College Football Predictions: 8 Things You Need to Know for Week 8

You live and you learn—a cliché college football somehow manages to defy.

After each weekly spin cycle, we’re often more bewildered than we were the preceding Friday.

Mix in the debut BCS standings as fabric softener, and suddenly none of the socks are able to survive the tumble dry with a pair.

I submit two examples from the weekend for your consideration:

1. On Saturday, Ohio State earned as many wins as completions in a singe game (in good weather conditions!) at Illinois.

2. On Sunday, Kenneth Massey’s computer rankings spit out Nebraska (5-1) one spot ahead of the very Wisconsin (6-0) that handed the Huskers a 31-point thrashing in Week 5.

What in the world are we supposed to do with that?

That said, there are more reasonable conclusions we can draw heading into the weekend slate of games. However, while the video rolls, let’s also self-police the Week 7 scoreboard.

Prediction: All 119 other FBS programs should have learned from LSU punter Brad Wing’s live ball taunting penalty

Not exactly. While he wasn’t flagged and the Michigan State touchdown wasn’t negated, Isaiah Lewis was far more demonstrative at the tail end of a fourth-quarter interception return. The Spartans got away with one.

Replay booth ruling: Upheld…barely.

 

Prediction: The Heisman is Andrew Luck’s to lose

Another week, another resume bullet point. The Stanford quarterback overcame his third interception of the season with four second-half touchdown tosses at Washington State. Then again, did you see Russell Wilson’s scoring grab?

Replay booth ruling: Confirmed

 

Prediction: Mark Richt will be back with Georgia in 2012

Not only did the 'Dawgs win at Vanderbilt, but Florida fell further off the SEC East pace and South Carolina lost the league’s second-leading rusher for the remainder of the season.

Replay booth ruling: Confirmed

 

Prediction: One half of the BCS Championship picture will feature the winner of LSU-Alabama

Both 7-0 and one-two in the initial BCS standings.

Replay booth ruling: Confirmed

 

Prediction: The other half will pit either Wisconsin or Oklahoma against the SEC survivor

If I had a mulligan, I’d take it here. But only to revise the wording to read “Wisconsin or the winner of Oklahoma-Oklahoma State.” I underestimated how much the computers would like the Pokes.

Replay booth ruling: Overturned

 

Prediction: Outside of Boise State, Wisconsin is the BCS contender most likely to run the table

After seeing all the tackles Michigan State missed against Michigan, I’m more convinced of this than ever. And one of the Spartans' best defensive players, William Gholston, should be suspended by the Big Ten and/or Mark Dantonio for multiple unsportsmanlike plays against the Wolverines.

Replay booth ruling: Confirmed

 

Prediction: The Big Ten is a one-BCS-berth league in 2011

Illinois and Michigan were exposed in Week 7. I have a hunch Penn State’s time is coming, too. The Badgers will make the dance based on a soft non-conference schedule, but they could also be frozen out of the championship game due to a lack of elite challengers in the Midwest.

Replay booth ruling: Confirmed

 

J.B. Long is a Tampa-based broadcaster with Bright House Sports Network who has been associated with Bleacher Report since its inception. His work has been featured on Big Ten Network, MLB Network and ESPN3. You can follow him on Twitter @JB_Long.

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