We may have moved beyond the need to see unbeaten teams, or even those with a single loss, playing in the College Football Playoffs, especially with the expanded post-season in place.
However, losing twice in the regular season will make your case to join a twelve team Playoff that much harder to make and so there is a big week coming up for some of the leading SEC teams.
Texas are hosting Georgia and Tennessee are hosting Alabama in big games, while the Big Ten has seen some of their top teams move above those from the SEC.
It is still October though and that means there are plenty more twists and turns to come with big games in the ACC as well as the SEC in Week 8.
Two winning weeks in a row is a positive for the College Football Picks, but the early selections were disappointing and so there is work to do to really get this season turned around. Week 7 was a good start and building on that is the key over the next few weeks, beginning with the selections from Week 8 that can be read below.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Pick: The problem remains for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) that being an Independent means the lack of a Championship Game can go against them. In previous years, the margin for error was much tighter for the Fighting Irish, but even an expanded College Football Playoff needs work for Notre Dame to enter and especially after a really disappointing defeat that is already on the slate.
With that in mind, they cannot afford another as the Fighting Irish prepare to travel to Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2) who are just 3-2 in ACC Conference play. The chances of playing in the Conference Championship Game diminished after losses to Syracuse Orange and Louisville Cardinals, but the Yellow Jackets have won two in a row since that latest defeat and will be plenty motivated to keep the positives moving forward.
This may not be an official home game for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but will be played very close to the campus. Despite that, the Fighting Irish will have plenty of fans ready to support them as Head Coach Marcus Freeman looks for the team to turn good performances into great ones.
Having a dual-threat at Quarter Back should help the Fighting Irish establish the run and the power of this Offensive Line is likely going to make a big difference. In recent games, as the Georgia Tech Defensive Line have played a stronger level of competition, the Yellow Jackets have just found it that much tougher to clamp down on the run.
However, they have played well enough to force Riley Leonard to have to make some plays with his arm if the Notre Dame Offensive unit are going to keep things ticking over in this game. The likelihood is that Leonard will have enough time to expose some of the holes that Georgia Tech have in the Secondary and that should put Notre Dame in a position to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
It is clear that the battle at the Line of Scrimmage will be important on both sides of the ball and that is very much the case when the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have the ball. Running the ball effectively has always been a part of what the Yellow Jackets want to do and they have been strong at establishing the run, but this week they are coming up against the Notre Dame Defensive Line that has proven to be highly effective at stopping the run.
This will be much tougher for Georgia Tech if they have to go with a backup at Quarter Back- Haynes King is a doubt having been forced out of the game late on last time out, and without him, the Yellow Jackets will have a tough time throwing the ball.
Notre Dame could double down on stopping the run and they do have a pass rush that could prove to be effective if they can put the Yellow Jackets into third and long spots. That rush has certainly helped the Secondary make some big plays and this feels like a game in which the Fighting Irish can produce the kind of statement win that could impress when the College Football Playoff members are revealed.
The early loss has certainly made it harder to trust the Fighting Irish, but recent form has been stronger and they can control the Line of Scrimmage for long enough to secure a win by around two Touchdowns.
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Tennessee Volunteers Pick: The topsy-turvy game against the Georgia Bulldogs ended with an important win for the Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1), but they have not built on that victory over one of their main SEC rivals in the manner they would have expected.
Following the victory, Alabama were upset by Vanderbilt Commodores and they were fortunate to avoid being dragged into Overtime in a narrow win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 7.
Those who believed the team would just continue the successes of the Nick Saban era without Nick Saban may just be questioning what can be achieved this season.
The narrative can change very quickly in College Football and a road win over the Tennessee Volunteers (5-1) would certainly have people taking notice of the Crimson Tide in a much more positive light.
Much like Alabama, Tennessee opened the season in strong form before an upset loss to Arkansas Razorbacks and then producing an Overtime win over Florida Gators last time out. That leaves both teams at 2-1 within the SEC and it will be a tough road back towards the College Football Playoff for the team that loses.
It certainly increases the pressure on both teams ahead of a big SEC game in Week 8.
One of the big issues for the Tennessee Volunteers has been the Offensive shortcomings in recent games and this is going to be a tough test for them, even if Alabama have not been playing to the level that they have set in recent years. For starters, the Volunteers Offensive Line will struggle to open the running lanes agains this Alabama Defensive Line and that will put some additional pressure on Nick Iamaleava.
The freshman Quarter Back has just hit a slight wall in recent games, but he will be facing a Crimson Tide Secondary that has struggled when moving into the SEC games. Nick Iamaleava might not have a lot of time to allow plays to develop though and that will be key for the Alabama Crimson Tide to finally begin to show their talent even at the SEC level.
Defensive breakdowns have certainly been a factor in seeing Alabama struggle in recent games, but the Offensive unit have something to prove too.
One of the big disappointments in recent outings is the play of the Offensive Line as Alabama have been contained to 4 yards per carry in SEC games. Expecting to get back on track against this Tennessee Defensive Line looks to be asking too much of the Alabama Crimson Tide and that will put additional pressure on Jalen Milroe, even if the Quarter Back is much more experienced than the one that Tennessee will be using in this big Week 8 game.
Jalen Milroe has to be confident in helping the Crimson Tide move the ball through the air, although he will have to be aware of the pass rush pressure that Tennessee will generate. In recent games the Volunteers Secondary has given up a fair few yards, while they have also lost Linebacker Keenan Pili, and that should give Jalen Milroe an opportunity to have another strong game at Quarter Back.
Being a bit more careful with the ball is going to be important in what could be a tight, competitive game, and Milroe will need to clean up this side of this game. He has thrown 4 Interceptions in the last three games, including two last week against the South Carolina Gamecocks, and there is little doubt that Tennessee will be targeting the turnovers in this one.
There are some real similarities with the way things have gone for both the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide over the last month. Both teams have already been beaten in the SEC so it is a tough path for the losing team to tread, which will only add to the tension on the day.
Ultimately it feels like the experience of Jalen Milroe may just help Alabama edge out Tennessee and Nick Iamaleava and Alabama's Defensive unit may also be motivated to want to prove something. Nothing will come easy, but the Crimson Tide can edge past the Volunteers and cover this spread on the way to moving to 3-1 within the Conference.
Georgia Bulldogs @ Texas Longhorns Pick: It might be the first season that they are a member of the SEC, but the Texas Longhorns (6-0) have looked the best team in the Conference through seven weeks. Playing in this Conference will always give teams the opportunity to prove how good they are and there are some big games coming up for the Longhorns after crushing the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 7.
The Sooners might have joined Texas in moving from the Big 12 to the SEC, but the Longhorns have the much stronger squad so the blowout was not a massive surprise.
In Week 8, the test feels that much more significant against the Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) who have bounced back from the close loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide to win two games in a row. That has improved the record to 3-1 within the Conference and a win over the Texas Longhorns would make Georgia one of the favourites to play in the SEC Championship Game, but there is pressure on a team that will be targeting the National Championship.
Losing would put the Georgia Bulldogs in a tough position with plenty of SEC games still to play, even if the College Football Playoff has been expanded to include twelve teams in 2024. They still have the kind of talent that will appeal, but losing three games in the regular season would make it very difficult to be included in the College Football Playoff so this is a huge game for Georgia.
There is no doubt that the Bulldogs have plenty of talent and are capable of winning anywhere they play in College Football, but this Offensive unit has to also accept that they are in for a huge test of their credentials. Some will feel that the Bulldogs have not been looking to give too much away in their wins over Auburn and Mississippi State, but it is also hard to ignore the issues the Offensive Line have had in trying to open running lanes.
Doing so against the Texas Defensive Line feels like it will be that much more challenging and that will likely mean Georgia need to lean on Quarter Back Carson Beck much like they have in recent games. The numbers produced by Beck have been impressive statistically, but having to force throws has led to multiple Interceptions and that is not going to cut it against this Texas team.
Even playing a clean game does not guarantee anything for Carson Beck and the Georgia Bulldogs- any third and long spot will see the Longhorns fire up the pass rush, which can stall drives, while the Texas Secondary have not given up a lot of yards even when teams have been forced to throw to keep up on the scoreboard.
The experience of Carson Beck will help the Bulldogs and the same can be said for Texas who have Quinn Ewers back behind Center.
In recent years, the Bulldogs have really had high-calibre Defensive units and those have provided plenty of talent for the NFL. However, the Bulldogs will be well aware they need to be better than what they have shown in 2024 if they are going to find a way to slow down the impressive Longhorns Offense.
The Longhorns will want to run the ball and that will open up the playbook- they will be expecting some resistance from the Bulldogs, but there have been plenty of signs in recent games that it is possible to establish the run.
This will be music to the ears of Quinn Ewers and the Quarter Back could have another really big day as he continues to show why he is likely to be a very high Draft choice when that Day comes around next year. He has been extremely well protected, and Georgia have not really been finding a way to get home on the Quarter Back of late, and that should mean Quinn Ewers has the time to really exploit this Georgia Secondary.
Teams have been able to put up some big yards against the Georgia Bulldogs and the Longhorns certainly have the talent to pick up where others have left off.
It is a big game and the pressure on the day will have an impact, but Texas should be able to use the home crowd to settle down that much more quickly.
A healthy respect for the Georgia Bulldogs and all they have achieved in recent years has to be given, but the Texas Longhorns want to become the next elite College team. Quinn Ewers and the edge on the Line of Scrimmage on both sides of the ball should just swing this pendulum in favour of the hosts and Texas may produce their most impressive victory in 2024.
Iowa Hawkeyes @ Michigan State Spartans Pick: College Football's landscape has changed and there are going to be further changes made in the coming years, but the one big Conference approach is perhaps not as appealing as the Divisions within Conferences that we have been accustomed to seeing.
Some teams feel it will have given them a better chance of making the College Football Playoff when the twelve teams are picked later in the year, but for others the pathway feels more difficult.
The Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2) are a team that may not benefit having played in two of the last three Big Ten Championship Games, especially when you think that three of the current top four in the College Football Rankings are playing in the Conference. The Hawkeyes are one of six teams with a 2-1 record within the Big Ten, but they are all chasing three teams with perfect 3-0 records and so another loss cannot really be taken right now.
They travel to the Michigan State Spartans (3-3) who are coming in off a Bye Week and will have tried to make adjustments having lost three in a row. Two of those were to top Big Ten teams in Oregon and Ohio State so Michigan State may believe that they are set to face an 'easier' run, although they have lost twice in a row to the Hawkeyes.
Avoiding distraction will be challenging for the team and the fans with the Michigan Wolverines on deck, while the Spartans have perhaps been a touch predictable in their play-calling over the three game losing run.
It doesn't help that the Spartans Offensive Line have struggled to open the running lanes and they are not expected to have a lot of success on the ground in this one. Being in third and long spots is tough work for the best of Offenses and it has certainly put the pressure on Aidan Chiles at Quarter Back.
His numbers haven't been all too bad in terms of passing yards put together, but Chiles has perhaps had to push the boat out at times and that has led to far too many Interceptions. The Quarter Back will have some spaces to exploit in this Iowa Secondary, but Aidan Chiles is going to have to avoid the pass rush pressure that the Hawkeyes bring, while also should be noting the turnovers that they have created.
This may mean it will be a tough day for the Spartans when they have the ball in hand, while they will be hoping that the Bye Week has given them a chance to work out how to be more competitive at the Line of Scrimmage on the other side of the ball. Earlier in the season, the Spartans Defensive Line were pretty good against the run, but that has not been the case as the competition has ramped up and stopping this Iowa Offensive Line will be tough.
We all know what the Hawkeyes will want to do with the run, but the Hawkeyes Offensive Line have proven to be big enough and strong enough to push open some big running lanes. Kaleb Johnson is likely going to have another strong game at Running Back and just keep the pressure away from Quarter Back Cade McNamara, a former Michigan Wolverine who will be hearing the boos every time he snaps the ball.
He has not needed to make big plays in recent games, but Cade McNamara should have success when he is asked to make plays against this Michigan State Secondary. The Offensive Line will give McNamara time and he has been careful enough with the ball to ensure the Iowa Hawkeyes can control the field position and it may lead to another solid win over the Spartans.
Like many teams, Iowa struggled Offensively against the Ohio State Buckeyes, but they have been better when playing teams below that elite level. That is certainly the case in Week 8 of the regular season and the Hawkeyes may win the turnover battle to move into a position to cover this tough spread for any road team to surpass.
Road favourites can find it tough in College Football, but the Hawkeyes do look capable, especially if the Michigan State Spartans are looking ahead to the big rivalry game with the Michigan Wolverines. The turnovers could be key and Iowa may just do enough to secure a win by a Touchdown mark at the least.
MY PICKS: Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 13.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Alabama Crimson Tide - 3 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Alabama Crimson Tide - 3 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Texas Longhorns - 4.5 Points @ 1.85 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Iowa Hawkeyes - 5.5 Points @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Indiana Hoosiers - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Iowa State Cyclones - 13.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Week 7: 6-3, + 2.55 Units (9 Units Staked, + 28.33% Yield)
Week 6: 3-2, + 0.82 Units (5 Units Staked, + 16.4% Yield)
Week 5: 0-5, - 5 Units (5 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
Week 4: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)
Week 3: 3-5, - 2.35 Units (8 Units Staked, - 29.38% Yield)
Week 2: 2-4, - 2.26 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.67% Yield)
Week 1: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)
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