If you can believe it or not, it's already Week 8 of the college football season. The season is flying by at a rapid rate. Looking back at the prior week, it was yet another wild one where teams like Oregon football were walking out of Husky Stadium with a loss after their thrilling top-10 matchup with Washington. The Ducks football team is still in the top 10, ranked ninth in the country, but they'll want to keep on winning to stay alive in the Pac-12 and College Football Playoff considerations. That makes their game this week a must-win. But there are other teams, like Ohio State football, who are looking at a must-win game in Week 8. Let's take a look.
Oregon Ducks
Oregon football has nothing to be ashamed of in their loss to Washington last weekend. It was one of the best games of the weekend, if not the entire season to date, with everything being left on the field. Both teams looked evenly matched, with three failed fourth-down conversions being the difference in the game.
Oregon football will return home to Autzen Stadium this weekend where they'll host Washington State. It's now all about the future for the Ducks football team. They can't let their loss to Washington affect the rest of their season because there's still a good chance they can get into the playoff. But another loss and it's a different season for Oregon football.
Penn State Nittany Lions
For James Franklin and his seventh-ranked Penn State football team, it's all about not being the third wheel any longer in the Big Ten. Franklin will be bringing in arguably his best team yet to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, where the crowd will likely be loud.
Franklin is 1-8 against Ohio State football. Another loss is by no means going to heat the seat up for Franklin. But Penn State football needs this type of win to be considered real players in the Big Ten. They've often felt like the odd man out while Ohio State and Michigan rule the conference. A loss here and Penn State football's chances of making the Big Ten title game are over.
Ohio State Buckeyes
As crucial as Saturday's Big Ten matchup is for both Franklin and Ryan Day, it's perhaps even more so for the Ohio State football head coach. A loss here for the No. 3 Buckeyes football team, and, like Penn State, it's likely over for competing for the Big Ten title this season, and that goes for a College Football Playoff opportunity as well. But really, this is Day's next big test, and the last one before his biggest test of the season, the one he's failed twice in as many seasons — Michigan.
If Day and Ohio State football lose this game, get ready because it is likely to get ugly for the Buckeyes' head coach. A loss at home and the Buckeye faithful are bound to get unhinged a bit, especially if it's lopsided. That's why this is a must-win for Ohio State.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban and Alabama football haven't forgotten what Tennessee did to them last season. It was the most thrilling game of the year. But that was last year, and both teams, to this point, look drastically different, particularly from an offensive standpoint. That means there's likely not to be 101 points scored in this year's game.
A big difference in this year's game, however, will be the venue. No. 11 Alabama football will play host to the No. 17 Volunteers this season, which, in a way, puts even more pressure on the Crimson Tide football team to deliver. Alabama football has only suffered one loss this season, and that one wasn't even a conference loss. To boost their way back up the polls, they need to beat Tennessee this weekend. But this game runs much deeper than that, being the Third Saturday in October.
Clemson Tigers
Clemson football is more than likely out of the ACC title and likewise the College Football Playoff, which is quite unfamiliar territory for the Tigers. They've got only two losses, but those losses are ACC conference losses to Florida State and Duke.
This team has a lot of criticism going on with it right now, due mainly to their head coach Dabo Swinney, who refuses to adhere to the current advancements going on in college football. This is a must-win Week 8 game for Clemson football simply because it needs to remind its fan base and those within the college football realm that this is still a viable team who can beat anybody and that's not falling behind the times. Because the team they're facing this week is another transfer portal-heavy team.
Miami Hurricanes
Who needs it more in Week 8 of college football? Miami football or Clemson football? At this point, it's really tough to say, but one thing's for sure and that's whoever loses this game is then spiraling out of control. It would be three conference losses for the loser. But worse for Miami football is that it would be their third consecutive loss and all ACC losses. Not to mention that they haven't beaten Clemson since 2010, and haven't beaten them at home since 1956.
It's unclear what stage of this rebuild Miami football is in under Mario Cristobal, who's only in his second season as the Hurricanes' head coach. Miami is a must-win here much like Clemson in that it needs reassurance. It needs to reassure a fan base that this plan is working and that Cristobal is trying to instill it. It needs to reassure that they can indeed beat a good team. And lastly, Miami football needs the reassurance in themselves as a team, that they can stop making mistakes, proving they are a good team.
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