It only took one week for Alabama to sneak back into the top four of the AP college football rankings after their shocking loss to then-unranked Texas A&M, as last week’s #2 team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, got drilled at home by Purdue thanks to four interceptions. Cincinnati moved up to #2 in the polls — the highest ranking in the history of the program. This week, we have the traditional rivalry game between USC and Notre Dame. Neither program is a national championship contender, after the Fighting Irish got rolled at home by Cincinnati — and USC has lost three of their last five contests by a minimum of 14 points.
We have a couple of parlay picks from Week 8 action as you consider your college football betting for the week.
NCAA News: Parlay Picks for Week 8
Afternoon Delight: LSU (+12) at #12 Ole Miss / Clemson (+3) at #23 Pitt
LSU (4-3, 2-2 SEC) travels to Oxford to take on Ole Miss this week. The Tigers just upset then-#20 Florida at home last week, as tailback Tyrion Davis-Price carried the ball 36 times for 287 yards and three scores. He has 434 yards and five scores in his last two contests. That upset win was not good enough to save LSU coach Ed Orgeron’s job; even though the Tigers won a national championship two seasons ago, it came out after Saturday’s win that he would leave Baton Rouge at the end of the season.
Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1 SEC) won at Tennessee, 31-26, last week to move to a two-game winning streak. Quarterback Matt Corral threw for 231 yards and a pair of scores and carried the ball 30 times for 195 yards. I like Ole Miss to put up a lot of points — but LSU has shown some offensive prowess in recent weeks, particularly on the ground. I also see the Tigers playing extra hard for Coach O. I think Ole Miss wins, but this spread is too large.
Clemson (4-2, 3-1 ACC) has won the ACC six straight times and has been the favorite in regular season play each week since a 2016 matchup with Louisville, when the Cardinals came to town as two-point favorites. Clemson won that game by six. This time around, they face Pitt (5-1, 2-0 ACC). Clemson demolished Pitt in 2018 and 2020, but this time around, the Panthers score 48.3 points per game, third best in the nation, while permitting only 20 points per game, 34th best. Quarterback Kenny Pickett has a 21:1 TD:INT ratio, 1,934 passing yards and a 69.8 pass completion rate. Clemson scores 20.5 points per game while permitting just 12.5 points per game, which is second best among FBS programs. If you take out the 49 points Clemson scored against FCS foe South Carolina State, though, they are scoring 14.8 points per game against FBS schools. Can Pitt crack the Clemson D? If so, they should be able to win this game at home.
Parlay Pick: LSU to cover / Pitt to win and cover | Bet the Game Now
Saturday Night Special: USC (+6.5) at #13 Notre Dame / #18 N.C. State (-2) at Miami (FL)
USC lost by 16 to Utah in their last game; Notre Dame eked out a three-point win against Virginia Tech in their last game. This week, both teams come out of their bye to face off in South Bend. USC (3-3, 2-3 Pac-12) started slowly against Utah, scoring just 10 points in the first three periods while giving up a touchdown in each quarter. Quarterback Kedon Slovis heated up to finish with 401 yards and two scores (and an interception). Drake London had a huge day, with 16 catches for 162 yards and a score.
Notre Dame (5-1) just has one loss this season, a 24-13 home setback against Cincinnati. Except for a 41-13 rout of Wisconsin, their other wins have not been impressive. In addition to that squeaker against Virginia Tech, they beat Toledo and Florida State by a combined six points. Against Virginia Tech, there was some struggle in the quarterback game, as both Jack Coan and Tyler Buchner saw time, throwing for 241 yards, two scores and two picks. The Irish did put up 11 points in the fourth quarter to grab the win.
N.C. State (5-1, 2-0 ACC) routed Boston College last week, 33-7. That was their most dominant win of the season, although their overtime win over Clemson marked their biggest takedown of an ACC powerhouse. Against BC, Devin Leary threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and Thayer Thomas had a score and 122 yards on four receptions. Miami (2-4, 0-2 ACC) lost to North Carolina last week, although they roared back from a 31-17 halftime deficit, losing 45-42. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, on in relief of the injured D’Eriq King, threw for 264 yards and a score — but also had three picks. Miami has covered just once in their last eight home games, while N.C. State is 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games overall.
Parlay Pick: Notre Dame to win and cover / N.C. State to win and cover. | Bet the Game Now
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