The college football schedule in Week 8 has several intriguing matchups nationwide. Here are some of the notable matchups to keep an eye on outside Texas and the Big 12 this weekend.
No.7 Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at No.3 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), 11 a.m. CT, Fox
The Big Ten features three top-10 teams, and two of them face off on Saturday in Columbus. Ohio State saw some early growing pains from quarterback Kyle McCord but has navigated its schedule well, narrowly avoiding a loss to Notre Dame on the game’s last play. Meanwhile, Penn State sophomore quarterback Drew Allar has been impressive, but its defense has been tremendous, allowing just 193.7 yards per game. Can they continue the trend against the Buckeyes, or will the road environment be too much?
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Washington State (4-2, 1-2 PAC-12) at No.9 Oregon (5-1, 2-1 PAC-12), 2:30 p.m. CT, ABC
Washington State’s season has not been the same since it entered conference play with a win over Oregon State. Now, the Cougars have lost two in a row and have to face an Oregon team coming off its first loss. The Ducks are one of the country’s elite teams, especially on offense, and will be looking to get back on track in the conference title race.
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No.17 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No.11 Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC), 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
Both Tennessee and Alabama have struggled more than expected this year with narrow wins in conference play. Both also have new quarterbacks and have had to adjust. Tennessee beat Alabama on a late field goal last season, but much of the firepower from the Volunteers’ offense is now in the NFL. Can Tennessee find a way to take down Alabama again?
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No.13 Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC), 6 p.m. CT, ESPN
Ole Miss sits in third place in the SEC West and will have to work around Alabama and LSU, against which it has had split success this season. The Rebels have shown an elite ability to score, while Auburn’s offense has been a work in progress as it begins conference play with three straight losses.
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No.16 Duke (5-1, 2-0 ACC) at No.4 Florida State (6-0, 4-0 ACC), 6:30 p.m CT, ABC
Mike Elko is off to a 14-5 start in his first season-plus at Duke and is entering a pivotal portion of the schedule. The Blue Devils’ only loss so far in 2023 came by a touchdown against then-No.11 Notre Dame, and they face three ranked teams in the final six weeks of the season — beginning with Florida State. The Seminoles have established themselves as a national championship contender, dominating each opponent to this point, including then-No.5 LSU in Week 1.
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No.14 Utah (5-1, 2-1 PAC-12) at No.18 USC (6-1, 4-0 PAC-12), 7 p.m. CT, Fox
The Utes and Trojans play a PAC-12 Championship rematch in Los Angeles. Utah has won three in a row against USC, including last year’s conference championship game. The Utes have overcome injuries to keep pace in the conference, while the Trojans remain at the top after a nonconference loss to Notre Dame. USC can afford a loss more than Utah, whose conference title chances could take a severe hit this weekend.