Week 8 of the 2020 College Football season is here. In the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states, it’s Week 1 (a.k.a. Big Ten Week). And for those of you East Coasters who miss watching college football into the wee hours of Saturday morning, we also welcome the Mountain West to the party. For those who prefer Pac-12 football…sorry, you still have two more weeks of raking leaves on Saturday.

Ironically, for a season that has been all about the abnormal, the way it is playing out on the field certainly appears to be going quite…normal. By that I mean, it would appear that we are already down to a two-horse race: Clemson and Alabama. Yep, those two. Again. No one else looks to be in their league at this point.

Georgia, as they have been the past several seasons, is close, but just not there. Ohio State looks strong on paper…but with the other two having at least a month’s head start, the Buckeye’s only playing 8 games (at most), and no room for error for a team that typically doesn’t make it through a season without erring, will they even get their shot at the Big Two? The Big 12 and Pac 12? Pffft.

That said, two other teams will make the Playoff. If you want some drama, figuring out the semifinal losers is probably it at this point.

Game of the Week:

#17 Iowa State at #6 Oklahoma State, 3:30pm ET, FOX  (My Pick: Oklahoma St -3.5)

The Cowboys, as the Big 12’s last remaining unbeaten team, are likely the conference’s only hope of having a Playoff entrant. They have had the benefit of two off-weeks headed into this game; one scheduled, one COVID-induced. While that could also leave them rusty, that could be overcome by the return of QB Spencer Sanders for his first action after having to leave in the first half of the season opener with an ankle injury. RB Chuba Hubbard has picked up enough slack since then to keep the lights on, but better QB play will go a long way towards determining if Mike Gundy & Co. can keep it rolling.

Iowa State is also coming off a bye, and Matt Campbell’s team appears to have it rolling after a stunning season-opening loss to Louisiana (not State). The Cyclones can score with the Cowboys, but their defense, in particular against the pass, is a concern. If Spencer is healthy and in good form for OSU, it’s an even bigger problem.

I think the Cowboys will keep the Big 12’s hopes alive for at least one more week.

(Honorable Mention):

#9 Cincinnati at #16 SMU, 9:00pm ET, ESPN2  (My Pick: Cincinnati +2.5)

This game might go a long way towards determining who gets the G5 bid to the New Year’s bowls…assuming they’re played, of course. Or maybe, just maybe, it lays the groundwork for one of the G5 to claim a CFP spot in this Year of the Inexplicable. I think the Bearcats are the better team, and should prevail.

(The Whiners Bowl):

Nebraska at #5 Ohio St, Noon ET, FOX  (My Pick: OSU -26)

The Huskers cried a good bit louder than their opponents after their conference, (which generously pays them around $50 million per year, BTW) decided to pause the season in the summer due to coronavirus concerns…but the Buckeyes will prevail on the field.

If the Playoff Was Seeded Today:

For those of you who have been BSL readers over the years, you probably have heard of the Deified Dozen, the Top 12 rankings as determined by our board’s followers of college football. Well, for obvious reasons we have decided to give it a hiatus this year. But I plan to fill this space with my own Top 4 that I would put in the Playoff.

  1. Clemson

1A. Alabama

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3. Georgia

4. Notre Dame

See what I did there? See you in this section next time, Buckeyes.

Mike Lowe
Mike Lowe

College Football Analyst

Mike is a Baltimore native living in Portland, OR since 2007. He currently runs his own business specializing in video production and online marketing. Prior to that he was a legal technology consultant, worked for 9 years at Johns Hopkins University and served 6 years in the Air Force. He also enjoys travel, food, beer, and is a volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society.

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