College Football Picks: Week 8

Last week was pretty disastrous for yours truly. I went 5-5 on winners, and Jim Mora best summed up my performance against the spread: 2-8! Yuck.

I drop to 52-18 on winners and (gulp) 33-35-2 against the spread. Not good.

Here comes a bounce back week... I hope.

UCF at #8 Louisville (-12.5) (Friday)
UCF is a good team with a pretty decent offense, but I stand by my opinion that Louisville is two touchdowns better than anyone else in the AAC. If this game was in Orlando, then maybe it could be a trap for the Cards. It's not.
The pick: Louisville 49-28

#5 Florida State at #3 Clemson (+3)

Can Jameis Winston leap Florida State into the national
title discussion with a win at Clemson?

It's one of the key games that will shape the national championship picture. The winner of this game is likely to be number 3 behind Oregon and Alabama when the first BCS standings come out. Despite how great Jameis Winston has been for the 'Noles, I'm still a little surprised to see Clemson as a home underdog. The Tigers already beat one top five team at home this year, and I think they'll pull it off again.
The pick: Clemson 35-34

#16 Texas Tech (-6) at West Virginia
I'm still not sure how exactly West Virginia beat Oklahoma State, because I don't see much in the Mountaineers' offense. Maybe lightning strikes twice at home and they surprise Texas Tech, but I'll pick the Red Raiders' offense to run away with this one.
The pick: Texas Tech 45-24

#11 South Carolina (-7.5) at Tennessee
With Jadeveon Clowney back, South Carolina woke up in a big way at Arkansas. I expect another impressive road win this week as SC has to consider itself right in the mix for the SEC East title now that Georgia is struggling. Plus, South Carolina gets Missouri (without James Franklin) next week and hosts Florida in November.
The pick: South Carolina 38-24

#20 Washington (+3) at Arizona State
So, Washington really got put in its place last week against Oregon. That happens to a lot of teams that play Oregon. After that experience, I ask the same thing I asked about Northwestern after that crushing loss to Ohio State: is this team too heartbroken to rebound or can it move forward? I was way off when I said I thought Northwestern would be okay. I hope I'm not wrong on the Huskies. Arizona State is a tough opponent, but I still think Washington is a talented team.
The pick: Washington 31-30

#22 Florida (-3) at #14 Missouri

Good news, Missouri: you're leading the SEC East.
Bad news: You have to maintain that lead without Franklin.

Yes, Georgia had injuries, but Missouri's win in Athens was still impressive. The Tigers' offense was clicking, and they made enough plays on defense to win. Unfortunately, Missouri now faces what Georgia did: an important home game against a ranked team while missing a key piece on offense. QB James Franklin is out at least a few weeks, and Florida's defense should take advantage.
The pick: Florida 24-20

#6 LSU (-8) at Ole Miss
Look for a lot of points in this one. LSU's offensive is talented, and Ole Miss is dangerous at home. The Rebels almost took down Texas A&M last week, and they get another tough draw this week. Ole Miss may be a little spent after a tough loss last week, and LSU will get its offense going again after a struggle against Florida.
The pick: LSU 42-31

TCU at #21 Oklahoma State (-7.5)
Blame injuries, off the field stuff, bad luck, whatever. The cold hard fact is that TCU has yet to play really well in the Big 12: 5-7 after a year and a half. That's not awful, but it's worse than the Frogs had hoped for. I think TCU will improve and eventually be a solid team in the conference, but I don't think it happens this week. The defense is pretty talented, but the offense will have a tough time keeping up with Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
The pick: Oklahoma State 42-33

#9 UCLA (+6) at #13 Stanford

Brett Hundley could cause a lot of problems for Stanford.

Stanford was stunned at Utah last week. While I still think the Cardinal are BCS good, I also think UCLA may be. Stanford has a great defense, but I'm concerned that offense, while good, may not be explosive enough. On the other side, I love what I see from UCLA's Brett Hundley. I think UCLA gets a big win this weekend and puts themselves in the BCS - and maybe national title - conversation.
The pick: UCLA 31-28

USC at Notre Dame (-3)
It's the first big test for USC interim coach Ed Orgeron, who got a win against Arizona in his debut. While I expect the Trojans to continue to play better with Kiffin gone, I think the challenge in South Bend will prove too much. Notre Dame's defense will make enough plays to hold on for a win.
The pick: Notre Dame 38-34