Eight college football programs under the most pressure in Week 8

LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly talks to wide receiver Zavion Thomas (0) against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

It's officially past the halfway point of the college football season. With each mounting week, the stakes feel greater. Many teams are already operating with backs against the wall and slim margins for error to stay relevant in conference races.

Honestly, we could have made the list twice the size this week for that reason, but we'll keep it to the teams feeling the absolute most pressure in Week 8.

1. LSU

For the No. 10 team in the country with a 5-1 record and its only loss to the No. 5 team in the country, it hasn't been the most comfortable first half of the season for LSU or coach Brian Kelly.

Even when the Tigers win, there have been questions about the muted offensive production and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier's health, which he addressed this week.

Aside from a rout of Southeastern Louisiana, LSU hasn't scored more than 23 points in any of its other games, and Nussmeier (1,413 passing yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs) hasn't been the Heisman Trophy candidate he was expected to be this year.

And now the Tigers go on the road to No. 17 Vanderbilt (5-1) on Saturday. LSU is an underdog (+1.5) vs. Vandy for the first time since 1948. Not only would a loss to the Commodores -- even this version of them -- leave the LSU fan base fuming, but it might knock the Tigers out of the SEC race for all intents and purposes.

LSU already has that one conference loss to Ole Miss, and with a glut of contenders at the top of the standings, it's likely that two losses could take a team out of the equation. Not to mention the Tigers still have to play No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 6 Alabama on the road and No. 14 Oklahoma on the road.

Kelly has been under pressure since he arrived at LSU, but now, four years in, that's only intensifying. This is absolutely a must-win for Kelly and the Tigers.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables before the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

2. Oklahoma

Everything in college football is tenuous week to week -- like the feel-good vibes that surrounded Oklahoma's program after a 5-0 start and QB John Mateer's incredibly quick return from a broken bone in his throwing hand to potentially revive his Heisman campaign.

All of that was left on the field at the Cotton Bowl last week in the Sooners' one-sided 23-6 loss to rival Texas.

Oklahoma looked so overmatched and outcoached in that game that all the questions and doubts and skepticism that followed coach Brent Venables into his fourth season are back in full force.

Arguably, no team has a tougher second half of the schedule than Oklahoma, with No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 11 Tennessee (on the road), No. 6 Alabama (on the road), No. 16 Missouri and No. 10 LSU to close the regular season.

First, Oklahoma travels to South Carolina this weekend as a 4.5-point road favorite. Needless to say, the Sooners have no margin for error.

Florida head coach Billy Napier watches warm ups before an NCAA football game in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 4, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Florida

Honestly, Florida and embattled coach Billy Napier could have been No. 1 on this list, but there's also the possibility it's already too late for the fourth-year head coach to save his job.

USA TODAY reported this week that Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin met with influential boosters, who are pressuring him to make a change. As the report stated, if Napier has any chance to remain, he can't afford another loss.

Florida (2-4, 1-2 SEC) is home in a very winnable game against Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2), and the Gators are 9.5-point favorites.

If any coach is truly coaching for his job this week, it's Napier.

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman shake hands after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

4. Notre Dame

One of the greatest and most storied rivalries in college football renews Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, as No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2) hosts No. 20 USC (5-1).

This game is always hugely important to both fan bases and often to the national college football picture, but especially so this year.

While the case could be made that USC's Lincoln Riley is under his share of pressure, trying to lift the Trojans back up after two down years and show he has the program on an upward trajectory with a prime opportunity to make a statement of that kind Saturday.

But the real pressure is on the Fighting Irish, which has already lost two big games this season (to Miami and Texas A&M). If the Irish lose a third big game, how much leeway and respect will the voters continue to give the program in the rankings just because it reached the national championship game last year and was expected to be great again in 2025?

At some point, Notre Dame needs to do more than just beat up on Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State and NC State if it is to continue to be viewed as a true national contender this year.

The Irish is a 9.5-point favorite at home.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore heads on to the field for the game against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

5. Michigan

The heat hasn't truly picked up yet for second-year Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, but that could change quickly.

Moore was largely given a pass in his first year succeeding Jim Harbaugh. Michigan was still in the glow of its national championship, the Wolverines really didn't have a quarterback, and they managed to beat rival Ohio State even in a down year that finished 8-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten.

But with a lucrative NIL investment to land five-star QB Bryce Underwood, expectations were for the Wolverines to return to their standard in 2025. After a humbling 31-13 loss at USC last week, Michigan fell to 4-2 and dropped out of the rankings.

It's not dire yet in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have just one Big Ten loss (the other was to Oklahoma in a high-profile non-conference game) and can still make a run at the College Football Playoff, but only if they win this week. And it's absolutely a toss-up game as Michigan hosts a 5-1 Washington team that feels slighted by being unranked and is looking to make a statement.

Michigan is a 5.5-point favorite at home and needs this one far more than the Huskies in the big picture.

Georgia Bulldogs running back Josh McCray (2) carries during the second quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

6. Georgia

No. 9 Georgia (5-1, 3-1) is in the thick of the SEC championship race and on the short list of viable national title contenders -- for now, that is.

But the Bulldogs haven't really looked like the dominant teams Kirby Smart has had in past years. They needed overtime to get past Tennessee, they lost at home to Alabama, and they were down 10-0 (and centimeters from 17-0) at Auburn last week before rallying to victory.

How good is this Georgia team really? We're going to find out Saturday in the game of the week as the Bulldogs host No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0).

Two conference losses wouldn't definitively knock Georgia out of the SEC race, but it could, especially if Ole Miss holds a head-to-head tiebreaker. The top of the SEC is loaded this year, and while the conference will get a full share of CFP entrants, those spots will be hotly contested.

Georgia, a 7.5-point favorite at home, needs this one.

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) motions to a receiver down field during the first quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

7. TCU

The Big 12 doesn't get the same spotlight as the SEC or Big Ten, but it has quite a conference race brewing with seven teams with zero or one league loss so far.

TCU was expected to be in the hunt for the Big 12 title and based on talent should be, but the Horned Frogs took a costly -- and ugly -- 41-28 loss at Kansas State last week to fall to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

There may still be a path to the Big 12 title game -- maybe -- as there really is no clear-cut No. 2 team in the conference behind Texas Tech, but TCU obviously can't afford another loss.

And it's a real possibility the Horned Frogs could find themselves eliminated from the Big 12 race in mid-October if they can't deliver one of their best performances yet Saturday while hosting Baylor (4-2, 2-1).

These are two of the more entertaining offenses in the Big 12 with two of the most prolific QBs in TCU's Josh Hoover (1,893 passing yards, 18 TDs, 6 INTs) and Baylor's Sawyer Robertson (2,058-19-4). Hoover has had some bad picks this season and will need to be sharper to keep the Horned Frogs' hopes afloat.

TCU is a 2.5-point favorite at home.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell after losing the game to the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

8. Florida State

Let's amend our earlier statement -- if any college football coach is truly coaching for his job this weekend, it's Florida's Billy Napier AND Florida State's Mike Norvell.

The Seminoles (3-3, 0-3 ACC) have taken three straight losses to Virginia, Miami and Pitt, and that season-opening win over Alabama isn't going to save Norvell's job if he can't turn this season around in a big way -- and immediately.

Florida State is an 18.5-point road favorite at Stanford (2-4, 1-2) on Saturday night. The Seminoles need not only a win but maybe some style points too.