Week 8 Football Picks: Keeping it under 10 losses is goal for NJ's Jake Furr

MANSFIELD — Keep it under 10 losses.

That is my goal for the last three weeks of the season. After going 7-1 last week in my picks, misfiring on Madison over New Philadelphia, my overall record is now 47-8 and the only thing I want to do is keep it under 10 losses for the regular season.

That is going to be easier said than done because there are some very tough games ahead, especially in Week 8. Let's check out the games and see if I can accomplish my goal or not.

Shelby (7-0, 4-0) at Clear Fork (2-5, 1-3)

Clear Fork found a way to win last week, holding Marion Harding to just four rushing yards. Shelby's Brayden DeVito had seven touchdowns in a win over River Valley. The Colts have been playing much, much better of late, but boy, these Shelby Whippets are something else. That defense has stepped up its game picking off River Valley three times last week. I think Shelby is destined for a Week 9 matchup with Ontario for all the marbles.

Pick: Shelby.

Lexington (4-3, 3-0) at New Philadelphia (4-3, 2-2)

See what I mean by tough picks? New Philly has a pretty darn good defense and the offense came alive last week in a 35-21 win over Madison. Lexington is playing with a hot hand behind quarterback Joe Caudill, who is proving why he is getting Division I attention. I think the Minutemen know what is at stake the rest of the way in the Ohio Cardinal Conference title hunt, tied with Ashland atop the standings. This is a must-win and I think they get it done.

Pick: Lexington.

North Central (2-5) at Lucas (3-4)

The Cubs have had a tough offensive stretch in the last two games with just six total points. North Central has two wins but they came against teams with a combined 1-10 record. In the five losses, the Eagles have just 14 total points. Lucas is the No. 16 seed in Region 25 so the urgency is at an all-time high to get a little bit of comfort in the playoff picture. Normally, I pick against the Cubs to give them a little motivation heading into Friday night, but that hasn't helped the last two weeks. So, I am going to try and change things up.

Pick: Lucas.

Dover (5-2) at Madison (1-6)

This will be a preview of things to come when Dover joins the Ohio Cardinal Conference for the 2026 season. Madison took a tiny step back last week in a loss to New Philadelphia, but the Rams did fight to make it close in the end. Dover seems to be on a different level and looks like it would compete for an OCC championship if the Tornadoes were in the league this year. Their two losses came against teams a combined 14-0, including a four-point loss to Indian Valley.

Pick: Dover.

Marion Harding (1-6, 0-4) at Ontario (7-0, 4-0)

As impossible as it seems, Bodpegn Miller has never been better than he has the last two weeks. In that span, Miller has 441 passing yards, 393 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns and three passing scores. He punts, he plays defense and he handles kickoffs that regularly find the end zone for touchbacks. The kid is amazing and I don't think Marion Harding will have an answer for him.

Pick: Ontario.

New London (2-5, 0-4) at Plymouth (1-6, 0-4)

Plymouth has just 13 points against Firelands Conference opponents this season. New London has 12. Plymouth has allowed 123 points to Firelands Conference opponents this season. New London has allowed 226. If we are looking purely at numbers here, this one is Plymouth's to win. Crestview beat NL 67-0 and Plymouth 34-0. Plymouth lost to St. Paul 34-0 and NL lost to the Flyers 55-0. I gotta go with the digits.

Pick: Plymouth.

Wooster (1-6, 0-4) at Mansfield Senior (1-6, 1-3)

Boy, at the beginning of the year, I really didn't think I was going to have to put much thought into this pick. I would have chosen Mansfield Senior all the way, but injuries and inconsistent offensive play have me worried. Wooster isn't having a great year, but the Generals are scoring 20.3 points per game. Mansfield Senior is averaging just 9.1, including nine total points over the last two weeks. To make matters worse, the Tygers haven't scored an offensive touchdown at home since Week 1 and have just 20 points at Arlin Field all year. As much as I listened to the numbers with the Plymouth pick, I am ignoring them with this one. I feel like the Tygers have some momentum moving with freshman Sean Sey Tanner at QB. If he starts, I think the TYs come away with a victory.

Pick: Mansfield Senior.

Crestview (3-4, 3-1) at St. Paul (3-4, 3-1), Saturday

This is a big one for both teams, who sit one game back of Monroeville in the Firelands Conference standings and need to win out in order to have a chance. St. Paul controls its destiny with a Week 10 matchup against the Eagles while Crestview needs to beat St. Paul and hope the Flyers beat Monroeville. I love the way Crestview has run the ball in the last three weeks with 21 rushing touchdowns in three victories. St. Paul runs it well, too, but the Cougars seem to be playing with a little more momentum right now.

Pick: Crestview.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

X: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Week 8 Football Picks: Keeping it under 10 losses is goal for NJ's Jake Furr