A crazy Week 7 led to big gains as six more undefeated teams fell. After a rough few weeks, Upset Alerts delivered a pair of high-value money line picks to keep us alive for another week. Tennessee's victory over Alabama delivered a +228 return as the Vols beat the Tide for the first time in 15 years.
Elsewhere, a head-scratching line allowed us to collect on Illinois pulling a betting upset over Minnesota to double our money, but don't expect the Fighting Illini to be an underdog very often from here on out. Our other picks didn't hit, but Nebraska nearly beat Purdue and Oklahoma State was up 14 points on TCU in the fourth quarter before blowing it in a 43-40 overtime loss. Simply taking the points would have resulted in a win, but what fun is that? When you pick upsets, you swing for the fences.
This week, more undefeated teams put their records on the line. No. 14 Syracuse and No. 5 Clemson feature a battle of unbeaten teams, while UCLA vs. Oregon and TCU vs. Kansas State will create a new favorite in conference championship races. Here are five games with big money lines that could end in upsets.
Important disclaimer: "Upset" is defined first and foremost by the odds, not rankings. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson
When: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET | Where: Memorial Stadium -- Clemson, South Carolina
This battle of undefeated teams ranks as perhaps the highest-profile game in Week 8. Clemson survived an upset attempt from Florida State after the Tigers allowed the Seminoles to clear 450 yards of offense. Ultimately, a fumble allowed Clemson to go on a 14-0 run to put the game away. However, wins against FSU, NC State and Wake Forest came by a combined 22 points, well below traditional Clemson standards.
Granted, Syracuse's résumé isn't great. Narrow wins over Virginia and Purdue are fine, but there's a reason the Orange are outside of the top 10 at 6-0. However, quarterback Garrett Shrader and running back Sean Tucker are good enough to make Clemson's defense shake its head a few times. The Orange are also exceptionally good against the pass, holding opponents to a 31.5% success rate. It remains to be seen if Syracuse can win this game, but 4-to-1 odds are more than worth the shot. Pick: Syracuse (+400)
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET | Where: Autzen Stadium -- Eugene, Oregon
Expectations for UCLA coming into the year were average at best, but the Bruins just keep winning. They crushed Washington in a game that was 40-16 entering the fourth quarter. One week later, they held a 42-25 lead on No. 15 Utah with a minute remaining. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has taken a leap with more than 1,700 yards of offense with 19 touchdowns.
Oregon has climbed back into the top 10 after winning five straight games, but a look under the hood reveals a shakier team than 5-1 suggests. BYU, which Oregon beat by three scores in September, has completely collapsed, while Washington State was a better team than the Ducks for 56 minutes. Stanford and Arizona, Oregon's two other wins, rank among the worst teams in the Power Five. What do we actually know about this Ducks team? Pick: UCLA (+192)
No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State
When: 3:30 p.m. ET | Where: Boone Pickens Stadium -- Stillwater, Oklahoma
The Longhorns followed up a triumphant 49-0 victory against Oklahoma by stumbling against Iowa State and needing a fluky late fumble to beat the 3-4 Cyclones. Now, quarterback Quinn Ewers faces perhaps the most disruptive defensive line in the Big 12 and an experienced quarterback on the other sideline, Spencer Sanders, who has made a living keeping his offense on schedule. Sanders has been battling a shoulder injury, but he's nevertheless a dynamic gamer who can make life hard on defenses.
The Cowboys lost a heartbreaker against TCU in double-overtime a week ago, but Sanders scored three touchdowns and kept the Frogs' defense on its toes. With more aggressive play-calling in the second half, Oklahoma State is likely 6-0. This will be a major test for Texas, especially as Ewers prepares to start his first ever true road game. Stillwater isn't very welcoming. Pick: Oklahoma State (+192)
Minnesota at No. 16 Penn State
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. | Where: Beaver Stadium -- State College, Pennsylvania
Is Penn State good, or have the Nittany Lions just not played anyone good? A 41-17 loss against Michigan in Week 7 made that question much more complicated. The Wolverines rushed for 418 yards and four touchdowns while holding Penn State to just 10 total first downs.
Minnesota isn't of Michigan's quality, but the Golden Gophers have showed major upside on both sides of the ball early in the season. The Gophers can run the ball at will with running back Mo Ibrahim in the lineup, and they hung around with Illinois until quarterback Tanner Morgan got hurt. If Morgan is back, Minnesota can muck up the game and hand Penn State another loss. Pick: Minnesota (+158)
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET | Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium -- Fort Worth, Texas
TCU is on a magical run to 6-0 and has beaten three AP Top 25 opponents in a row for the first time in program history. However, that run ends on Saturday with a fourth top -25 foe coming to town. Since struggling in a loss to Tulane, Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez has been unbelievable, averaging more than 330 total yards of offense per game with 10 touchdowns in three Big 12 games. The Horned Frogs' defense, meanwhile, has allowed more than 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns over the past two weeks to quarterbacks.
Another factor to take into account: TCU quarterback Max Duggan has been working through a shoulder injury. He completed 57.5% of his passes against Oklahoma State, his first game under 69% completion all season. The Wildcats defense is the best TCU has played this season by a wide margin. Getting up for this many quality teams in a row eventually will lead to a letdown spot. Pick: Kansas State (+143)
| Games | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
Last Week | 2-3 | +2.38 |
Season | 4-11 | +0.21 |
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 8, and which top-20 favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,000 in profit over the past six-plus seasons -- and find out.
