CFB Blitz: Early Week 8 takeaways

College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the day's top games and examines their significance moving forward.

Better late than never for Georgia's defense

The jerseys said "Georgia," but the defenders on the field sure didn't look like a Kirby Smart-led group for most of the game. Ole Miss hung 35 points on the Bulldogs through the first three quarters Saturday, Lane Kiffin joked with officials, and Trinidad Chambliss made his first career SEC road start look like a scrimmage.

But games don't end after three quarters, and Smart's outfit showed in the fourth that it's still among the SEC's best. The Bulldogs' defense put the clamps on the Rebels in the final frame, allowing just 13 total yards, while their offense put up 17 points in the period. The offense leaned heavily on the run to move the ball into scoring territory and then called Lawson Luckie's number often, with the tight end catching three touchdowns in the 43-35 comeback win.

The contest was exhausting from start to finish, with 11 straight possessions resulting in points. The first punt for either team came just over two minutes into the fourth quarter. The pace was somewhat expected, considering the all-gas, no-brakes approach of Ole Miss, but Georgia's defense getting torched was a shock.

However, the embattled Bulldogs rose up when they needed it most and notched a massive win to keep them firmly in SEC contention. While the Rebels will be upset having missed a golden opportunity, they carried themselves more than well enough in a hostile environment and shouldn't fall far in the rankings.

Party like it's 1950

Vanderbilt's racking up accomplishments we haven't seen in 70-plus years, so it's fitting that one of the oldest quarterbacks in the country is leading the way. The Commodores dropped anchor on LSU on Saturday, beating the Tigers 31-24 for the first time since 1990, with 24-year-old Diego Pavia doing magic tricks along the way. That runs Vanderbilt's record to 6-1 on the season - a mark it hadn't reached since 1950. Pavia passed for 160 yards and a touchdown while adding 86 yards on the ground plus two rushing scores. While his scoring plays were noteworthy, a backbreaking fourth-down conversion near the end of the third quarter might've been the most important.

LSU and Vanderbilt haven't been on the same level for years, but if you removed the jerseys Saturday in Nashville, you'd think the home team was the one with three national titles this century. The Commodores ran over the Tigers' defense for 239 yards, while their own defense had five tackles for loss. It was a physical domination of sorts, with Pavia supplying the clutch play whenever needed.

Things are about to get really hot for Kelly

With James Franklin's PR appearance on ESPN's College GameDay complete, the recently fired Penn State coach will likely drop from the national view for the time being. That's bad news for LSU's Brian Kelly, who may be the next prominent coach to go as the heat cranks up in Baton Rouge following the loss to Vanderbilt. Sure, the Tigers are 5-2 on the season and still very much in the mix, but it's tough to imagine the team we saw Saturday getting through upcoming games versus Texas A&M and Alabama unscathed. LSU simply couldn't get off the field when needed, as Vanderbilt held the ball for 13 minutes longer and ran 18 more plays. Injuries are piling up for the Tigers, but it's hard to argue that this group isn't the worst of the Kelly era.

The three LSU coaches before Kelly - Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron - all won a national title by Year 4. If the team doesn't make a shocking turnaround this season, Kelly will fail to join the list, and it's fair to ask if he'll reach Year 5 in what seemed like an awkward partnership from the jump.

Sayin might be THE young QB

Hyping up Ohio State's defense has become a weekly occurrence, with Matt Patricia's unit being unquestionably the most dominant thing in the sport. That continued with a road shutout of Wisconsin on Saturday. The Buckeyes' 41 points allowed through seven games are the fewest for an FBS team since 1993. However, the Badgers, who haven't scored a touchdown in 10 quarters, essentially quiet quit weeks ago, so it's time to instead recognize the budding star at quarterback.

Gassing up the latest crop of young quarterbacks was a trendy offseason activity, with Arch Manning and DJ Lagway often driving the conversation. Turns out, Julian Sayin is who we thought those two would be. The first-year starter has gotten better every damn week, and Saturday's performance was his best to date. Sayin completed a sparkling 36 of 42 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in the 34-0 victory. He now has 19 touchdowns against just three picks on the season. Sure, it helps having aliens like Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss at wideout, but Sayin's been brilliant at moving the ball for the Buckeyes.

SMU, king of conference play

There might not be a safer bet in college football than SMU in a conference game. With Saturday's win over Clemson, the Mustangs have now won an outrageous 20 straight regular-season conference matchups dating back to their time in the American before moving to the ACC last season.

Receiver Jordan Hudson, the most notable person in college football circles with that name, was a menace throughout, piling up seven catches for 131 yards and a score in the 35-24 win. Head coach Rhett Lashlee remains one of the top play-callers in the sport, unafraid to find a mismatch and exploit it over and over again. That's certainly working in ACC action thus far, considering the Mustangs' perfect mark. A big test awaits in Week 10, as Miami visits Dallas in a vital contest for the conference title picture.

Only team dying in Death Valley is Clemson

Three hundred sixty-four days ago, Clemson moved to 6-1 on the 2024 season with a 48-31 win over Virginia. Somehow, that's the last time the Tigers beat a power conference opponent in Death Valley. With Saturday's setback to SMU, the team has now lost five straight home games against such competition and sits 3-4 overall for the first time since 2008. It's not hyperbole to suggest the bottom has fallen out for Dabo Swinney and his program. Sure, the longtime coach will insist he still has things under control, but it's getting harder and harder to believe him.

Backup quarterback Chris Vizzina actually looked sharp Saturday, but it was the traditionally stout defense that let the Tigers down throughout. SMU averaged 7.2 yards per play in the second half, consistently answering any Clemson momentum with an immediate scoring drive. Swinney may be on the way to his first losing campaign since 2010.

Party like it's 1966

If Vanderbilt and the 1950s aren't really your jam, and you're looking for something more modern, look to Atlanta and 7-0 Georgia Tech. The last time the Yellow Jackets hit that number to start the season was 1966. In true Georgia Tech fashion, one can walk away from Saturday's meeting with Duke wondering how the Yellow Jackets won fairly comfortably despite the win never seeming in doubt. The box score suggests it might've been the Blue Devils' day, with Darian Mensah throwing for 373 yards and two scores. However, the Yellow Jackets thrive in decisive situations, and their 95-yard fumble return touchdown proved as important as any. Another red-zone stand in the second quarter added up to two scoring opportunities for Duke that resulted in zero points. That's how you win on the road in conference play.

Much like Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech employs a dual-threat quarterback who is ancient in collegiate terms in 24-year-old Haynes King. The former Texas A&M passer totaled 325 yards of offense and a score in the 27-18 win.

Anything can happen in college football - and the ACC specifically - but Georgia Tech faces just one team in the top half of the conference the remainder of the season. It's tough to imagine any Power 4 team having a more favorable run to its conference title game.

Brohm is the top-5 grim reaper

If you're the coach of a top-five team and see Jeff Brohm next on your schedule, you better lock the hell in. The grim reaper did it again Friday night as Louisville knocked off No. 2 Miami to hand Mario Cristobal's group its first loss of the season. That makes it four straight wins over top-five opponents for the Cardinals' coach - an incredible stat given the supreme talent gap he's faced in each matchup. Perhaps no coach does more with less than Brohm, a man who had Purdue in the Big Ten title game just three years ago. (Purdue!)

Brohm's stellar offensive game-planning was once again on display in South Florida, with the Cardinals racing out to an early 14-0 lead. The former quarterback even drew up a formation with three different quarterbacks on the field, only to have a wide receiver end up taking the snap. Brohm told ESPN postgame that the team's goal was to make the Hurricanes one-dimensional and force them to pass the ball. Consider that mission accomplished, as Miami ran for just 63 yards, and Carson Beck threw four picks.

The win also quietly puts Louisville in excellent position to make a charge for the ACC title game, with the Cardinals now holding the tiebreaker over the Hurricanes should they both end up with one loss.

Miami didn't pay for this version of Beck

Look, it would be entirely on brand to blame Cristobal for Miami's loss - another baffling setback on a resume dotted with them. However, there aren't many coaches in the country who can emerge victorious when their quarterback throws four interceptions. The high-priced Beck was looking at Cardinals defenders all night, and he actually had a fifth pick called back due to a puzzling penalty.

Miami has looked exceptional this season, but Friday's performance showed that these Hurricanes aren't built to play from behind. Beck is a fine college quarterback, but he's not Cam Ward, and he's certainly capable of a stinker on occasion. The team needs balance on offense to take the pressure off the signal-caller. A combination of negative game script and strong defensive line play limited Miami to a paltry 63 rushing yards on the night.

Take Beck's five carries off the board and the Hurricanes had just 19 rushing attempts. That's not how Cristobal wants to operate, as an overdose of passing attempts almost assuredly leads to a bad time.

While the loss certainly stings and puts Miami in a position that requires help to make the ACC title game, it doesn't dampen its playoff outlook. The Hurricanes will be heavy favorites in all of their remaining games and should be a lock for the playoff with an 11-1 record. However, Friday night showed that they won't make things easy down the stretch.