What To Watch For In Week 8 Of The 2022 College Football Season
It will be hard for this weekend to top last Saturday, when four top-10 teams saw their undefeated seasons come to an end, but Week 8 of the 2022 season still has several matchups with conference title and College Football Playoff implications.
That includes five games between ranked opponents in the ACC, Big XII, Pac-12 and SEC and one top-10 team going on the road as an underdog. Should be an entertaining weekend as a result, so here’s a full breakdown of what to watch for on Saturday:
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No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson - 12 p.m. on ABC
Syracuse is 6-0 for the first time since 1987 but faces by far its toughest test of the season against fellow unbeaten Clemson, which has won 37 straight games in Death Valley. The Orange have only beaten the Tigers once since they joined the ACC, but only lost by a field goal last season.
Both teams have improved since then, especially Clemson’s offense, as quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has thrown for 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions in seven games this season. It's a far cry from when some were calling for freshman Cade Klubnik to take over earlier this season.
No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State - 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Texas has bounced back from a disappointing loss at Texas Tech by winning three straight games, two of which featured a healthy Quinn Ewers (nine touchdowns and two interceptions). Still, a loss on Saturday would effectively eliminate the Longhorns from Big XII title contention.
The same goes for Oklahoma State, which suffered a heartbreaking defeat in double overtime at TCU after holding a 17-point second quarter lead. The health of quarterback Spencer Sanders (shoulder) could be the difference between the Cowboys getting back to their winning ways or suffering two straight defeats.
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU - 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Ole Miss will bring its SEC-best rushing attack (271.4 yards per game) to the other Death Valley, where the Rebels haven’t won since 2008. That’s likely why they’re a two-point underdog, even though LSU has already been blown out at home by a top-10 team (Tennessee) once this month.
The Tigers bounced back from that loss with a 45-35 win at Florida last weekend, with quarterback Jayden Daniels scoring six touchdowns (three passing and three rushing). This could be the most entertaining game of the day if he can carry that performance over, though consistency has been an issue throughout his career.
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon - 3:30 p.m. on FOX
It took a few years, but UCLA head coach Chip Kelly finally has the Bruins in the conversation for a Pac-12 title and potentially more if he can lead them to a victory at Oregon, where he coached from 2009-12. It’s a tall task, though, as they haven’t won in Eugene since 2004.
That said, this could very well be a preview of the conference championship game, as both teams enter Saturday undefeated in Pac-12 play. The Ducks have averaged 49.8 points per game since their loss to Georgia, and this will be a good measuring stick of how far they’ve truly come since then.
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU - 8 p.m. on FS1
Make sure to switch over from No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama (7 p.m. on ESPN) before kickoff, as first place in the Big XII is on the line in a primetime matchup between the conference’s best offense (TCU) and the conference’s best defense (Kansas State).
The Horned Frogs are averaging 45.8 points per game and are coming off a double-overtime win over previously unbeaten Oklahoma State, which kept their own undefeated season alive, while the Wildcats allow just 16.7 points per game and have won three straight games in this series.
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