Week 8 College Football Playoff predictions: Is a 3-bid Big 12 on the table?

Week 8 College Football Playoff predictions: Is a 3-bid Big 12 on the table? appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Every year in college football, it feels like there is one week where complete carnage ensues all over the country. In 2026, that week was Week 7.

The following teams all lost on Saturday: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas. No. 3 Miami (FL) just barely escaped unranked Florida State in double overtime to move up to No. 1 in the AP poll.

Of course, these results all have a massive impact on the conference title races and the AP poll, but they also muddy the College Football Playoff picture in a significant way. There are now a ton of teams with one or two losses that will be in a similar range in the rankings as the calendar inches closer to November.

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

There is one conference that stands to benefit: the Big 12. The Big 12 had just one team make the CFP last season in Texas Tech, but the league is very competitive at the top this season and could be trending toward getting two or even three teams in the 12-team field this season.

The Big 12 had another huge day on Saturday while the top teams in the SEC and the Big Ten fell by the wayside. BYU escaped with a big win over Notre Dame, Utah survived an upset scare from Colorado, and Houston beat Oklahoma State in a very entertaining battle of high-powered offenses.

As a result, the Big 12 is set up to crash the CFP in a few months. How many teams would get in the way things have gone so far? We simmed through the rest of the season to find out.

1. Ohio State (12-1, Big Ten Champion)

Ohio State narrowly escaped Indiana on Saturday, and now Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will have to manage without Julian Sayin for at least a few weeks due to a right shoulder injury. They do have a week off in Week 8 before a trip to USC, where Sayin likely will not be available. Oregon and Northwestern follow, so this is a tough stretch for Ohio State to have to navigate without one of its most important players.

2. Ole Miss (12-1, SEC Champion)

Ole Miss was arguably the most impressive team on Saturday, as the Rebels completely dismantled a hot Missouri team 31-3 to remain at just one loss. At the moment, with the way the rest of the SEC is struggling, it’s safe to say that Ole Miss has a reliable formula that can win the conference. The defense looks like it is getting better, especially against the run, and Trinidad Chambliss gives this offense such a high floor. Now, Ole Miss can back it up with a win over Texas in Week 8.

3. BYU (12-1, Big 12 Champion)

What a night in Provo. BYU moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll with the win over Notre Dame in Week 7, and now Bear Bachmeier and this BYU squad are firmly in the national spotlight. The Cougars have a number of tricky Big 12 tests ahead, most notably a road game against Utah, but Kalani Sitake’s squad has proven it can play with anybody. Next up is a trip to the Bounce House to play UCF in Week 8.

4. Miami (FL) (12-1, ACC Champion)

Miami narrowly escaped with a win on Saturday night against Florida State despite being taken to double overtime by Ashton Daniels and Duce Robinson. The Canes are still unbeaten and are now the No. 1 team in the AP poll. A date with Notre Dame still looms on the schedule, and that could impact their chase for the top seed in the CFP, but there should be nobody in the ACC that can stop Mario Cristobal’s squad.

5. Georgia (10-2)

Georgia’s shocking loss to Auburn on Saturday damages its SEC title hopes, but Kirby Smart and company should still be just fine in the CFP picture. A tough road test against Ole Miss still awaits this Georgia team, but the Bulldogs should be just fine in the grand scheme of things given they don’t take more than one more loss. Next up is a week off before a date with Florida in another heated SEC rivalry.

6. Notre Dame (11-1)

Notre Dame’s loss to BYU, in which it should have had both a pass interference call and another play with a second left on the clock, puts Marcus Freeman and company in a bit of a precarious situation. Now, Notre Dame has a date with Miami looming in a few weeks at home in South Bend. Win that, and Notre Dame should be comfortably in the CFP. But if the Irish lose, they are right back where they were last year with 10 underwhelming wins and two good losses. What will the committee do this time around?

7. Tennessee (10-3, SEC Runner-Up)

Tennessee’s defense, thanks to a masterclass by Jim Knowles and the Volunteers defensive line, punched Alabama in the face on Saturday. George MacIntyre, while unspectacular, was solid and took care of the football, and this running game with DeSean Bishop is very difficult to stop. Tennessee is the type of team that can ride its defense to a CFP spot.

8. Alabama (10-2)

Alabama responded to a tough loss against Georgia with a flat performance on Saturday on the road against Tennessee. Keelon Russell looked like a first-year starter for the first time, and Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide couldn’t get anything going all day in Knoxville. Now, Alabama is out of margin for error and likely has to go 5-0 the rest of the way to get into the CF. That starts on Saturday with a game against Texas A&M.

9. Indiana (11-2, Big Ten Runner-Up)

Indiana was a few inches from knocking off Ohio State on Saturday, but the Hoosiers will feel like they wouldn’t have even needed Nick Marsh to make a game-winning touchdown catch if Josh Hoover had a better day throwing the football. Still, Indiana is in a great spot and should be favored in every game the rest of the way. If Curt Cignetti and company can get to 11-1, starting with a Week 8 clash against Michigan, they will be comfortably in the CFP field.

10. UCLA (11-1)

No Nico Iamaleava, no problem for Bob Chesney and the Bruins. It wasn’t always pretty on Saturday night, but UCLA stayed unbeaten with a 17-7 win over Wisconsin on Saturday night in Pasadena. Ty Diffenbach looks like a solid starter and was fairly efficient save for one turnover, and that should be enough to get UCLA through most of the rest of what is a soft schedule.

11. Utah (11-2, Big 12 Runner-Up)

Utah looked shaky for the first time this season on Saturday night against Colorado. The Utes gave up a number of big plays on defense, and the offense struggled to maintain consistency against a solid Colorado defense. But the Utes got the job done, which is the thing that matters. Now an even bigger test awaits in Week 8 when a ranked Houston team with a hot quarterback in Conner Weigman comes to town.

12. Boise State (12-1, Pac-12 Champion)

Boise State had the week off in Week 7, and now Spencer Danielson and company begin a five-week sprint to the end of the regular season. Next up is a date with a bad Washington State team, but all eyes will be on a Nov. 14 clash with Jesse Legree and Oregon State. Get through that one, and the path to the CFP for the second time in three years will be clear for the Broncos.

Next Out: LSU (9-3), Texas Tech (10-2), Oregon (9-3), Houston (10-2), Kentucky (9-3)

First Round Predictions

No. 5 Georgia defeats No. 12 Boise State

No. 6 Notre Dame defeats No. 11 Utah

No. 7 Tennessee defeats No. 10 UCLA

No. 9 Indiana defeats No. 8 Alabama

Quarterfinal Predictions

No. 1 Ohio State defeats No. 9 Indiana

No. 2 Ole Miss defeats No. 7 Tennessee

No. 6 Notre Dame defeats No. 3 BYU

No. 4 Miami (FL) defeats No. 5 Georgia

Semifinal Predictions

No. 4 Miami (FL) defeats No. 1 Ohio State

No. 6 Notre Dame defeats No. 2 Ole Miss

National Championship

No. 4 Miami (FL) defeats No. 6 Notre Dame

Related: Georgia Bulldogs most to blame for unfathomable Auburn upset

Related: Penn State HC Matt Campbell’s woes get even worse after Michigan loss as QB flips to Boston College