Georgia reestablished itself as the betting favorite to win the College Football Playoff as the No. 5 Bulldogs crushed No. 1 Texas 30-15 in a dominant all-around showing on Saturday night. Georgia is +330 to win the CFP according to the latest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. The results of that game and from the weekend as a whole brought a chance to reevaluate the national title picture as several teams thought to be in the title hunt played games that provided new insight.
No. 7 Alabama fell at No. 11 Tennessee as the SEC became even more convoluted following a pair of top-15 matchups won by the betting underdogs. The league now has a group of six one-loss teams that features several with relatively short national championship odds.
In the Big Ten, Oregon looked the part of a championship contender during a 35-0 win at Purdue on Friday night. While Penn State and Ohio State were off, Indiana further legitimized itself by reaching 7-0 with a 56-7 win over Nebraska. ACC powers Miami and Clemson each managed to remain unbeaten, as did Iowa State of the Big 12. However, the Big 12 is the only Power Four conference without a team that has national championship odds of +4000 or better as we exit Week 8.
As we reflect on a fantastic weekend of college football, here are the grades for all teams with national title odds of +4000 or better at FanDuel.
Bye weeks: Ohio State (+450), Penn State (+1200), Ole Miss (+4000)
Georgia
Grade: A+
Title odds: +330
No. 5 Georgia was dominant in the first half of its 30-15 road win over top-ranked Texas. The Bulldogs led 23-0 at the break and then barked back as the Longhorns attempted to rally in the second half. UGA’s defense totaled seven sacks, and the offense came up with a momentum-changing 89-yard touchdown drive as the Dawgs reestablished themselves on a critical possession that ate some clock. This game was a reminder to the country about who runs college football.
Oregon
Grade: A
Title odds: +500
No.2 Oregon handled a potential letdown spot with no problem, traveling across the country to crush Purdue 35-0 on short rest. The Ducks began their Friday night rampage with three straight touchdown drives of 75 or more yards and then let their stifling defense handle the rest. It was a mature performance from a team led by 38-year old coach Dan Lanning.
Texas
Grade: C
Title odds: +500
Georgia came to town and exposed No. 1 Texas, handing coach Steve Sarkisian’s club a 30-15 loss. The Longhorns’ offensive line struggled all night against the Bulldogs’ defensive front as UT converted on just 2 of 14 third downs and surrendered seven sacks. It was a humbling performance for a team that entered hoping to establish SEC dominance.
Clemson
Grade: B
Title odds: +1400
No. 10 Clemson started slow and ended a bit clunky. But the Tigers were dominant in between for a 48-31 win over Virginia. It was the fifth time in the past six games that Clemson notched 500 or more yards of total offense. Quarterback Cade Klubnik accounted for 308 of them as he completed 23 of 35 passes with three touchdowns.
Tennessee
Grade: A-
Title odds: +1500
Tennessee’s defense turned in another A+ effort as the Volunteers held Alabama to just 314 total yards in a 24-17 win. No. 11 Tennessee came up with two clutch stops late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. Offensively, it was a tale of two halves, and the first half was so bad that it almost makes an A- feel generous. But quarterback Nico Iamaleava redeemed himself in the second half as Tennessee improved to 6-1.
Miami
Grade: A-
Title odds: +1800
If we’re grading Miami’s entertainment value, the No. 6 Hurricanes deserve an A+ for their 52-45 win over Louisville. But they did surrender 342 passing yards and a 100-yard kickoff return. When you have a quarterback like Cam Ward, it can cover up a multitude of shortcomings. Ward threw for 319 yards and four scores while continuing to build his case for the Heisman Trophy.
Alabama
Grade: C-
Title odds: +1900
No. 7 Alabama committed 15 penalties for 115 yards, converted just 3 of 14 third downs and relied way too much on an increasingly erratic Jalen Milroe. Throw it all together and you get a 24-17 loss at Tennessee. The Crimson Tide have some soul-searching to do on both sides of the football after three straight worrisome performances against teams this program used to dominate.
Grade: C+
Title odds: +3300
After thriving against Missouri two weeks ago in his return from injury, No. 14 Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman didn’t look nearly as crisp in a 34-24 win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are the SEC’s bottom-dweller but made the Aggies sweat. Weigman finished 15 of 25 passing for 217 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Aggies also averaged just 3.7 yards per rush against a Mississippi State team that has been gashed by others.
Grade: A
Title odds: +3300
No. 8 LSU was in a trap spot on the road against a tough Arkansas team the week after an emotional win against Ole Miss. But the Tigers handled it well, notching a workmanlike 34-10 victory. By holding the Hogs to just 277 total yards, the Tigers demonstrated again that they are truly making strides defensively.
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