CFB Week 8 winners, losers: Ranked SEC showdowns separate contenders from pretenders

Tennessee, trailing by nine, drove to Bama's 1-yard line with one second left when disaster struck. Quarterback Joey Aguilar threw a goal-line interception that sophomore defensive back Zabien Brown returned 99 yards for a touchdown, turning what could have been a 16-14 halftime deficit into 23-7. Alabama kept Tennessee at a distance the rest of the way, putting the Vols on thin ice in their attempt to make the CFP for a second year in a row.

Winner: Upside down ACC

Heading into the back-half of the season, no conference has been more unpredictable than the ACC. No. 12 Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0 in ACC) remained undefeated one day after No. 2 Miami (5-1, 1-1 in ACC) suffered its first loss of the season, beating Duke (4-3, 3-1 in ACC), 27-18.  No. 18 Virginia (6-1, 3-0 in ACC) rallied against Washington State (3-4), coming back from a 20-10 deficit with 12 unanswered fourth-quarter points for a 22-20 win. Both teams, hardly considered ACC powers, have soft remaining conference schedules, giving each a viable path to the ACC title game on Dec. 6. Just like no one drew up in August.

Loser: Ole Miss Rebels

As soon as we think Ole Miss is different, Lane Kiffin's bunch proves how little has changed. The No. 5 team in the country had us going for three quarters against No. 9 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 in SEC), scoring touchdowns on its first five possessions. But when it mattered most, the Rebels cratered in a 43-35 loss.

Georgia outscored Ole Miss 17-0 in the fourth quarter, and the Rebels were held to 13 yards during the final 15 minutes. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who up until that point was excellent, had an awful end to the game, going 1-of-10 for one yard in the fourth.

In the grand scheme of the 12-team College Football Playoff, one loss isn't debilitating. But for Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 in SEC), the result raises concerns that in the toughest environments, it can't be trusted to deliver.

Winner: James Madison Dukes' second half versus Old Dominion Monarchs

A tight battle between two of the top Sun Belt programs turned into a laugher following a dominant James Madison performance after halftime.

The first half was a barnburner, with the two teams at one point trading touchdowns on six consecutive possessions. But it was all James Madison in the second half, with the Dukes turning a close 28-27 halftime lead into a 63-27 blowout, outscoring the Monarchs 35-0 in the third and fourth quarters.

It wasn't even that close.

James Madison (6-1, 4-0 in Sun Belt) out-gained Old Dominion (4-3, 1-2 in Sun Belt) 258-10 while running twice as many plays (42-21). It forced three turnovers and allowed one first down.

The Dukes have won five in a row to take firm control of the Sun Belt in their fourth season in the conference. Their blistering second half showed that when they're clicking, there might not be a team in the Sun Belt that can beat them.

Loser: Memphis Tigers

No. 22 Memphis (6-1, 2-1 in American) entered Saturday with the highest odds (43.9 percent) among non-power conference teams to make the College Football Playoff (h/t ESPN Football Power Index), but its chances took a hit with a loss to UAB (3-4, 1-3 in American), playing in its first game since firing former head coach Trent Dilfer.

Adding to the pain of the loss, the Tigers had a golden opportunity to send the game to overtime, facing 1st-and-goal from the UAB 1-yard line with under a minute remaining. But Memphis imploded, committing two false starts at the goal line and a delay of game, eventually leaving it with a 4th-and-goal from the 11-yard line that it was unable to convert.

While the Tigers could still win the American, losing to UAB is a massive hit to their chances of earning an auto-bid as the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion. The selection committee will have to compare Memphis' resume to other champs who might not have a loss nearly as ugly.

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate

Ohio State has long had an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver, but even with a strong history, there's something special about this 2025 group. Sophomore Jeremiah Smith is the headliner, but junior Carnell Tate is every bit as gifted, giving the Buckeyes two legit WR1s.

Tate had one of his better games of the season in a 34-0 win at Wisconsin, finishing with six receptions for a team-high 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including an exceptional grab between two defenders while having his helmet jarred loose.

The Ohio State offense is starting to look as formidable as its defense, and Tate is a large reason why.

Loser: Big 12's dreams of multiple CFP bids

"I fully expect the Big 12 to earn multiple College Football Playoff bids this year," conference commissioner Brett Yormark told reporters during Big 12 media days in July. That bold prediction is much less likely to come true after this weekend.

No. 7 Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1 in Big 12) lost to Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12), 26-22, and it might have to run the table to be considered for a playoff spot if it's a member of the at-large pool. No. 15 BYU (7-0, 4-0 in Big 12) is the conference's lone unbeaten after defeating No. 23 Utah (5-2, 2-2 in Big 12), 24-21, but it has a difficult remaining schedule, making it unlikely to end the regular season unscathed. Last season, only two teams (Ohio State, Tennessee) received auto-bids after losing multiple times before conference championship weekend, and a multi-loss Big 12 team will fall behind those from the Big Ten and SEC in a similar scenario this year. The Big 12 couldn't afford its teams beating up on each other to land more than one playoff bid, but that's exactly what's happening.

Winner: Tulane Green Wave

Tulane (6-1, 3-0 in American) kept its CFP hopes alive with a 24-17 win over upset-minded Army (3-4, 2-3 in American). The Green Wave trailed 17-10 at the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw two touchdowns, including one that ended with a circus catch from wideout Shazz Preston for the winning score with 27 seconds left.

The race for the fifth automatic playoff bid is wide open,  but entering the second half of the season, the Green Wave have as realistic a shot as anyone.