X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 8 College Football Top Matchups: Betting Picks & Predictions for Ohio State vs Penn State, Tennessee vs Alabama, more

Nicholas Singleton - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Can Penn State beat Ohio State for the first time since 2016? Can USC get over its terrible loss to Notre Dame and rebound? Can Alabama avenge its 2022 loss to Tennessee and remain in the hunt for the playoffs? These are the three biggest questions in Week 8 of the college football season and we will try to answer them here.

Normally we try to select five games to preview. This week, there are three key games so we will just focus on them. Alabama looks to continue its march to Atlanta while Penn State looks to finally vanquish division-rival Ohio State. These will be two key games in terms of the CFP.

While USC and Utah are both on the brink of playoff elimination, the Trojans will look to win against a Utah team that is remarkably similar to the Notre Dame squad that just dismantled USC by 28. How will head coach Lincoln Riley respond? Let us now look at the top three games of Week 8 and find out what to expect across the country.

 

(6)Penn State vs. (3)Ohio State

Betting Lines: Ohio State -4.5(-115) O/u 46.5 O(-105)U(-115)

James Franklin was just 1-8 against Ohio State during his tenure at Penn State. If there is one game the Nittany Lions want to win each season, this is the one. This is the main reason that Penn State fans grow frustrated with Franklin despite him bringing the school some of its best results in many years. Saturday will be another opportunity for Franklin to get the monkey off his back and win a game against the Buckeyes. This time on the road at The Horseshoe, which is never easy.

Although everyone thinks of Ohio State as an offensive machine, it has been the defense that has been paving the way in 2023. Much the same way Penn State has used its defense to mash opponents. Ohio State’s defense ranks seventh in the nation, allowing just 263.5 yards/game. It is also second in the nation allowing just 4.0 yards/play. The Buckeyes defense also ranks third in the nation allowing only 9.7 points/game during the 2023 season. With its offense averaging 36.0 points (21st) this is finally a complete Ohio State team under head coach Ryan Day.

Penn State, whose defense is also playing great, is fielding an offense averaging 44.3 points/game, which is good for sixth in the nation. But this will be a defensive matchup in Columbus. Ohio State allowing those 263.5 yards is looking up at very few teams. One of the teams it is looking up to is Penn State which ranks No. 1 in the country, allowing only 198 yards/per game. It is also the only team ranked above Ohio State in yards/play allowing only 3.4 to lead the nation. The Nittany Lions have allowed 8.0 points/game which ranks them second in the nation and they also lead the country in pressure rate against opposing QB while only passing four rushers. This means they can get home without blitzing. Something important against a Buckeyes offense with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Treyvon Henderson.

This will be the biggest game of the season for both teams until both take on Michigan later in the season. While this is the ultimate rival for Penn State, it is only the second-tier rivalry for Ohio State who will want to beat Michigan even worse. This does not mean the Buckeyes will take Penn State lightly, but it does mean the gravity for Penn State is a bit higher than it is for Ohio State.

Betting: Penn State +4.5(-105) UNDER 46.5(-115)

 

(15)Tennessee vs. (8)Alabama

Betting Lines: Alabama -8.5(-105) O/U 48.5 O(-115)U(-105)

While Alabama has been winning its games since a loss to Texas, it has looked extremely vulnerable. Saturday, after jumping out to a 24-6 lead over Arkansas, Alabama was forced to hold on for a 24-21 win. This came as Alabama came into the matchup favored by 19 points and only one week after the Tide were forced to hold on against Texas A&M for a six-point win. That victory over A&M was aided immensely by the coaching of Jimbo Fisher.

Tennessee comes in after defeating the same Aggies team 20-14 on Saturday. This was the first victory for Josh Heupel in which he failed to score at least 30 points during his time with the Volunteers. This shows the improvement of the Tennessee defense in 2023 and this is why the total is as low as it is at 48.5. Both teams will be able to stop the offense of the other team.

QB Jordan Milroe and the Alabama offense have only averaged 219.7 passing yards/game (82nd) on the season. While normally the run game would pick up the slack, the Crimson Tide rank just 73rd in rush yards at 148.4. Tennessee is good at stopping the run as it has allowed only 105.2 yards/per contest. This makes Tennessee a top-20 run defense. It also comes in with a top 30 pass defense allowing 197.8 yards passing.

For Alabama, the defense is just as good. The Rush defense allowing 105.3 yards/game, sixth in the nation, will have a tough time against a Volunteer rushing attack, which ranks sixth and runs for 231.3 yards per game. The passing offense, something everyone expects from a Josh Heupel team, ranks 88th nationally and is averaging 212.5 yards/game with QB Joe Milton at the helm.

The Volunteers have seen the limitations of Milton. This has forced them to become a run-first team. With both teams looking to run the ball to gain control, the number of drives will be limited, and scoring will be at a premium. This means taking the favorite or the over is risky.

Betting: Tennessee +8.5(-115) UNDER 48.5(-105)

 

(14)Utah vs. (16)USC

Betting Lines: USC -6.5(-114) O/U 55.5 O(-115)U(-105)

Few teams have the same physical defense Notre Dame employed against USC on Saturday. One of the teams that does? Utah. The next opponent for USC as it looks to regroup from the lopsided defeat in South Bend in Week 7.

After losing to Utah 43-42 during the 2022 regular season, USC lost again in the Pac-12 championship game by a score of 47-24. The lopsided nature of this game was due in part to quarterback Caleb Williams suffering an injury early in the contest. But the USC defense, as it has for the entire tenure of Lincoln Riley, did not help matters.

Quarterback Cam Rising has not played this season for Utah. After tearing his ACL against Penn State in the Rose Bowl, Rising was expected back in Week 1 but he has yet to see the field. Despite this, Utah still comes into the game with just one loss. A 21-7 decision against Oregon State.

As both Utah and USC look to remain in the hunt for the Pac-12 championship game, this will be a key game for both. Utah averages only 322.2 yards/game and ranks 117th in the nation. USC ranks 94th allowing 397.0. But the determining factor will be on the score board where USC has allowed 30.0 points while Utah has only been able to score 21.7 on average.

Utah will be able to limit the USC offense. But it will be unable to stop Williams and the Trojans' offense for a second game in a row. With Rising set to miss another game, the offense of Utah will not be able to make enough plays to win. USC will use what tiny home-field advantage The Coliseum offers to pull away and get back on the winning track.

Betting: USC -6.5(-114) UNDER 55.5(-105)

 

More College Football Analysis

[jiffyNews category_include='21032' post_limit='8' headline='More Betting Picks'

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cole Perfetti1 hour ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka1 hour ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou1 hour ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins2 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar2 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov2 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR4 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman4 hours ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric4 hours ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron4 hours ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece4 hours ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts9 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase9 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski9 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun10 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray10 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić10 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post10 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry10 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.12 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White12 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey12 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.12 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant12 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith12 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton12 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin13 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins13 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez13 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner13 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma13 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam13 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo13 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh13 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis13 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins13 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold13 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews14 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin15 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson15 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad15 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil15 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich15 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech15 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman15 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter15 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish16 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt16 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.16 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar16 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada16 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons17 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons17 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers17 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams18 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo18 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke18 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee18 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler18 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano18 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland19 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis19 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías19 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera19 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets20 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders20 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush20 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens23 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks23 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.23 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott1 day ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron1 day ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 day ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones1 day ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge2 days ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 days ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell2 days ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers2 days ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman6 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]