CFB Week 8 picks: Will Alabama stay undefeated in the SEC?

We're halfway through the college football season, but does anyone have a clue who's actually good? While we're pretty sure Ohio State, Miami, and Indiana are contenders, is Alabama back in the national title picture after a Week 1 blunder? And what about the other undefeated power conference teams? That's all to say that we have a lot more questions than answers entering the back half of the season.

Many of those questions will be answered in the coming weeks, with this weekend featuring a slew of ranked matchups that could make or break a program's campaign. We're 15-5 in our last 20 bets, so let's stay hot with a pack of seven plays for Week 8.

👉 Check out all college football Week 8 lines on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here

Game time: 12 p.m. ET

🏈 Pick: LSU +2.5

LSU's lack of offensive balance is concerning. It relies too much on Garrett Nussmeier's arm because of its inability to run the ball. But let's not give up on the Tigers, who's lone defeat was a respectable close loss to Ole Miss. LSU still has victories over Florida, South Carolina, and Clemson, while Vanderbilt's only impressive win is against South Carolina.

The Tigers' defense has carried them to a 5-1 start. Vanderbilt hasn't been prolific offensively, so LSU should limit its drives. The Commodores' defensive weakness plays into the Tigers' strength, as they rank 97th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game. LSU should easily move the ball through the air.

Game time: 3:30 p.m.

🏈 Pick: Ole Miss +7.5

Georgia has failed to play a complete game all season, but it should run the ball successfully against Ole Miss' weak rushing defense, potentially leading to long drives and a low-scoring affair. On the other side, the Rebels rank third in yards per contest and 12th in points per game. In case you haven't been paying attention, this isn't a typical Kirby Smart defense. Meanwhile, opponents have exposed the Bulldogs' defense as a weak unit lacking physicality in the trenches this year.

Ole Miss will score frequently. Regardless of the venue, 7.5 is too many points for an evenly-matched conference showdown. Plus, Lane Kiffin thrives as an underdog, posting a 3-1 record against the spread in his last four games in the spot.

Game time: 7:30 p.m.

🏈 Pick: USC +9.5

This is a must-win for Notre Dame. If it loses, it's knocked out of the playoff conversation. If it wins, it has an easy schedule the rest of the campaign to run the table and give itself a chance at the postseason. The Fighting Irish are one of the best teams in college. Their two losses to Miami and Texas A&M are reasonable defeats, and they've dominated opponents since.

But how can I lay 9.5 points against the second-best offense in the nation? It's fair to question USC's schedule, but it dominated Michigan last week. Sure, the Wolverines are overrated, but the Trojans proved they can hang with physical opponents on the line of scrimmage. USC must bring that physicality to South Bend on Saturday. Even if Notre Dame's the better team, the Trojans can score against any defense. They're averaging over 550 yards and 45 points per contest, both of which rank second in the country.

Game time: 7:30 p.m.

🏈 Pick: Tennessee +7.5

I'm obviously favoring underdogs this week. This is another example of a tough SEC matchup where no team has business being favored by more than a touchdown. I'm as high on Alabama as anyone and believe Ty Simpson has a case as the nation's best quarterback, but let's not disrespect Tennessee. Its only loss was in overtime to Georgia.

The Volunteers' offense has been nearly unstoppable, averaging the most passing yards and third-most rushing yards per game in the SEC. While the Crimson Tide has allowed the second-fewest passing yards per contest in the conference, they have the fourth-worst rushing defense. Tennessee should find success on the ground. Alabama owns the SEC's third-best passing offense, and the Volunteers rank dead last in passing defense, meaning this could be a shootout. Regardless, Tennessee has the offensive firepower to keep it within a touchdown.

👉 Check out all college football Week 8 lines on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here

Game time: 3:30 p.m.

🏈 Pick: Arkansas +7.5

Arkansas has lost four straight contests, but it competed in most of those losses. It fell to Ole Miss, Memphis, and Tennessee - all ranked teams - by a combined 10 points. This could be the week the Razorbacks snap their losing streak. Although Arkansas' defense sits last in the SEC, its offense averages the third-most yards per game in the conference.

Texas A&M has looked unbelievable in the season's first half, but it's slightly overrated as the fourth-ranked squad in the nation. The Aggies' only truly impressive win was a road battle against Notre Dame. This is also a lookahead spot for them with a road trip to LSU looming next week.

Game time: 4:15 p.m.

🏈 Pick: Mississippi State +9.5

I feel like I write about Billy Napier's days being numbered every week, yet he somehow still has a job. But his days are certainly numbered, with a report indicating that Florida could fire him this weekend. As we saw with Penn State, schools aren't afraid to let coaches go midseason. The Gators shouldn't be a 9.5-point favorite over anybody.

Although Texas A&M pummeled Mississippi State last weekend, the Bulldogs took Tennessee to overtime the week prior and beat Arizona State earlier this season. Mississippi State's improved roster can compete against any middle-of-the-road SEC squad.

Game time: 7 p.m.

🏈 Pick: Iowa -2.5

Penn State is a dumpster fire. The team quit after falling to Oregon, leading to two disastrous losses against far inferior opponents: UCLA and Northwestern. Then, it fired James Franklin. Quarterback Drew Allar is also out for the season. This isn't a situation where the Nittany Lions rally around their interim coach and backup quarterback. Out of playoff contention, a group that once had title aspirations now has nothing to play for.

The problems will only worsen for Penn State the rest of the season. Iowa is a respectable program that just demolished Wisconsin and competed against Indiana. It's 4-1-1 against the spread this campaign and should beat a broken team at home.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more coverage.

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