10 College Football Teams In The Top 25 Most Likely To Lose In Week 8

There’s been no shortage of wild games involving teams in the Top 25 over the course of the 2024 college football season, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that will once again be the case this weekend.

Week 8 of the college football schedule features three matchups between teams in the Top 25 where both squads have a very realistic chance of coming away with the win on paper as well as a few others where ranked schools are going to have their work cut out for them.

Here’s a closer look at the teams with a number next to their name who should be a little bit worried heading into the weekend.

#1 Texas

There’s a reason Texas heads into its showdown with Georgia as the top team in the country, as they’re listed as 5-point favorites at home heading into what is easily the most anticipated game of the week.

I’m a bit skeptical the Bulldogs have what it takes to pull off the upset, but it would be foolish to rule them out entirely. Texas is undefeated but hasn’t faced anyone with the kind of talent Georgia boasts, and this will almost certainly be an offensive battle where two phenomenal quarterbacks will be the deciding factor.

I don’t think it’s too controversial to suggest Quinn Ewers is better than Carson Beck, but if Georgia can get its defense firing on all cylinders, there’s a solid chance the team leaves Austin with a win.

#5 Georgia

Georgia will be doing everything in its power to prove Texas is not, in fact, Back, but it’s going to have its work cut out in that quest.

At the end of the day, the Longhorns have looked like the best college football team in the country since the start of the season, boast a virtually unrivaled QB, and have home-field advantage.

Georgia is going to need to play a nearly perfect game if it wants to secure the victory, but I just don’t think they’re going to have what it takes when everything is said and done.

#6 Miami

Miami has firmly emerged as the team to beat in the ACC after getting off to a 6-0 start, but it only beat Virginia Tech by four points and needed to mount a massive second-half comeback after finding itself down by 25 to Cal.

Louisville is 4-2 and the stiffest opponent the Hurricanes have faced off against so far; the Cardinals are only listed as 4.5-point underdogs in a game where they’ll have a friendly crowd on their side.

This will be another QB battle between Cam Ward and Tyler Shough, and the fact that The U has repeatedly shown it’s vulnerable leads me to believe Louisville is more than equipped to hand them their first loss of the season.

#7 Alabama

Our second Top 25 matchup of the week features Alabam and Tennessee, and the Crimson Tide have a slight edge on paper as 3-point favorites.

Bama fans have been treated to a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past few weeks thanks to a win over Georgia that was followed up by a shocking loss to Vanderbilt ahead of a victory over South Carolina that was anything but decisive.

Tennessee also suffered a fairly unexpected setback with a loss to Arkansas, but it has a talented offense that has plenty of potential to exploit an Alabama defense that’s emerged as one of the team’s biggest areas of concern.

#8 LSU

LSU has earned its spot in the Top 10 by rattling off five straight wins following its loss to USC to open up the season, but they’re only 2.5-point favorites over an Arkansas team that’s managed to surpass expectations so far.

Bobby Petrino has breathed new life into the Razorbacks since taking over as their offensive coordinator, and if they can dictate the pace of the game like they’ve been able to do more often than not this year, it could be enough to get another impressive win.

#11 Tennessee

Alabama hasn’t been perfect, but Jalen Milroe is an incredibly formidable dual-threat QB who leads an offense that’s nothing to scoff at.

The Volunteers also have some concerns on that side of the ball, as Nico Iamaleava has been held to under 200 yards in all three games Tennessee has played against an SEC opponent while throwing just a single TD along with an interception.

If the Crimson Tide can shut down the passing game, it could be a very long day for the Vols.

#16 Indiana

Indiana has emerged as a force to be reckoned with this season after getting off to a 6-0 start, and Curt Cignetti has firmly picked up where he left off at James Madison.

However, the Hoosiers had a relatively easy start to the season compared to the slate of Big 10 showdowns on the horizon, and a 5-1  Nebraska team will be doing everything in its power to ruin their perfect season.

The Cornhuskers are listed as 6.5-point underdogs but have a highly-touted defense that will give Kurtis Rourke and Co. the biggest challenge they’ve faced this year.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola has also looked pretty impressive as a true freshman, and Indiana would be foolish to underestimate the Huskers.

#19 Missouri

Missouri heads into its showdown with Auburn sitting at 5-1, but it plummeted out of the Top 10 with a loss to Texas A&M in Week 7.

Auburn has simply not looked good this year and is currently sitting at 2-4, but those Tigers are only listed as 4.5-point underdogs on the road.

If Auburn wants to leave Columbia with a win, it’s going to need its offense to really come to life while avoiding the turnovers that have been an absolutely massive problem over the course of their first six games.

I’m not super optimistic they’ll be able to get things together in hostile territory, but Missouri is definitely beatable if the stars finally align.

#22 Illinois

We’ll wrap things up with our third and final matchup between teams in the Top 25.

Illinois may be ranked a couple of spots higher than Michigan but is sitting as a 3.5-point underdog at home. Why?

Well, the Wolverines have a decisive edge on the defensive front, and they should be able to exploit the Fighting Illini’s lackluster rushing defense in order to compensate for their issues with the passing game.

#24 Michigan

On the flip side of the coin, it’s hard to minimize the QB struggles Michigan has been facing, and they’re still a serious cause for concern even if the Wolverines are able to hold their own on the ground.

Luke Altmyer has also done a great job in the pocket for Illinois, and while Michigan does have the talent to shut him down, any inability to do so could come back to bite them in the end.