Around College Football: Week 8

Week 8 in College football shook things up in the top 25. With many ranked teams facing off, it was a test of who really belongs at the top of the AP poll.

Penn State Falls to Ohio State

In one of the most exciting matchups of the weekend, No. 7 Penn State fell to No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, 20-12.

Defense was the key for the Buckeyes, with six pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. The Buckeyes held Penn State to just 49 rushing yards. With the loss, the Nittany Lions drop to the No. 10 spot in the poll, depleting high hopes of a playoff spot. This is the seventh consecutive time that Ohio State has won the matchup.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that he’s pleased with the win, but still expects more.

Washington Escapes Upset

In a low scoring game, the No. 5 Washington Huskies were able to escape a loss to unranked Arizona State, 15-7.

The Huskies had one of their worst offensive performances of the season. The Huskies had just 288 total yards of offense and four turnovers, compared to the Sun Devil’s 341 yards and one turnover. Heisman contender Michael Penix also threw two interceptions and no touchdowns for Washington.

The Huskies remain at the No. 5 spot despite the poor performance in the narrow win.

https://twitter.com/ASUFootball/status/1715934148148547805

Florida State Surges in the Fourth

No. 4 Florida State and No. 16 Duke faced off on Saturday night for an exciting game that came down to the wire. With FSU’s 38-20 win, they remain at the No. 4 spot in the poll, dropping Duke to No. 20.

Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis completed 27 of 36 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He added 68 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown for the Noles. On the other hand, Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard didn’t have as impressive stats. He completed 7-of-16 passes for just 69 yards, no passing touchdowns and an interception.

Florida State is the only team in the ACC that remains unbeaten, due to North Carolina’s loss to Virginia.

LT ⚡️#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/qEb2eI9Ybf

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) October 22, 2023

Utah Too Much for USC

In a close game, Utah was able to top USC, 34-32.

With back-to-back losses, Coach Lincoln Riley is taking some serious criticism, as this was supposed to be a redemption season for the Trojans. USC is now out of all hope for a playoff spot. The Trojans have dropped six spots to No. 24, with the Utes rising to no. 13.

Utah Update: Its always been US, I hope now you C‼️ #uboyzontop https://t.co/NA1W3u76Se

— MB1 (@milesbattle2) October 22, 2023