College football Week 8 preview

The Big Ten West Division might be up for grabs, and Iowa could be the one left standing. Quarterback Nate Stanley is starting to get some national attention for guiding an offense that's scored 33 or more points four times this season. Including their time in the ACC, the Terps have dropped 13 straight conference road games against ranked teams.

Prediction: Iowa 31, Maryland 13

With both teams ranked in the Top 25, the rivalry is amped up for 2018. Michigan State has won eight of the last 10 meetings, but the Wolverines took the last one at East Lansing in 2016. Michigan boasts the Big Ten's top scoring defense (15.4 points per game), and Michigan State has failed to score more than 21 points three times this season.

Prediction: Michigan 26, Michigan State 14

Mike Stoops is out as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator after Texas dropped 48 points on the Sooners two weeks ago. That loss severely dented Oklahoma's College Football Playoff chances, but it should be poised to bounce back. TCU has failed to score more than 17 points a game while losing two of the last three.

Prediction: Oklahoma 33, TCU 21

The American Athletic Conference has three undefeated teams and four without a loss in the East Division. The Bearcats are one of them, and Temple is another. Cincinnati has one of the nation's top rushers in Michael Warren II (11 rushing touchdowns) and a defense giving up 13.7 points per contest. Temple, however, is 11-3 in conference homes games since 2015.

Prediction: Temple 24, Cincinnati 21

Last weekend's loss at Michigan now has the Badgers just hoping to remain in the hunt for the Big Ten West Division title. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook endured one of the worst performances of his career in that contest. However, expect Wisconsin to pound the ball on the ground against an Illinois defense that's giving up 199.5 rushing yards per game.

Prediction: Wisconsin 48, Illinois 10

This might be a matchup of the remaining undefeated teams in the ACC, but the series has certainly favored Clemson over the years. The Tigers have won six in a row and 13 of the last 14 against the Wolfpack. N.C. State's last victory at Death Valley came in 2002, which also was the last season it started 6-0.

Prediction: Clemson 27, North Carolina State 13

It's not quite time to panic, but back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Michigan State raise questions about how good this Penn State team really is. The Nittany Lions led in the fourth quarter of both losses, so there might also be an issue with confidence. They have won four in a row and 17 of 18 against the Hoosiers.

Prediction: Penn State 35, Indiana 28

Tua Tagovailoa's knee seems to be OK, and the Crimson Tide remain the juggernaut they appear. Tennessee left Auburn last weekend with an impressive victory, but snapping an 11-game losing streak to Alabama seems like a pretty tall order at this point in time.

Prediction: Alabama 45, Tennessee 13

The Pac-12 will likely be shut out of a spot in the College Football Playoff, but the division races remain intriguing. Both the Buffaloes and Huskies are in the mix to win their respective divisions. Washington, however, is trying for a ninth consecutive victory in this series.

Prediction: Washington 38, Colorado 14

The Knights ran their winning streak to 19 in a row but needed to come back at Memphis to do it. Another of the AAC's unbeatens, UCF should not face the same challenge as last week considering East Carolina is 0-3 in the league and has not beat a ranked opponent since 2014.

Prediction: UCF 37, East Carolina 20

LSU is 3-1 vs. ranked teams — the most recent win coming against then-No. 2 Georgia last weekend. Next up is Mississippi State, back in the Top 25 and two weeks removed from a victory over then-No. 8 Auburn, which doesn't seem as big a deal now. The Bulldogs beat the Tigers last season but have just one win in the last 11 at LSU.

Prediction: LSU 27, Mississippi State 13

The Bulls are eyeing a second straight 7-0 start but needed a hefty fourth-quarter rally to win at Tulsa last week. Following stops at Alabama and Arizona State, quarterback Blake Barnett has found a home with South Florida. It helps that he has talented offensive teammates in running back Jordan Cronkrite and receiver Tyre McCants. UConn has lost five straight and 13 of 14 on the road.

Prediction: South Florida 34, UConn 14

The Wildcats have had plenty of time to prepare for a bounce back from their loss at Texas A&M on Oct. 6. They've won four of their last five SEC home games and eight of the last 11 vs. Vanderbilt in Lexington. By the way, the Commodores have dropped 19 straight road games against Top 25 SEC squads.

Prediction: Kentucky 23, Vanderbilt 19

Star defensive lineman Nick Bosa won't return from injury this season, as he sets his sights on the NFL. That should not be a problem for the Buckeyes, who have recorded 13 sacks in the last four games without him and are second in the Big Ten with 55 tackles for loss overall. Purdue has dropped seven in a row against top-five teams since beating then-fifth-ranked Michigan State in October 1999.

Prediction: Ohio State 41, Purdue 24

It's the premier game in the Pac-12 this week and a chance for Washington State to really prove its worth. The Cougars' Gardner Minshew II (FBS-leading 2,422 passing yards) heads the top-ranked passing offense in the country (413.7 yards per game). Oregon, coming off an overtime home win against Washington, has allowed more than 24 points in regulation only once this season.

Prediction: Washington State 37, Oregon 27

With consecutive losses to unranked teams in Mississippi State — at the time — and home to Tennessee, Auburn's season has taken a turn for the worse. The Tigers have not dropped three straight SEC games in a season since 2014, but Ole Miss can put up some points and has nothing to lose at this point.

Prediction: Auburn 27, Ole Miss 26

Preseason, this matchup looked like a potential Mid-American Conference championship game preview. Buffalo is holding up its end while sitting 3-0 in the MAC East, but the Rockets are 1-1 in the West and have allowed at least 28 in each of the last five games.

Prediction: Buffalo 36, Toledo 31

The leader of the Mountain West's Mountain Division, Utah State appears in good position to claim a sixth consecutive win. There is something special brewing in Logan, thanks to an offense that ranks second only to Alabama, averaging 51.7 points per game. Earlier this month, the Aggies beat BYU — which won at Wisconsin — by 25 on the road.

Prediction: Utah State 41, Wyoming 20

Nebraska blew a golden opportunity to earn its first victory under Scott Frost last weekend at Northwestern, but hope is not lost. While Bethune-Cookman's visit to Lincoln next week appears to be the Cornhuskers' best chance to grab that elusive win, they very well could be playing for two in a row. They're favored in this matchup against a Minnesota team that's been outscored 120-58 while off to a 0-3 start in the Big Ten.

Prediction: Nebraska 30, Minnesota 24

Appalachian State will attempt to win its fifth straight contest without star running back Jailin Moore, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The Mountaineers believe they can overcome the loss, but their defense will be tested in this Sun Belt crossover. The Ragin' Cajuns have totaled 108 points while winning their last two games.

Prediction: Appalachian State 34, Louisiana 16

For a second straight season, it's time to talk about Florida State's 36-year bowl streak being in jeopardy of coming to an end. While the Seminoles would seem to have a good chance for a seventh consecutive victory over the Demon Deacons, their schedule gets much tougher after this matchup.

Prediction: Florida State 23, Wake Forest 21

This has the makings of a fun, high-scoring non-conference tilt. The teams combine to average just over 39 points per contest while allowing almost 28 a game. Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is an NFL prospect, but Memphis running back Darrell Henderson leads the country in rushing (1,133 yards).

Prediction: Missouri 42, Memphis 35

UAB leads Conference USA's West Division at 3-0, but North Texas enters the weekend as one of three teams just one game behind. The Blazers are trying for a fifth consecutive win, while the Mean Green are going for their third in a row. North Texas won last year's meeting 46-43 on a late field goal.

Prediction: UAB 27, North Texas 24

Neither team is ranked, but the Pac-12 South is up for grabs and this one could be huge, especially for the Trojans, who currently lead the division. Losing Pac-12 sack leader Porter Gustin to injury is a blow to USC, which is trying to avoid a third consecutive loss at Utah.

Prediction: Utah 24, USC 20

Two of the Pac-12's biggest — and most disappointing — coaching names meet at the Rose Bowl. Kevin Sumlin's Wildcats and Chip Kelly's Bruins hoped there would be more on the line than the quest for bowl eligibility in this contest. Playing without versatile quarterback Khalil Tate won't help Arizona's cause.

Prediction: UCLA 31, Arizona 14