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Week 8 College Football Picks - Texas-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee and much, MUCH more

Writer's picture: Aaron TorresAaron Torres

Well folks, it's Thursday and you know what that means: It's time to make some college football picks!


And forgive us if this is getting repetitive, but we're... RED HOT BABY!!!


That's right, we're coming off another awesome week, going 5-1 in our against the spread picks, getting our overall season totals to 28-11 overall, a cool 70 percent. I promise you no one is hitting picks like we are right now.


With it, a request before we start: We have officially started a College Football Betting YouTube channel.


Be a friend and subscribe, as, again, I don't think anyone is giving out better free betting advice anywhere on the internet. Subscribe below and you can also find the pod on Apple and Spotify as well.



Still, while the hot picks are nice, it's time to move onto the week ahead - and I'll be transparent, this feels like the toughest board yet.


As always, lines are provided by FanDuel and the numbers we use are effective as of when we record our betting show Wednesday.


Now, to the picks:


Nebraska at No. 16 Indiana (UNDER 50.5): Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX


So, who had a late October Nebraska-Indiana matchup as having playoff implications on your preseason bingo card?! If you did, give yourself a pat on the back, and sprint to Vegas and throw everything on your preferred "red" or "black." Because this is some surreal stuff. Indiana is 6-0 for the first time since 1967 and Nebraska is 5-1 and looking to get bowl eligible for the first time since 2016 with a win.


Insane times we're living in. Just insane.


In terms of this game, well I like the under and let me explain why.


To their credit, Indiana is in the Top 35 nationally in both pass offense and run offense. But it is worth noting that so far, they've faced the 107th, 68th, 61st, 71st and 117th ranked total defenses in college football.


So, is the offense that potent, or are the defenses they've faced that bad? I think it's a combination of both, with Nebraska's Top 15 defense the best they've faced all year.


To be clear, I'm not sure you can slow down the Hoosier express. But dammit, Matt Rhule and Co. might, possibly, contain it.


At the same time, do we really expect Rhule to let Dylan Raiola loose on the road, against what is statistically one of the best defenses Nebraska has seen all year.


I'm not sure who wins (I lean Indiana) but tend to think the winning team doesn't get more than 24 points or so. I love the under here.


No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee (UNDER 56.5): Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC


Speaking of unders here, I already know what you're thinking about this pick: "Torres, the under. In a Bama game?! Have you seen this Tide defense! FIRE KANE WOMMACK!"


First off, let's just pump the brakes on the "fire anyone" rhetoric here. But two, even as Bama is struggling on defense, the UNDER to me is the obvious side and it might be one of my favorite bets of the weekend.


Put simply, if we were to put together a blueprint of how teams have had success against Bama these past few weeks, what would you say? Run the ball down their throats (Vandy and South Carolina) and also get pressure off the edge, like South Carolina did. It doesn't guarantee a victory but should have you in good position late, right?


Well, if you've watched Tennessee you know that "run the ball, and send dudes off the edge" is basically who Josh Heupel wants this team to be.


As time goes on it's clear h Heupel prefers not to put too much on Nico Iamaleava's plate and instead rely on Dylan Sampson and the run game. And their edge players are as good as anyone's, headlined by some guy named James Pearce. You've probably heard of him.


Ultimately, I think Tennessee executes largely the same game-plan South Carolina did a week ago to slow down Bama and think that Tennessee's offense will be slowed by Heupel himself, who isn't going to let Nico be the reason they lose this game.


Expect a similar game and similar score to last week's Alabama 27-25 win, with the under hitting.


Colorado (+3.5) at Arizona: Saturday, 4:00 p.m., ET, FOX


So, it's funny to me how Deion Sanders and Colorado are perceived and covered in this sport. Last week Colorado played a Top 20 team in Kansas State (the one many believe will win the Big 12), they lost their top two receivers (Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn), their top corner (Travis Hunter) and their starting safety Shilo Sanders clearly wasn't at 100 percent, and they still had a lead late in the fourth quarter, with a chance to win.


Yet many saw it as more proof "Coach Prime is all hype! He stinks!"


Instead, I think it's the opposite.


Colorado has covered four straight games, and are actually one of the safest bets in college football right now.


Arizona on the other hand is a total mess, to the point that I actually feel bad for starting QB Noah Fifita. A guy who went 8-1 last year as a starter, with a 72 percent completion percentage, 25 TD's and six INT's is struggling in his first year with new head coach Brent Brennan, as he's completing just 58 percent of his passes, with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.


The Wildcats are reeling and the fan-base is not-so-slowly turning on Brennan.


Coach Prime provides a knockout punch by getting the "upset" win here. If you're more comfortable just take the field goal and change for the Buffs on the road.


No. 8 LSU at Arkansas (+2.5): Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN


First off, if you thought Fayetteville was wild two weeks ago for Tennessee two weeks ago... well, it was. But it could get even crazier this weekend. There's a reason they call it "Fayette-nam" after all.


Second of all, this series is always insanely close, with the last four games being decided by a field goal.


Three, I'm not going to beat around the bush: I think Arkansas pulls off a second straight home upset.


Part of the reason is because Arkansas is a legitimately good team (they easily could've and maybe should've won both games they lost) and two, I'm sorry, but I'm just not sold on LSU.


Look, I'm a Brian Kelly guy. Been following his career since the Cincinnati days. But let's take an honest look at last Saturday's "incredible" win over Ole Miss.


It was a game where Ole Miss dropped a wide open touchdown pass on the opening drive (sorry, Tre Harris was running untouched and would've scored). They rushed for close to 200 yards. They finished with 12 penalties for over 100 penalty yards. And LSU STILL didn't have a lead at any point in the game until the final buzzer sounded.


While Lane Kiffin got flack for saying "we should've won that game" he was 100 percent right.


LSU isn't so lucky this week.


No. 4 Georgia (+3.5) at No. 1 Texas: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ET, ABC


Alright let's not beat around the bush and get to the game of the weekend in Austin: Georgia at Texas. This made every "Best games of 2024" list that you slogged through in June when the news was coming like a slow drip out of a faucet, and now it's here.


And I for one, could not be more excited.


In addition to being excited, I'll be real: Out of every game this weekend, this is the one that I struggled with the most.

The truth is, I think Texas is the best team in college football, and have felt that way since they beat Michigan in Week 2. Nothing has changed on that opinion. The fact that this game is at home only helps the Longhorns.


Still, there are a few reasons why I'm taking Georgia plus the points here.


One, 3.5 doesn't feel like much - but is a lot for a big game, between two teams that are both talented. Just ask anyone who watched Ohio State-Oregon closely last week.


Beyond that, one thing you can't deny about Georgia is that they are more battle-tested. That win against Clemson looks better by the week, Kentucky still does play elite defense, and they were one batted Jalen Milroe to Ryan Williams pass from beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa.


Add it up, and add it to the fact that Texas hasn't faced anything close to the Longhorns this year, and it feels like taking Georgia getting more than a field goal is the right side.


Again, I don't love this pick, but it is my best bet for this one.


Kentucky at Florida (UNDER 42.5): Saturday, 7:45 ET, SEC Network


I'll be transparent: I'm actually really torn on this game.


First off, there's Florida, which - to the credit of Billy Napier - I actually think is getting better. They easily covered as a home underdog against UCF two weeks ago, and took Tennessee to overtime on the road, as a three-score underdog.


On the other hand, Florida has lost three straight to Kentucky, they do have a true freshman (albeit a talented one) starting at quarterback and are facing a legitimately excellent Kentucky defense. For all the flack that Mark Stoops has rightfully taken, this defense isn't the problem, as they currently are Top 10 in the country in both rush defense and pass defense, and third nationally in total defense.


Take a conservative coach by nature (Stoops), and put him on the road against a guy coaching for his job, with a true freshman QB, against a Top 10 defense, and I just don't see very many points being scored.


For comparison's sake, Kentucky's last three SEC road games have had final scores of 20-17 (at Ole Miss this year), 17-14 (at South Carolina last year) and 24-3 (at Mississippi State last year).


I expect the same here.


Last Week: 5-1

This season: 28-11









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