Week 8 Preview: A Time for Everything

After a "shocking," and I use that term very lightly, turn of events in Iowa City this past weekend, many fans and haters of the formerly #2-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes' football team are wondering if they will even make a postseason appearance this year. For those that didn't get ESPN's "Upset Alert" notifications, Iowa was once again single-handedly dismantled by David Bell on Saturday; the game featured guest appearances by George Karlaftis III and Jeff Brohm and an array of extras and stuntmen all currently enrolled at Purdue University hoping to make a name for themselves. And, being the connoisseur of the arts that I am, I made sure I had the best seats for this show, and like many other Hawkeye fans, I was truly cut to the heart by the stellar performance from Bell; however, I felt that the most convincing performance came from the other sideline, as Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes once again perfectly matched the ability level indicated by their opponent's record.

Although this game was the clear headline of Week 7, there were a lot of other teams that also played, and apparently those teams matter to some people. Georgia dominated Kentucky, and Cincinnati established themselves as the top non-Power 5 Bearcats out there. And, as there often is at this time of year, another weekend of college football lies ahead of us. Let's dive in to the good stuff, shall we?

Big Byes for Week 8

#11 Iowa Hawkeyes

There's a time for everything, and there could be no better time for Iowa to have an off week. Look for Ferentz and the Hawks to capitalize on this with a strong showing in Week 9.

#1 Georgia Bulldogs

If Iowa pulled their act together for even a brief moment on Saturday, the top two teams in the rankings would've both been off this weekend. Oh, well. Georgia has been rolling since Week 1, but I expect them to roll over this weekend and lose a close one in Week 9.

#3 Oklahoma Sooners

They don't even have a bye this week, but they're playing Kansas. If Oklahoma finds a way to make this game remotely competitive, I'll owe you guys a Fraud Warning segment next week.

Smallest Upset of the Week: Appalachian State over #14 Coastal Carolina

There's no mascot name in college football I respect more than the Chanticleers, but I really wouldn't see this as an upset, and I'm fully on the chaos train for the rest of the season. Other possibilities include Wake-Army, ND-USC, and SDSU-Air Force

Biggest Blowout of the Week: #4 Alabama over Tennessee

We all know 'Bama isn't invincible, but I honestly feel Tennessee will "Volunteer" (please cringe) to take one for the conference this week to keep the SEC's hopes of once again having 2 CFP teams alive, at least for the time being.

Biggest Stat Line of the Week: Breece Hall, Iowa State

We've all seen what Hall is capable of when it comes to producing next-level stats, and as underwhelming as the Big 12's defenses tend to be, there's no denying that he's a gifted athlete and playmaker. However, the reason why I'm giving him the nod over Desmond Ridder and TreVeyon Henderson, two other players that are set for big games this week, is not because I think he'll have a huge game against Oklahoma State; in fact, it's just the opposite. Look for Hall to have a total of 47 yards on 21 touches paired with 2 fumbles and a crucial dropped pass on 4th and long at the end of the game to seal the Cowboys' victory.

Best Games for Week 8

#23 Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Clemson Tigers

In full honesty, this may be the least exciting week of college football all season, which is saying a lot considering Iowa (a team that seems to actively suppress offensive playmaking to produce the most hard-to-watch style of football above high school Class A) is on bye. Because of that, this "stirring rivalry" sits atop the Best Games list this week. Pitt-Clemson was an instant classic in 2016, and 5 years later, the Panthers are the ones in the AP Top 25. Look for Dabo to do whatever it takes to make this one a good one and put his team back in the rankings. 35-32 Clemson.

#4 Georgia Bulldogs vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

This isn't a real-life game, but I'll be leading the 'Dawgs as they host the 2-0 Hawks in the legendary EA Sports game NCAA Football 13. It'll hopefully be a better game than most of the other games happening this weekend. Also, if the Georgia and Iowa players wanted to get together at Kinnick and play some free-admission touch football, I can almost guarantee there'd be more fans there than at any other stadium this week. 17-10 Georgia.

#8 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Iowa State Cyclones

I'm actually kind of intrigued by this matchup. I think this game will be really ugly and really close all the way through, and I'm always down for an ugly game. As I said earlier, I think this game will end on a Breece Hall dropped pass to convert a fourth down. 24-21 OSU.

Feel free to hit me up in the comments with any bold predictions, questions, or ideas for future posts; I'll try my best to read them. God bless.