another loss if it wants to stay in the race for the conference championship. A win for Alabama would pad its resume and make the Crimson Tide a near lock to make the CFP with a win against either LSU or Oklahoma in November.

Alabama is a 7.5-point favorite over Tennessee.

1. No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia (3:30 p.m. EST, ABC)

Ole Miss appeared headed to the CFP last year when they knocked off Georgia 28-10 in Oxford, Mississippi, on Nov. 9. But an upset by Florida two weeks later crushed the Rebels chances as they earned their third loss of the season.

Ole Miss is undefeated entering this year’s matchup against the Bulldogs. A win over Georgia on Saturday would almost assure Lane Kiffin’s team of making the CFP, as the Rebels have just one more ranked game remaining (No. 14 Oklahoma on Oct. 25).

A win for Georgia would go a long way on their resume, as the Bulldogs’ best win to date was a 44-41 victory over then-No. 15 Tennessee in overtime. Two weeks later, the Dawgs suffered their only loss of the season in a tight 24-21 game to Alabama.

The winner of this game stays in the top 10. Georgia would likely fall out of the top 12 with a loss.

Georgia is a 7.5-point favorite.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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