10 Biggest Questions Facing Top 25 Teams Heading into Week 8
Week 8 of the college football season is, well, something.
As far as the Associated Press rankings go, there is only one game featuring a pair of Top 25 teams: No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Ole Miss. And both are coming off of losses in Week 7.
So, no, intrigue isn't at its highest level. But that doesn't mean there aren't important questions to be answered. Besides, the least-interesting slate of games on paper usually result in the weirdest weekends. Brace yourself. That's all we're saying.
What are the top 10 questions facing AP Top 25 teams heading into Week 8? Here we provide the answers based on last week's results, upcoming matchups and more.
10. Is Michigan State Bound for a Wild Finish Against Indiana?
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By now, you know of the wild ending in Week 7's Michigan State-Michigan game. Emotionally, that can take a toll on both teams, regardless of who won or lost. The Spartans came away with the win, but can they now put it behind them and avoid a letdown against Indiana?
The Hoosiers have yet to win a Big Ten conference game, but they held court against Ohio State and should have beaten Rutgers (instead, Indiana gave up 28 straight points to the Scarlet Knights, including the game-winning field goal).
Additionally, Indiana has the top passing offense in the Big Ten in yards per game, whereas Michigan State's pass defense has been vulnerable. The Spartans have also had problems putting teams away.
Indiana and Michigan State have been involved in some wild games already. What are the odds they make for one more?
9. Will Texas A&M Quarterback Kyle Allen Turn Things Around Against Ole Miss?
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When you had not one, not two but three pick-sixes like Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen did against Alabama, you need a big turnaround. Is Ole Miss the cure?
Perhaps, but the biggest thing for Allen is to maintain his confidence.
"I told him after the game, 'You can't let this define you,'" Aggies offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said of Allen, per Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. "He takes it hard, but at the same time, he's not going to dwell on it. Let's get this offense back to what it should be doing."
The Rebels are coming off a loss to Memphis in which Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch threw for 384 yards—the most allowed by Ole Miss all year. Is that a good omen for Allen as he tries to turn things around?
8. Can Memphis Avoid the Post-Ole Miss Letdown?
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Memphis notched the single most important win for a Group of Five team trying to get into the playoff this year. In Week 7, the Tigers handled Ole Miss 37-24.
As crazy as it sounds, can Memphis avoid being on the wrong side of an upset?
Tulsa may just be 3-3, but it's sixth in the FBS in total offense (550.5) and averaging 33.3 points per game. Memphis, meanwhile, has one of the worst pass defenses in college football, allowing eight yards per attempt.
To play an away game on a short week right after the biggest program win in years? On paper, that's ripe for a letdown, but a Group of Five place among college football's final four depends in part on Memphis winning from here on out.
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7. How Will Cal Quarterback Jared Goff Bounce Back vs. UCLA?
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The last time Cal quarterback Jared Goff played, he threw five interceptions in a loss to Utah. That seems like an eternity ago, and it probably feels longer for Goff. Entering a bye week following a bitter defeat is never fun. Now, how does the junior respond against UCLA?
The Bruins are reeling as well, having suffered back-to-back losses against Arizona State and Stanford. Statistically, the Bruins still have the best pass defense in the Pac-12 in terms of yards per attempt allowed, but the month of October has been less than kind. Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici had the best game of his 2015 season against UCLA, and the Bruins allowed 8.2 yards per attempt and three touchdowns against Stanford.
The point being, there's an opportunity for Goff to rebound and rack up some numbers. If Cal is going to stay afloat in the Pac-12 North title race, then Goff needs to have a big game.
6. Is Oklahoma Quarterback Baker Mayfield Ready to Face His Old Team?
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In all likelihood, everyone else is making a bigger deal out of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield facing Texas Tech than it really is.
Still, this will be the first time Mayfield has faced his former team and head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, since he was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2013.
"It's human nature to try and get revenge. That's just how everybody works," Mayfield told Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News. "But I've got to focus on doing my job—and my job only—and that's executing my stuff and helping our team win."
Ultimately, both sides have expressed their desire to move on, and understandably so. The Mayfield-Tech split, while messy, happened nearly two years ago. But that doesn't mean his performance won't be closely monitored. For that matter, so too will Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes II's showing.
5. Is Stanford's Offense Up to the Task vs. Washington's Defense?
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Stanford's offense has rebounded in a huge way since its 16-6 Week 1 loss to Northwestern. On the year, the Cardinal are averaging 38.5 points per game, about a field goal within the likes of Arizona, Cal and Oregon.
However, against Washington, Stanford will face its toughest defensive opponent since Northwestern. (Seeing as the Wildcats have given up 78 points in their last two games, there's a legitimate case Washington's defense is tougher.)
The Huskies have the Pac-12's best run defense, allowing just 3.11 yards per carry. That's a strength vs. strength matchup against Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey.
As weird as it is to say, Stanford is better suited in a higher-scoring game. If the Huskies keep it a low-scoring affair, they have a far better chance of pulling the upset.
4. Can Clemson's Defense Slow Down Miami Quarterback Brad Kaaya?
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Clemson's Deshaun Watson might be the biggest name among ACC quarterbacks, but Miami's Brad Kaaya has put up the biggest passing numbers. At just a click under 300 passing yards per game, no one in the ACC slings the pigskin better than Kaaya.
With all due respect to Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer, Kaaya will be the best signal-caller Clemson's defense has faced this year. Are the Tigers up to the challenge?
Clemson has been good at getting to the quarterback this year, accumulating 15 sacks to this point. That's tied for third in the ACC. However, the Hurricanes have allowed just seven sacks. The key for Miami will be to put more trust in its sophomore quarterback than ever before. He's earned that trust, too.
Otherwise, Clemson could make it a long day for the Hurricanes.
3. Can Ole Miss Stop the Bleeding Against Texas A&M?
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For as bad as last week's loss to Memphis was, Ole Miss still controls its destiny in the SEC West race. Win out, and the Rebels are going to Atlanta for the conference championship game.
But the redemption process starts against Texas A&M. As B/R SEC Lead Writer Barrett Sallee notes, it's a big challenge. For one, the Rebels are banged up defensively. That could be trouble if points start racking up quickly:
"The defense is beat up with injuries to linebacker C.J. Johnson and safety Tony Conner, the absence of corner Tee Shepard (who left the team) and the uncertainty of defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, who left the Memphis game in the second quarter after suffering a head injury while playing running back.
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A&M-Ole Miss is essentially a SEC West elimination game, but it'd be quite a fall if the Rebels wound up losing. With LSU and Mississippi State still on the schedule, Ole Miss has more difficult games ahead. If it falls behind in the West race now, it'll be difficult to catch back up.
2. Should Utah Really Be on Upset Alert vs. USC?
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Now here's something you don't see every day. Utah—undefeated Utah, ranked No. 3 in the AP poll—is a three-point underdog to USC, according to OddsShark.com. Granted, opening lines are subject to change, and for what it's worth, playing in your own backyard can be worth a few points for the home team.
Still, that's not what you'd expect for a 6-0 team facing a 3-3 team. So should Utah actually be on upset alert?
The short answer is yes, and B/R colleague Justin Ferguson goes into more in-depth reasons why. USC might have massively underachieved this year, but it's not void of talent. Though the Trojans lost to Notre Dame in Week 7, what we saw was a confident, loose team having fun. That's a dangerous combination for a team like Utah, which could start feeling mounting pressure each week to stay in the Pac-12 title and playoff hunt.
1. Was Naming J.T. Barrett the Starting QB the Right Move for Ohio State?
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The decision has been made, and J.T. Barrett will get the start at quarterback for Ohio State over Cardale Jones. It's a decision that, to many, was a long time coming. In the end, though, head coach Urban Meyer pointed to what Barrett has done in limited reps on the field as the deciding factor.
"Red-zone production and third-down production were the two areas that made the difference," Meyer said, per B/R's Ben Axelrod.
Now, the main question is does it work? Does Barrett finally ignite Ohio State's offense and give it the extra boost it needs? The Buckeyes travel to Rutgers this week, which actually leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency. It'd be a bad look for Barrett to get upstaged in his first start. That's not to mention Ohio State probably doesn't want to start over—again—at quarterback this late in the season.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
