College Football Booms and Busts From Week 8: Penn State, Florida State, North Carolina and More

The more things change, the more they stay the same in college football. Ohio State continues its dominance of Big Ten East foe Penn State. Kyle Whittingham continues to outcoach Lincoln Riley as Utah again bests USC. As we have said before, it has been a while since we have had this many teams hanging around the playoff hunt in late October, however, Week 8 proved to be a little bit of a separation Saturday.

USC, North Carolina, Iowa, and Penn State had ugly losses that put a damper on any playoff hopes for this season, and we expect more of that heading into the final week of October. Ohio State currently has the best resume, but Michigan looks like it is not just the best team in the Big Ten, but also the country.

One of the great things about college football is that success is not a linear process for all teams. It's not necessarily a National Championship or bust for every team like in professional sports. Some programs have limitations, and accomplishments can be celebrated without holding that trophy in January. Whether it be a conference championship, a NY6 Bowl, or simply becoming bowl-eligible after a few rough years, there is plenty to play for over the next six weeks. It's time to look at who is booming and who is busting as we move towards November.

College Football Booms From Week 8

Utah Utes

It is difficult not to turn this into a Kyle Whittingham appreciation piece, but wow, what a coach. He continues to win at Utah while having lesser talent than several programs in the PAC12. Utah is 6-1 this season, and their best player, star quarterback Cam Rising, has not taken a snap.

The Utes have won three in a row over USC, thanks to an incredible performance by Sione Vaki, and they are the two-time reigning conference champions. Whittingham’s crew controls their destiny as they chase a third straight title, but the path will not be easy. Either way, hats off to one of the best coaches in college football.

Florida State Seminoles

2023 has been a banner season so far for Florida State. They have had one of the toughest schedules in the country thus far, and they have answered the bell each week. The Seminoles pulled away from Duke in the second half to mark their third win over a ranked opponent in 2023.

Diving interception!

Shyheim Brown’s remarkable INT is this week’s @ReliaQuest Leading with Defense Play of the Game#MakeSecurityPossible pic.twitter.com/KJErNtlMQh

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) October 22, 2023

Coach Mike Norvell’s team has already blasted LSU, went into Clemson and won in OT, and now adds to the resume with the Duke victory. It is not always pretty, but Florida State has taken care of business every week and is in prime position to secure a playoff spot.

James Madison Dukes

James Madison University has made a meteoric leap from FCS powerhouse to potential NY6 bowl crasher. The Dukes went to Marshall Thursday night and took care of a solid Herd team with their usual smothering defense. The JMU defense did not allow a point and caused two turnovers, one leading to the game's first offensive touchdown.

James Madison has shown they can win in different ways, usually the sign of a good team, and they will be favorites in every remaining game. If they can run the table and win the Sun Belt, look for them to go bowling with the big boys.

College Football Busts From Week 8

North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina losing at home to Virginia is about as shocking an outcome as we have seen this season. The Tar Heels were 24-point favorites, and Virginia had never beaten a top-10 team on the road in the history of their football program.

To lose a game like this when all of your preseason goals are in front of you is just a brutal pill to swallow. Coach Mack Brown and his staff had to take accountability, and they did, for clearly getting caught looking ahead at what might be. North Carolina can still win the conference, but it will be hard to shake a loss like this when looking at them from a national perspective.

Drake Maye interception seals the W for UVA 😱

(via @TheCW_Sports) pic.twitter.com/lKz32h9sJQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 22, 2023

Has the Penn State football program officially plateaued with James Franklin as their head coach? Franklin inherited a mess and has done a great job with getting the Nittany Lions to this point, however, his abysmal record against top-10 teams suggests that there might be a ceiling in State College.

10-2 or 9-3 would work for most programs in college football, but the folks in Happy Valley expect more. The Lions will have another shot to prove this theory wrong when Michigan visits next month, but will it be more of the same?

Tennessee Volunteers

After sixteen years without beating Alabama, Tennessee had the perfect opportunity to make it two wins in a row against the Crimson Tide. Then the second half came. The Volunteers took a 20-7 lead after two quarters but were then outscored 27-0 after halftime.

Tennessee out-gained Alabama in yardage, won the turnover battle, and still somehow lost the game convincingly. The Vols do not have much time to sulk as they still have road trips to Kentucky and Missouri and will host Georgia at Neyland Stadium in late November. They must win at least two of the three if they have any hopes of a ten-win season.

Bama with the strip, sack, fumble, and recovery for the touchdown! That’s 27 unanswered points by Alabama. #RollTide
pic.twitter.com/0v9adbnv4A

— NFL Highs (@frito_paw) October 21, 2023

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