It's a big Texas weekend. There are only two ranked games featuring top-25 teams in Week 8, and each involves a Texas school.
No. 7 Ole Miss travels to No. 19 Texas (7:30 p.m. ET) in what feels like a referendum game for both Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and starting quarterback Arch Manning. The narratives have gone into overdrive this week as Texas has lost its last two games, both to unranked opponents, as the Manning-led Texas offense has struggled mightily. To get back on track, Arch will have to beat the program that means so much to his family. Arch's father (Cooper), uncle (Eli) and grandfather (Archie) all played football at Ole Miss.
Later in the night, No. 14 Houston takes on No. 10 Utah in a game that has both Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff implications. The Utes didn't look great in a win against Colorado last week but remain one of the five last unbeaten Power Four teams. Houston's lone loss is a two-point defeat to Texas Tech, and the Cougars could take a big step toward being a CFP contender with a road win over Utah.
Other intriguing games include No. 6 Indiana at Michigan, No. 18 LSU at Auburn and No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina. The Hoosiers are coming off a tough loss to Ohio State, while the Wolverines may have found something with true freshman quarterback Tommy Carr. In the battle of the Tigers, LSU will need a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Tennessee catapulted itself up the SEC hierarchy with a win over Alabama last weekend and yet still is a 2.5-point underdog to the Gamecocks.
After a historic weekend that saw five top eight-ranked teams go down on a single day, the Week 8 slate isn't quite as promising, but there's plenty to get excited about.
Michigan vs. No. 6 Indiana
12 p.m. on Fox, Fubo (try free): We've got two elite run defenses, one inconsistent passing attack and one freshman making his first start. That is a recipe for a low-scoring battle. Michigan has played five games against teams not named UTEP, and all five games have finished with fewer than 40 points. Indiana's last two games have finished in the 30s as well, as they've faced the two best defenses on their schedule thus far, and it's hard to see a game flow here leading to anything approaching a shootout. The fear here is the potential for defensive scores, but even so, give me the under in Ann Arbor for the second straight week. Pick: Under 41.5 -- Robby Kalland
No. 18 LSU vs. Auburn
12 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try free): What Auburn did last week will be commendable -- and fans will remember it forever -- but it was also extremely improbable. Georgia out-gained Auburn by 74 yards, and the Tigers barely pulled out a win despite a plus-3 turnover margin. LSU's defense is athletic enough to contain Byrum Brown, and the offense is capable of putting up big numbers. It's possible the crowd and Auburn defense give Sam Leavitt trouble, but LSU is capable of winning this game by double digits. Pick: LSU -9.5 -- Austin Nivison
No. 9 UCLA vs. Michigan State
3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App Paramount+ Premium: Michigan State has allowed only one team this season to average more than 4 yards per carry. The Spartans are capable of slowing down the Bruins' rushing attack, which is already trending in the wrong direction. It's hard to imagine the Spartans scoring enough to win the game outright against UCLA's stout defense. But a two-touchdown spread is a lot to cover for a Bruins team playing with its backup quarterback. Look for a low-scoring game won by UCLA's defense. Pick: Michigan State +14 -- David Cobb
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No. 13 Alabama vs. Texas A&M
3:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try free): The Crimson Tide might be running on fumes here, playing their eighth game in eight weeks, especially considering the physical toll that comes with facing teams like Georgia and Tennessee. And while Texas A&M may be well off pace from preseason expectations and suffering from underwhelming performance, the Aggies are still a team with athletes and SEC-caliber bodies. A properly motivated Texas A&M team can make life a little bit harder for Alabama, even with the advantages they have on paper. For that reason, I could see this game being a little bit lower-scoring, with points tough to manufacture in what is ultimately an Alabama win. Pick: Under 50.5 -- Chip Patterson
No. 16 USC vs. Wisconsin
7:30 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (try free): Wisconsin is probably looking at the weather forecast for this game and wondering what it did to offend the weather gods. If there was any time to wish for temperatures in the 40s with biting wind, it's when USC is coming to town. Instead, the forecast is calling for temperatures in the 60s with a manageable breeze. Still, even if the weather won't have an oversized impact, I like the under here. USC may have won its two road trips so far this season, but the offense didn't look great against Penn State, and this Wisconsin defense is good. I also don't have much faith in the Wisconsin offense. Pick: Under 50.5 -- Tom Fornelli
No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 18 Texas
7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try free): Texas is a 2.5-point favorite, and the SportsLine model projects a 29-17 Longhorns win. History backs it. Ole Miss is 1-6 straight up and against the spread as a road underdog against ranked teams since 2020, and Texas has won three straight home games against top-10 opponents.
But is this the same Texas team that has been so successful at home? The Longhorns scored 17 points against a Florida defense that ranked last in the SEC, and the Gators sacked Manning five times with 11 tackles for loss. Texas hasn't scored more than 24 points against a power opponent. The offensive line is a mess, ranking 111th in sacks allowed, and the running game is subpar at 101st. The Longhorns are also 1-5 against the spread this season and haven't covered five straight.
Ole Miss has the better quarterback and a run game that just went for 257 yards. Without Simmons, Texas loses the one defender built to wreck Chambliss' night. Texas also lacks championship-level coaching. Pick: Ole Miss +2.5 -- Brandon Marcello
No. 14 Houston vs. No. 10 Utah
10:15 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try free): Utah has been a dominant force over the first couple of weeks and will ultimately come away with a dramatic win in Salt Lake City. At the same time, Houston has been perhaps the most undervalued team nationally, rolling on both sides of the ball behind tremendous quarterback play from Conner Weigman. A nearly touchdown line is disrespectful to the machine Willie Fritz has built at Houston; don't be surprised if they pull the upset. Pick: Houston +6.5 -- Shehan Jeyarajah
SportsLine's proven computer model has simulated every Week 8 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that's on a 59-49 run on top-rated CFB picks this season.
