We closed out the week 7 slate of college football action at 3-2. It looked like our upset pick of USC over Penn State (4 points) was going to pay off, but the Nittany Lions found a way to win in LA and remain undefeated.
This week’s college football slate is, once again, loaded. We will touch on several marquee matchups in this EWP contest preview, but all eyes will clearly be on Georgia at Texas and we’ll close out this article with our pick for that game.
The week 8 college football contest includes a total of 10 questions, we’ll share our thoughts for some of the big-name matchups and will also include our upset special.
Alabama at Tennessee
Both of these teams enter week 8 with a 5-1 record and are very much alive for the new 12-team college football playoff. That said, neither team has looked dominant over the past two weeks.
Alabama knocked off Georgia, then proceeded to get beat by Vandy and narrowly pulled out a win over South Carolina. Meanwhile, Tennessee knocked off Oklahoma but then fell to Arkansas and beat Florida by just 6 points.
The question is, what unit do you feel best about heading into this week’s matchup? Alabama’s offense has looked unstoppable, but the defense has allowed 33 PPG over the past 3 weeks. Tennessee’s defense has impressed all season, but the offense is averaging less than 21 PPG over the past 3 weeks.
This game has shootout written all over it, and we think Alabama will find a way to get enough stops against Freshman QB Nico Iamaleava for the Tide to come out on top.
Our pick: Alabama (+2 Points)
Will Navy and Army Both Win This Weekend?
This question is a 4-point softball! Not only will both teams win, but both will win in blowout fashion.
Army (6-0) faces an East Carolina (3-3) team that struggles to run the ball, turns the ball over like crazy, and can’t make field goals. You have to be disciplined to win against the Black Knights and ECU is anything but disciplined.
Expect a similar storyline as Navy (5-0) hosts Charlotte (3-3) at 3:30 PM. The Midshipmen have racked up 218 points in 5 games this season and face a 49ers team that has already allowed over 190 points. Navy should win by more than 2 touchdowns here.
Our pick: Yes (+4 Points)
#24 Michigan at #22 Illinois
If we ignore the fact that Illinois gave up 49 points to Purdue last week, these are two great defenses squaring off with an opponent that has struggled to move the ball consistently.
Michigan has an elite running game but has had absolutely no passing attack all season. Illinois has the opposite concern, Luke Altmyer has been impressive (14 TDs to 1 INT) but the Illini rushing attack has been inconsistent all season.
The difference this week will be Jack Tuttle. Michigan’s offense looked completely different with him under center, and he should have the Wolverines back on track this week. We’re going to take the extra point with the reigning national champions and expect Michigan to beat Illinois for the 7th time in a row.
Our pick: Michigan (+2 Points)
How Many Passing Yards Will #1 Texas Have Against #5 Georgia?
We usually don’t cover the tiebreaker question in these contest previews, but that’s where we happen to find the game of the week. After giving up 374 passing yards to Jalen Milroe, Georgia surrendered 306 to Van Buren and the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-5) last week. Can they stop Texas?
Let’s start with a baseline and then look at the game script. Texas averages just over 300 passing yards per game this season. However, it is the offensive line and defense that are the true strengths of this team. With Isaiah Bond banged up and Ewers just one game into his return from injury, look for Sark to lean heavily on the run game.
We expect Texas to dominate this game on the ground and defense, and Carson Beck has provided us with no reason to believe Georgia can build a lead early. The Longhorns should be looking to run the clock in the second half, and we expect Ewers to stay under 225 passing yards.
Our pick: 221 yards
