College Football: Top 5 Games to Watch in Week 8
Week 8 of the 2014 college football season will include matchups that could make or break teams' seasons.
Fifth-ranked Notre Dame will make the trip down to Tallahassee to face off with second-ranked Florida State in a Saturday night showdown. The two last met in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida, with the Seminoles winning 18-14.
The Big 12 will feature two high-profile matchups, with No. 14 Kansas State traveling to No. 11 Oklahoma as well as No. 15 Oklahoma State visiting No. 12 TCU.
Bill Snyder's Wildcats are looking for their second win in three seasons against the Sooners while the Horned Frogs hope to take down the Pokes for the first time since joining the conference.
Down in the SEC, it will be No. 7 Alabama hosting a frustrated, 21st-ranked Texas A&M squad that has lost its last two games to both Mississippi schools by an average of 16 points.
We're nearly halfway through the season, and this Saturday could decide the fate of teams in the national championship picture.
Here are the top five games to watch in Week 8.
No. 14 Kansas State at No. 11 Oklahoma
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No. 14 Kansas State at No. 11 Oklahoma, noon ET, ESPN
Two years ago, Bill Snyder's Wildcats went into Norman and knocked off sixth-ranked Oklahoma 24-19. The two teams eventually became Big 12 co-champions, but Kansas State represented the Big 12 in the Fiesta Bowl because of its head-to-head win against Oklahoma.
Although Bob Stoops' squad lost a heartbreaker to TCU already this season, this will be a matchup that could determine who wins the conference down the road.
Kansas State comes in off a bye week after a convincing 45-13 home victory over Texas Tech on Oct. 4. A balanced offensive attack led by senior quarterback Jake Waters could give a Sooners defense, which surrendered 482 yards to a subpar Texas team last week, trouble on Saturday.
Waters, a dual-threat QB who has accounted for 1,206 passing yards, 320 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns, will look to talented wide receivers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton.
While Lockett can present problems to opponents with his speed, Sexton, who had a career-high 128 yards and two touchdowns against Texas Tech, can hurt defenses with his ability to make difficult catches in critical situations.
There is concern heading into this Big 12 contest for the Oklahoma offense. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight hasn't exactly been consistent this season, and he will be facing a physical Kansas State defense that is currently holding opponents to an impressive 81.4 rushing yards per game (fourth in the country). Knight, along with freshman running back Samaje Perine, will hope to get the run game going in hopes of opening up the pass game against defensive end Ryan Mueller and company.
The important factor for a Sooners offense that is averaging 40.5 points per game is to get the ball in the hands of reliable wide receiver Sterling Shepard (34 receptions, 714 yards, four TDs).
If Oklahoma wants to stay in the Big 12 title race, it must put heavy pressure on Waters, hope it can shut him down on the ground and cause him to make bad decisions when he is back in the pocket.
Kansas State has lost six of the last eight meetings against Oklahoma and hasn't pulled off consecutive victories in Norman since 1994 and 1997. The Wildcats' only blemish this season was at home to Auburn on Sept. 18 because of a fluke interception in the end zone and placekicking woes.
It will be a close game, much like the past two years, but the Sooners squeak it out late in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Oklahoma 30, Kansas State 24
No. 21 Texas A&M at No. 7 Alabama
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No. 21 Texas A&M at No. 7 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The last time these two teams met in Tuscaloosa, it was Johnny Manziel who had his Heisman Trophy moment by passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-24 upset win.
After the last two weeks, Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill hasn't proved to be as dynamic as he was earlier in the season. Hill still averaged 383 passing yards in losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss but threw a total of five interceptions. Not being able to convert on third down or be successful through the air against the Crimson Tide will give Texas A&M three consecutive losses for the first time under third-year head coach Kevin Sumlin.
On the other hand, Alabama comes in after a scare at Arkansas last week where it turned the ball over twice and had to hold on for a 14-13 win. It wasn't exactly what head coach Nick Saban was expecting following a difficult 23-17 road loss at Ole Miss on Oct. 4, but the Crimson Tide are still in the division hunt and could help themselves even more with a win over Texas A&M.
There is a lot of pressure on quarterback Blake Sims to perform at a higher level in this ballgame. He threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, but the offense was only 4-of-15 in third-down situations against Arkansas.
Running back T.J. Yeldon played a key role in the run and pass game, but explosive wide receiver Amari Cooper, who only recorded two receptions for 22 yards, was basically nonexistent. If Alabama wants to be successful offensively, Cooper must be included in the pass game.
While there are questions concerning Alabama's offense, the defense should be what lifts the Crimson Tide in this matchup. A stout Alabama defense is only surrendering 15.3 points per game (sixth in country) and 68.8 rushing yards per game (third in the country).
Avoiding mental mistakes on special teams and containing the Aggies' air raid offense should be good enough to get by Texas A&M for a second straight year.
Prediction: Alabama 30, Texas A&M 23
No. 15 Oklahoma State at No. 12 TCU
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No. 15 Oklahoma State at No. 12 TCU, 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
TCU could be in for another intense scoring spree after losing to in-state foe Baylor last week on the road 61-58 while Oklahoma State escaped a potential upset on the road against a struggling Kansas team 27-20.
Another loss for the Horned Frogs this week would likely eliminate them from contending for a Big 12 championship. They need to avoid a letdown at home and continue to rack points up on a Cowboys defense giving up an average of 24.7 points per game.
Quarterback Trevone Boykin (1,463 yards, 11 TDs) continues to prove week in and week out that he is capable of taking this TCU team to the next level in the conference it has struggled in during its first two seasons. Boykin is currently heading an offensive averaging an astounding 45.8 points and 352.2 receiving yards per game. Running back B.J. Catalon (268 yards, six TDs) and wide receiver Kolby Listenbee (418 yards, three TDs) have proved to be weapons as well.
Since losing its season opener to then-No. 1 Florida State 37-31 in Week 1, the Pokes have won five straight. Oklahoma State is 3-0 in conference play but has yet to face any of the more competitive teams in the Big 12.
Since stepping in for J.W. Walsh, Daxx Garman has accounted for 1,361 yards and 11 total touchdowns. The offense is scoring a solid 37.2 yards per game, but it has had issues running the ball.
Senior running back Desmond Roland, who has 391 yards and seven touchdowns this season, will be up against one of the best front sevens in the country. With potential trouble running the ball against Gary Patterson's defense, Garman will need solid protection up front if he is going to have any success getting the ball to his receivers. TCU currently has 19 sacks this season (tied for 20th in the country).
There is pressure on both teams' defenses to perform in this Big 12 contest, and the game should be more interesting than the teams' last two meetings. Oklahoma State has outscored TCU by a combined 60-24 points the last two years, but it will be a different outcome on Saturday, with the Horned Frogs bouncing back with a convincing win.
Prediction: TCU 41, Oklahoma State 28
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No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Florida State
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No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Florida State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
The matchup of Week 8 will take place in Tallahassee, where Notre Dame will look to spoil Florida State's run for its second consecutive national championship. Both quarterbacks, Everett Golson and Jameis Winston, have yet to lose a regular-season game when starting under center. Golson's only loss came in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, when Alabama defeated the Fighting Irish 42-14.
It's almost a deja vu situation for Notre Dame as it heads into Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday night. In 2012, Brian Kelly's squad went into Norman undefeated and upset Oklahoma 30-13 after it had pulled out two close victories against Stanford and BYU.
Golson has been cool in the clutch and has already thrown for 1,683 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, Last week against North Carolina, he threw for an impressive 300 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-43 win.
Even though Notre Dame managed to score 50 points for the first time since its season opener in 2012 against a struggling Tar Heel defense, it shows that the offense has potential to put points up. Wide receiver William Fuller has been a big playmaker in the pass game, as he leads a talented group of wideouts with 504 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
For Winston, who has been in the news regarding an investigation into receiving payments for autographs and a hearing dealing with his alleged sexual assault, it's been almost anything but football. He will be up against a stout defense that is giving up only 17.2 points per game (seventh in the country).
Despite having three close calls already and not looking as dominant as last season, the Seminoles are still undefeated and on a nation-long 22-game winning streak. The offense has breakout players in wide receiver Rashad Greene (683 yards, three TDs), tight end Nick O'Leary (275 yards, two TDs) and running back Karlos Williams (353 yards, five TDs), who returns this week after sitting out against Syracuse with an ankle injury.
In a nonconference matchup that could figure to be a play-in game for the inaugural College Football Playoff, it will come down to which quarterback can make the most plays in critical situations and which teams' defense comes up big late in the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame appears to have its luck back, and the defense should be able to give the Winston and the Seminole offense problems it has not yet dealt with this season.
Prediction: Notre Dame 30, Florida State 26
No. 23 Stanford at No. 17 Arizona State
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No. 23 Stanford at No. 17 Arizona State, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Cardinal and Sun Devils will have a late-Saturday night tussle in the desert as both hope to stay in their division title hunts. Stanford comes off a 34-17 home win against Washington State, but it suffered key losses in the receiving corps. Arizona State heads in off a bye week after it pulled off a heroic 46-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired to shock USC on the road 38-34 on Oct. 4.
Stanford will at least have quarterback Kevin Hogan under center, who had been suffering from a minor leg injury. Besides Ty Montgomery, the receiving corps has been decimated by injuries. According to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News (h/t George Halim of The Score), wide receiver Devon Cajuste will be out for Saturday's contest with what appears to be a head injury while tight end Austin Hooper is listed as questionable. A Cardinal run game, which hasn't been as strong as in recent years, will need to play a bigger part in the offense this week.
Arizona State has been sound offensively for the most part this season, as it has averaged 41.2 points per game and put up 340.4 passing yards per game. The offense has even been successful with backup quarterback Mike Bercovici, who passed for a combined total of 998 yards and eight touchdowns in both starts, while starter Taylor Kelly was out with a right foot injury.
Kelly is expected to be out on the field in this contest but will possibly split time with Bercovici. They'll rely on explosive wide receiver Jaelen Strong through the air and will look to D.J. Foster in the backfield.
However, the offense will have its toughest test yet against a defense that gave the Sun Devils problems in two of their four losses last season. The Cardinal are currently the best at holding opponents off the scoreboard, allowing a nation-best 10 points per game as well as shutting opponents down through the air (138.2 passing yards per game).
Stanford hasn't lost more than two games during the regular season since 2009, and it's hard to imagine a David Shaw team going into Tempe and coming out with a 4-3 record as well as its Pac-12 North title hopes practically shattered.
Prediction: Stanford 38, Arizona State 27
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