2016 College football look ahead: Week 8

Photo credit: FTI Sports stock photo

by Chris Asbrock

The college football season has provided us with some incredible and surprising moments so far. As college football fans, you can‘t ask for much more. The rise of the Colorado Buffaloes and Washington Huskies have made the news out in the Pac-12. The conference pictures are starting to take shape with teams staking their claim to the early top spots. With this being a long and stressful season, it is crucial for these teams to stay on course. The teams that can stay focused on the task at hand will be left standing when the playoff starts. Let‘s take a look at some of the storylines coming into this week and moving forward.

1. Can the Hurricanes get back on the winning track?

The Miami Hurricanes (4-2, 1-2 ACC), under new head coach Mark Richt, started off the season flying high. After a 4-0 start, the Hurricanes have dropped two straight games, losing at home to both Florida State and North Carolina. They travel to Lane Stadium to face a Virginia Tech (4-2, 2-1 ACC) team that is just ahead of them in the ACC Coastal Division. This is a crucial game for both teams but more important for the Hurricanes as they look to get back on the winning side.

With four of the final six games on the road, a victory tonight will help go a long way for the Hurricanes if they hope to make it to the ACC Championship game. The Hurricanes offense has struggled recently, scoring less than 20 points in their last two games, which were losses. While their defense is strong, sitting tied for fourth in points against (14.0), the offense needs a boost from quarterback Brad Kaaya and running back Mark Walton. Those two getting back on track will go a long way in having the Hurricanes getting the crucial win.

2. Buffaloes look to separate themselves in the Pac-12 South

It is certain to say that nothing has been more surprising this year in college football than the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) have taken the Pac-12 by storm, sitting tied for first in the Pac-12 South with a solid 3-1 record. Next up on the docket is a trip to Stanford (4-2, 2-2 Pac-12) to face a struggling Cardinal team. Colorado heads into this game favored to win, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. They have the statistical advantage in almost every category. The Buffaloes average 39 points per game and have scored at least 40 points in each of their five wins.

The Cardinal struggle to stop the pass, ranking 81st in passing yards allowed per game. That is music to the ears of the Buffaloes and quarterback Sefo Liufau, as he has thrown for 1044 yards this season. The Buffaloes come into the game averaging 300.4 passing yards per game and 214.9 rushing yards per game. This will be a stiff test for Colorado, but a win will go a long way for their hopes to stun the Pac-12 South and represent the division in the Pac-12 Championship game.

3. The showdown in Tuscaloosa

The marquee matchup in week 8 sees the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (6-0, 4-0 SEC) travel to Tuscaloosa to face the top-ranked Crimson Tide. Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) comes into this game, playing the best football in the country and undefeated. The Crimson Tide have outscored their opponents 318-105 in their seven wins, four of those wins coming against ranked opponents. Alabama has seemed to dominate everyone they faced so far this season. Nick Saban has his guys ready to play each week, home and away. The Crimson Tide have outscored their last two opponents, 98-40, with both of those games coming on the road to ranked opponents.

The Aggies are led by Trevor Knight, who has thrown for 1500 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The Senior quarterback will need to remain poised, as he has done this season for the Aggies to pull off the upset. Knight can also get it done with his legs, rushing for over 100 yards in two of their six games. He has nine rushing touchdowns to go along with the rushing yards. Look for Saban and company to take Knight out of the game, minimizing his impact and the hopes of the Aggies. The winner of this showdown will surely get a seat at the table for the SEC Championship game, which makes this game massive.

College Football Playoff Pairings: