There were plenty of fireworks in another incredible weekend of college football, as there has perhaps never been such a wide-open national championship race in recent memory.
Georgia had been counted out after the loss at Alabama while Texas crashed the SEC party, but the Bulldogs reasserted control of the conference in a physical 30-15 victory in Austin. Tennessee also took a major step forward in the SEC race with a gutsy comeback win over Alabama, a result which guarantees that the pressure on Kalen DeBoer will only continue to mount in Tuscaloosa. Both the Bulldogs and Volunteers are looking up at Texas A&M and LSU in the SEC standings, though, and the Aggies and Tigers meet next weekend.
In the Big Ten, Oregon coasted by Purdue while Ohio State and Penn State took the week off. Indiana and Illinois each made huge statements with victories over Nebraska and Michigan, respectively, and believe it or not, Indiana especially is very much in play for a CFP berth.
In the Big 12, BYU survived Oklahoma State on Friday night while Iowa State needed some questionable officiating to get by UCF in Ames. Kansas State didn’t encounter those same problems, though, racing by West Virginia 45-18 in Morgantown.
We also appear to have Clemson and Miami on a collision course in the ACC as both teams had impressive victories to stay unbeaten in conference play. Notre Dame remains very much alive for a CFP bid as well, with the Irish dispatching a solid Georgia Tech team on Saturday, but Notre Dame will need to get by both Army and Navy who remained unbeaten this weekend and will challenge Boise State for the Group of Five bid.
Now, let’s take a look at the action for the Notre Dame opponents.
Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 46-38
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 6-1 (4-0)
Week 8 Result: Won 34-24 at Mississippi State
Recap: Texas A&M was sloppy in a 34-24 win over a pesky Mississippi State team but still left Starkville with their sixth straight win after the season opening loss to Notre Dame. The Aggies seized control of the game with a physical, 17-play drive to open the second half that extended their lead to 24-17, and then after stopping the Bulldogs on fourth down, extended the lead to 31-17, putting the game out of reach. Texas A&M and LSU are the only unbeatens in a wide-open SEC, and they meet this coming Saturday at Kyle Field. Mike Elko will lean on his defense to set the tone against the Tigers – and another performance like this one, where the Aggies racked up 3 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, will be helpful.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Record: 4-3 (1-2)
Week 8 Result: Lost 13-6 vs. Toledo
Recap: Northern Illinois entered this matchup with Toledo with a top-5 defense, and that side of the ball held up its end of the bargain in the 13-6 loss to Toledo. Unfortunately for the Huskies, despite the offense outgaining the Rockets by over 100 yards, a lack of execution doomed the Huskies. They converted just 4 of 19 third downs and 2 of 8 fourth downs to go along with 7 penalties. With the loss, Northern Illinois dropped 2 games behind MAC leaders Western Michigan and lose the tiebreaker to both Toledo and Buffalo, meaning it will be an uphill battled for Thomas Hammock ’s squad to compete for the MAC title. That being said, a bowl appearance remains very much in play, which coupled with the victory at Notre Dame, still makes for a pretty successful season.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Record: 1-6 (0-4)
Week 8 Result: Lost 35-0 vs. #2 Oregon
Recap: The Boilermakers dropped their sixth consecutive game in a 35-0 loss to second-ranked Oregon on Friday night. The Ducks started fast, racing out to a 21-0 halftime lead, buoyed by 2 touchdown runs from Jordan James and a touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel to Tez Johnson to cap off a 99-yard drive. Purdue battled until the end, but ultimately didn’t have the horses to hang with the Ducks. There are still some positives for Purdue though, as the Boilermakers rolled up 208 yards on the ground. Purdue has a bye next weekend before hosting Northwestern in one of the few winnable games remaining on their schedule.
MIAMI (OHIO) REDHAWKS
Record: 3-4 (2-1)
Week 8 Result: Won 30-20 vs. Ohio
Recap: Miami took a 16-0 lead into halftime and stretched the lead to 30-6 by the end of the third quarter before two late Bobcat scores made this one look closer than the score indicated. Brett Gabbert had a second straight strong performance, completing 66.7% of his passes for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Keyon Mozee topped 100 rushing yards for the third time in the past four games. With the victory, Miami remained very much alive in the MAC race and the schedule sets up nicely for Chuck Martin ’s squad to make a run – their next 3 opponents have a combined record of 5-16. Win those three, and the RedHawks will control their own destiny heading into the final stretch against Northern Illinois and at Bowling Green.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Record: 4-3 (2-2)
Week 8 Result: Lost 52-45 vs. #6 Miami
Recap: In arguably the most entertaining game of the day, Louisville and Miami traded scores throughout and combined for 989 yards of total offense. Hurricane QB Cam Ward bolstered his Heisman case by throwing for 4 touchdowns and 319 yards, but Cardinal QB Tyler Shough held his own, with 342 yards through the air and 4 scores. Ultimately, a few things doomed Louisville to their third loss of the season. While Miami converted 9 of 15 third downs and both fourth downs, Louisville went just 3-12 on third down (though they were 3-3 on fourth down). Additionally, the Cardinals did not have the offensive balance that has been the hallmark of the Jeff Brohm era, throwing 51 passes against just 21 runs and ultimately being unable to match Miami explosive play for explosive play. Finally, Miami again got the benefit of some questionable officiating, with the ACC replay booth ruling a sack-fumble that Louisville returned for a game-tying score to be an incomplete pass on a drive the Canes would go on to score and extend the lead to 52-38. Louisville will need to regroup before facing a solid Boston College team on the road next Friday with a visit to Clemson looming the following week.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Record: 2-5 (1-3)
Week 8 Result: Lost 40-10 vs. #21 SMU
Recap: Kevin Jennings continued his strong under-the-radar season throwing for 322 yards and 3 scores as Stanford was unable to do much to stop the SMU offense en route to a fourth straight loss. The Mustangs raced out to a 21-0 first quarter lead behind strikes from Jennings of 87 yards (on the first offensive snap of the game), 45 yards, and 38 yards. Troy Taylor benched QB Ashton Daniels after a slow start and though Elijah Brown was better, the Cardinal converted just 2 of 15 third downs and mustered only 206 yards of total offense. Stanford has one of the easier second-half schedules in the ACC though, and theoretically a bowl bid remains in play if the Cardinal can rediscover the form that they showed in the ACC opener when they defeated Syracuse.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
Record: 6-0 (4-0)
Week 8 Result: Won 51-17 vs. Charlotte
Recap: Brian Newberry ’s offensive adjustments have gotten most of the publicity this season, but the Midshipmen offense didn’t need to do much in a dominating victory over Charlotte as the defense forced 5 turnovers, with CB Dashaun Peele returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Those turnovers led to short fields and allowed Navy to race out to a 38-0 lead before the 49ers were able to get on the board. Navy FB Alex Tecza rushed for 2 scores and caught a touchdown from QB Blake Horvath , who threw for 3 scores in total and now sits just 3 touchdown passes away from tying the school record. Navy heads into next weekend’s matchup with Notre Dame – one of the biggest for the school in modern history – brimming with confidence.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Record: 1-6 (1-5)
Week 8 Result: Lost 23-16 at Duke
Recap: The Seminoles continued their 2024 swan dive in the program’s first-ever loss to Duke on Friday night. Mike Norvell ’s team displayed many of the same discipline and execution issues that have plagued them all season, with QB Brock Glenn turning the ball over on 3 consecutive offensive snaps at one point before being benched, the team committing 9 penalties, and converting just 2 of 14 third down conversions. The Seminole defense held Duke to just 180 total yards on offense but it’s hard to win a game when you lose the turnover battle 4-0. Florida State did not score an offensive touchdown, with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald ’s three field goals and a 95-yard kickoff return by Samuel Singleton to open the second half providing the only points. Next weekend’s matchup with #6 Miami figures to be a bloodbath. The Seminoles rank 130th in the county in third down conversions, 131st in rushing offense, and are committing an average of 6.7 penalties per game.
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Record: 4-3 (2-2)
Week 8 Result: Lost 48-31 at #10 Clemson
Recap: The Cavaliers led 10-3 early in the second quarter before Clemson ripped of 35 unanswered points to blow the game open. The Virginia defense struggled to stop Clemson after that first quarter, as the Tigers rolled up 345 yards through the air and 195 yards on the ground. On offense, QB Anthony Colandrea was solid, throwing for 2 touchdowns, but Clemson took away the running game, as Virginia averaged just 2.3 YPC on 68 rushing yards. Ultimately, Virginia is still a couple years away from truly competing with the Tigers, but Cavalier head coach (and former Clemson assistant) Tony Elliott has to be happy his team didn’t quit. Virginia will need to find 2 more wins against a closing schedule that includes #19 Pitt, #12 Notre Dame, and #22 SMU to get to a bowl. A visit from reeling North Carolina next weekend provides a good opportunity to get one of them.
ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS
Record: 7-0 (6-0)
Week 8 Result: Won 45-28 vs. East Carolina
Recap: Another week, another Army blowout victory. QB Bryson Daily rushed for 5 touchdowns and threw for another as Army raced out to a 31-0 lead before some late fireworks from East Carolina made this one look closer than it was. The Black Knights rolled up 442 total yards, including 295 on the ground (a big reason they had 37:20 time of possession), but also showed some sophistication in the passing game that will make them very tough to defend moving forward. The Black Knights have a bye next weekend before hosting rival Air Force on November 2nd. After the game with the Falcons, Army’s schedule ramps up as they’ll travel to 5-2 North Texas before the matchup with #12 Notre Dame, with #24 Navy still waiting in the season finale.
SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS
Record: 3-4 (1-4)
Week 8 Result: Lost 29-28 at Maryland
Recap: USC dropped a third consecutive game and have held a lead with under 2 minutes remaining in all 4 losses this season. After telling the country all offseason about how his team had gotten bigger and stronger to compete in the Big Ten, Lincoln Riley and his team have been completely unable to close out games. USC was in control at halftime with a 21-7 lead, but a Miller Moss interception gave Maryland great field position and allowed them to cut the lead to 21-14. The Trojans responded with a touchdown, but the Terrapins cut the lead to 28-22 with 9:56 remaining. USC had a chance to put the game away with 2:00 left, but Michael Lantz ’s 41-yard field goal was blocked and Maryland scored on a Billy Edwards run with 53 seconds left to take a 29-28 lead. Needing just a field goal to win, USC’s final drive stalled as the Trojans turned the ball over on downs. A 1-4 start in Big Ten play is not what the Trojans thought they signed up for, and pressure is increasing on Riley to turn this around. The schedule does get a little softer before the matchup with Notre Dame in the finale, but this Trojan team has shown the ability to lose to anyone this season.
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