College football odds, lines, schedule for Week 8: Texas and Alabama are the early favorites in the top matchups

The final two weeks of the college football season have been chaotic and Week 8 is expected to be no different. There are only three games with ranked play, but six more with one-point lines between unranked and ranked teams.

The headliner is in Austin, Texas, where No. 1 Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia. The Bulldogs are the highest-ranked opponent at Darrell K. Royal Stadium since No. 2 Ohio State in 2006. The scarier game, however, is at Neyland Stadium, where either No. 7 Alabama or No. 11 Tennessee will face a devastating loss after weeks poor performance.

On the board, No. 22 Illinois hosts No. 24 Michigan in an important Big Ten matchup. Additionally, No. 9 Iowa State and No. 13 BYU hope to increase their grip on the Big 12 by playing against conference opponents. Here’s a first look at the lines of the top battles of Week 8.

SportsLine consensus odds

The big games

No. 5 Georgia (+3.5) at No. 1 Texas: Texas follows its 31-point win over rival Oklahoma with one of the biggest home games in program history against Georgia. The Bulldogs sleepwalked through a game against Mississippi State, but it’s easy to see why when a trip to No. 1 is on the agenda. The last time these two teams played, Texas shocked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. This time, the Longhorns won’t be underdogs, either in the betting or in the rankings.

No. 7 Alabama (-3) at No. 11 Tennessee: What once looked like a marquee game could instead serve as an elimination game in the College Football Playoff, as both Alabama and Tennessee fell apart in SEC play. The Tide followed a loss to Vanderbilt with a miserable performance against South Carolina, where they needed a 2-point conversion stop to survive. After a loss to Arkansas, the Vols needed overtime to survive against a terrible Florida team. The loser suffers a second loss and should disappear from the CFP picture.

No. 6 Miami (-4.5) at Louisville: The Hurricanes’ start to ACC play was completely mediocre, with victories over California and Virginia Tech coming in the final seconds. With a road trip to Louisville planned, Miami doesn’t have much time to get things under control. Louisville has losses to SMU and Notre Dame, but both were separated by just one point. This game will have a big impact on the ACC title race.

No. 24 Michigan (-1.5) at No. 22 Illinois: These two teams are just hanging on to their positions after a series of poor performances. The Wolverines have already suffered two losses, although the drop to No. 1 Texas was justifiable. Illinois struggled in the trenches against Penn State and then needed overtime to get past Purdue.

Oklahoma State (+7.5) at No. 13 BYU: The Cougars are perhaps the most underrated team in America and they have a chance to prove it again against Oklahoma State. BYU defeated preseason Big 12 contenders Arizona and Kansas State by a combined 51 points and played exceptionally well at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Oklahoma State has struggled on the road and faces a tall task at 10:15 p.m. ET.

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