10 College Football Teams Desperate for a Win in Week 8

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Even though the college football season is only about halfway over, there are a lot of teams who are in desperate need of a victory heading into Week 8.

Some teams need a win badly because it is a huge game that could have conference-title implications, and others need a win because the season is in the midst of a collapse.

Either way, there are some teams who need a win more than others.

Here are 10 teams in desperate need of a win heading into Week 8.

Virginia Tech Hokies

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Virginia Tech was expected to contend with Florida State and Clemson for an ACC title heading into the season.

While that could still happen, the Hokies do not appear to be the team many thought they would be before the year began.

Virginia Tech is 4-3 and 2-1 in conference play. The Hokies travel to Clemson this week, and if they have any aspirations of winning the ACC, this is a road game they need to win.

The struggles of the team cannot be pinpointed to one particular area, but the eight interceptions quarterback Logan Thomas has thrown have certainly not helped.

The Hokies need a win on Saturday in the biggest way.

Auburn Tigers

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Some teams are in need of a victory to help in conference-title races or with bowl positioning. Others, like Auburn, are in desperate need of a victory just to get a win.

The Tigers could use a win to help head coach Gene Chizik get off the proverbial hot seat and also to help avoid one of the worst seasons in recent memory.

Auburn comes into its game against Vanderbilt at 1-5 and 0-4 in SEC play.

No matter how well the Tigers play the rest of the way, it is highly unlikely that they can win five out of six and qualify for a bowl game, but if they can upset Vanderbilt, it will at least build some confidence in the locker room.

Purdue Boilermakers

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After starting the season well, Purdue has struggled mightily the past two weeks and has fallen to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.

The Boilermakers began the season winning three of their first four with the only loss coming 20-17 at Notre Dame.

Since that time, the Boilermakers have lost by 31 to Michigan and 24 to Wisconsin. Both of those games were at home, which makes it even worse.

If the Boilermakers are going to salvage their season and qualify for a bowl game, it would be a good idea to beat Ohio State.

The Buckeyes defense is very vulnerable, particularly lately, and a win would help get the season back on track.

Miami Hurricanes

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After a promising start to the season, Miami has lost two games in a row and appears to be headed in the wrong direction.

The Hurricanes are coming off back-to-back losses against Notre Dame and North Carolina.

This week, rival Florida State comes calling, and with it being a home game for Miami, a win is a must.

A loss would drop the Hurricanes' record to 4-4 and put the team on the bowl bubble as well as eliminate any ACC title hopes.

A win, on the other hand, could completely turn the season around.

Stanford Cardinal

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Stanford is desperate for a win against California for a number of reasons. The biggest of those reasons is the fact that it is a rivalry game against the Bears. 

The second reason is Stanford has lost two of its past three games and does not want to endure its second Pac-12 loss so early in the season.

After what happened against Notre Dame last weekend, Stanford is looking to get that bad taste out of its mouth and beat up on rival California.

A loss here by Stanford would be devastating and likely eliminate it from any BCS conversation.

South Carolina Gamecocks

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South Carolina is in a lot better shape than the other teams on this list but cannot afford to lose two games in a row.

A loss at Florida would eliminate South Carolina from national title contention and also make it nearly impossible to win the SEC.

A win could propel it near the top of the BCS standings and back into national title conversation.

There is a lot of pressure on the Gamecocks coming into this week, particularly after losing at LSU last week.

With the news that star running back Marcus Lattimore might not start with a hip injury, things could get a little more dicey for the Gamecocks.

Michigan State Spartans

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Similar to many other teams on the list, the Michigan State Spartans are playing against a rival and come into the game struggling in recent weeks.

The Spartans are 4-3 and take on in-state rival Michigan on Saturday. For Michigan State, a win would allow it to get right back into the Big Ten title conversation. A loss would completely ruin its season.

Michigan State has lost three of its past five games, and with two losses already in conference play, a third would be devastating and even put a bowl game in jeopardy.

Look for the Spartans to pull out all the tricks in this one to try to come up with an upset victory.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

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As far as disappointments go, Georgia Tech is near the top of the list so far this season.

At 2-4, the Yellow Jackets have lost three games in a row, and the defense has been downright awful for most of the season, allowing over 30 points a night.

Georgia Tech has not won a game in over a month and faces a must-win situation on Saturday as Boston College comes to town.

A loss here would not only dash all bowl hopes but also put Georgia Tech right in there as one of the biggest disappointments of the season.

Vanderbilt Commodores

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After a 6-6 campaign in 2011 along with a bowl game, Vanderbilt had even higher aspirations heading into this season and as of right now has been a huge disappointment.

So far this season, Vanderbilt has a four-point win against Missouri and a victory over Presbyterian. That is all. At 2-4, there is a lot of work to do to make the season a success.

The schedule the rest of the way is relatively easy, with some very winnable games remaining, and if the Commodores can defeat Auburn on Saturday, there is an excellent chance to get to 6-6 and get back to a bowl game.

That is what makes this game so very important for Vanderbilt and merits the Commodores' inclusion on this list as a team desperate for a victory.

Michigan Wolverines

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With both teams in need of a victory, the Michigan State-Michigan game on Saturday is one of the most important of the entire week.

For the Wolverines, beating Michigan State has been a challenge the past few years, and it will be necessary to get over the hump in order to have the year Michigan is looking to have.

The Wolverines are at home, and a loss here would be crippling for a team that is only 4-2 coming into this one.

A victory, on the other hand, could propel the Wolverines right into the Rose Bowl.

 

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