Week 8 of the college football season transformed itself into a prove-it Saturday as key contenders either established themselves or crumbled under the pressure. For No. 16 Indiana, it was dropping a hammer on Nebraska to thrust itself into the College Football Playoff picture. No. 11 Tennessee also gets back into the mix after outlasting No. 7 Alabama in Neyland Stadium.
For No. 24 Michigan, it was gifting No. 22 Illinois its first ranked-over-ranked victory since 1991. Alabama had some shocking decision-making down the stretch in its second loss under coach Kalen DeBoer. No. 6 Miami played with fire in a 52-45 win against Louisville but ultimately survived to remain unbeaten.
Still ahead, No. 1 Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in a battle of national championship hopefuls. A win by either will shake up the title picture and create a new favorite in the SEC title race. No. 8 LSU also travels to Arkansas hoping to stay alive, while No. 17 Kansas State travels to West Virginia in a key Big 12 battle.
Heading into the evening slate, here are the biggest winners and losers of college football’s Week 8, including some new contenders crashing the party.
Winner: Indiana
Heading into Indiana’s game against Nebraska, my biggest question was whether the Hoosiers offensive line could hold up against the aggressive Cornhuskers defensive line. Indiana was happy to answer that question: Yes. The Hoosiers obliterated Nebraska 56-7 and continued its trend as one of two teams (Army) which have not trailed this season.
The win over the Cornhuskers tied the biggest against a Big Ten opponent since a similar 49-point victory against Minnesota in 1945. More impressively, Indiana earned the victory primarily with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson in the game after starter Kurtis Rourke suffered a hand injury.
After the win, Indiana deserves to be taken fully seriously as a Big Ten and College Football Playoff contender. It should contend for a top-five spot in the AP Top 25 because this team is for real.
Loser: Alabama
It’s not just that Alabama lost to Tennessee. It’s not just that the Tide lost two games before November for the first time since 2007. It’s the total disaster-class of coaching down the stretch that ultimately cost them the game.
Alabama went three-and-out on three of the final four drives of the game. The other was a game-losing interception by Jalen Milroe, his second of the day. The most confounding moment, however, was going for it on fourth-and-22 late in the game deep in ‘Bama’s own territory.
Now, Alabama has lost to Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the same season for the first time since 1984. Since the first half of the Georgia game, Alabama has totally collapsed.
Winner: BYU
After beating Oklahoma State 38-35 on Friday, it’s time to admit that No. 13 BYU might just be on a fairytale run. The Cowboys scored an apparent game-winning touchdown with 1:13 remaining, but BYU just tapped into the magic again. The Cougars traveled 75 yards in barely 1 minute as quarterback Jake Retzlaff connected with receiver Darius Lassiter for a game-winning, 35-yard TD pass with seconds remaining.
The win was significant to keep BYU alive in the Big 12 and College Football Playoff races. Surviving the chaos games are key to a championship run, and a Friday night against a first-time quarterback and sorcerer Mike Gundy counts. But, more importantly, it means that BYU still has a mulligan heading into the stretch run to still make the Big 12 title game.
The Sooners made their case as the worst team in the SEC after a truly horrendous 35-9 loss against South Carolina. The home loss was the worst for OU against an unranked opponent since 1996 and was capped off by South Carolina scoring in the first quarter on a pick six, scoop-and-score and converting another interception into a touchdown five plays later.
Oklahoma kept things close against Texas for a quarter but has since completely collapsed. The Sooners have scored two offensive touchdowns in their last 11 quarters of football, including getting held out of the end zone against Texas. They’re back to the quarterback carousel after inserting Jackson Arnold to replace Michael Hawkins Jr. This staff has no answers, and missing a bowl game is on the table despite a 4-1 start.
MORE: Oklahoma hired Brent Venables to get Sooners SEC-ready, but they’re scraping bottom of league in debut
Loser: Michigan
After losing to No. 22 Illinois, the Wolverines’ path to a decent season is on life support. Michigan was forced to throw as Illinois was able to hold them to only 3.0 yards per carry, and it went about as expected. Jack Tuttle passed for 208 yards on 32 attempts and threw a key interception. Michigan lost despite posting 60 more yards of offense.
Suddenly, the pathway for UM looks brutal. The Wolverines still have No. 2 Oregon, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 16 Indiana on the schedule. Lose all three against those alone, and Michigan is right on the edge of bowl eligibility. Certainly, the first post-Jim Harbaugh season would come with growing pains, but the offensive woes are coming home to roost.
MORE: Michigan in danger of missing bowl game as Wolverines face tough road to six wins after loss to Illinois
Winner: The legend of Brady Cook
It hasn’t been a season to remember for Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, but moments like Saturday against Auburn will be remembered forever in Columbia. Cook slipped on the turf and went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter against the Tigers. He had to leave the game on a truck and go to the hospital for an MRI because the injury was so serious. Even through that, he refused to lose.
When the x-rays returned negative, he demanded to return to the game with Missouri down 17-6. In his return, Cook led an 18-0 run, including a 17-play, 95-yard game-winning drive with under a minute to play. The senior was directly responsible for 71 of the yards. Cook has led Missouri to its greatest success since Gary Pinkel, and Saturday will only add to that legend.
The Red Raiders clawed back from a slow start to the season to reach first place in the Big 12 with a 3-0 start. After a 59-35 shellacking at the hands of 2-4 Baylor, the good vibes are on life support. Texas Tech gave up near-touchdowns on defense and special teams in the first 20 minutes of game time as the Bears cleared 400 yards for the first time since Air Force in Week 3.
The loss sets up a much more difficult path in the closing weeks to contend for the Big 12 with a road trip to No. 9 Iowa State and home games against Colorado and West Virginia on the schedule. Additionally, the loss is a key misstep against a key in-state recruiting rival.
