Week 8 was a good reminder that you should never feel totally comfortable as a college football fan. As Kirby Smart so eloquently put it a few weeks ago, “humility is a week away.”
All 3 winners from last week’s iteration of winners and losers — Tennessee, BYU and Auburn — could have feasibly earned spots on the loser’s side this week. To keep things from turning stale, we’ll only feature one of those winners-turned-losers in Week 8.
There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s jump right in. Here’s our winners and losers from Saturday’s action.
Winner: Sam Leavitt
You could argue that no in-season individual turnaround has been more impressive than LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt’s.
Having already started the season on the wrong foot, the Tigers QB was liable to crash and burn when he suffered a hamstring injury that severely limited his mobility starting in Week 4. It’s strange to say, but that injury actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Arizona State transfer.
Leavitt has since regained the mobility that made him so dangerous early in the season, but he’s also realized that he doesn’t need to tuck and run at the first sign of trouble anymore. Leavitt’s been forced to trust his arm, and he did just that. Across the 4 games since suffering the injury against Texas A&M, Leavitt has completed 106 of his 140 passing attempts for 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Before the Texas A&M game, Leavitt sat at 57-of-93 for 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Saturday’s win over Auburn was Leavitt’s best performance of the year. He accounted for 4 touchdowns by halftime and finished with 441 total yards of offense in a 38-17 win. LSU is 5-2 as a result, still very much in play for a spot at the CFP table with a brutal November schedule upcoming. The Tigers will have to beat Alabama, Texas and Tennessee (and Arkansas) to advance in Year 1 under Lane Kiffin.
So, you’re telling me there’s a chance?
Loser: Tennessee
It’s 4th and 1.
Tennessee leads South Carolina 24-17 with just over 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining. The Vols have possession at the South Carolina 38, just a few yards outside kicker Cooper Ranvier’s range. Two first downs probably seal the game.
What’ve you got, Vols?
Busted play by Tennessee on 4th down pic.twitter.com/GZ7BfzX3iA
— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) October 24, 2026Ah. I see.
South Carolina scored a touchdown 6 plays after the above play. QB George MacIntyre fumbled 3 plays after that, setting Malik Orsan up for the game-winning field goal. South Carolina 27, Tennessee 24.
Vols fans, to put it lightly, were not happy with the officiating in this one. Officials took 3 touchdown passes off the board and called back many chunk plays. MacIntyre, who was seen saying something to the effect of, “they throw a flag every touchdown” after a holding call wiped out a strike to Braylon Staley, later described Saturday as “the most frustrating game I’ve ever played in.”
Admittedly, some of the game’s 21 penalties (12 called on Tennessee) were certainly questionable, including a non-PI call that would have set Tennessee up in a goal-to-go situation late and a blatant late hit that would have knocked USC out of field goal range ahead of the game-winner.
The 3 negated touchdowns, though? As much as Tennessee fans don’t want to hear it, they were all correct calls. Heck, 2 of the 3 were simply a matter of lining up correctly. When you’re missing easy stuff like that and fumbling the sequence described at the start of this section, it’s tough for Tennessee to blame anyone but Tennessee.
However you choose to spin it, Tennessee is 6-2 entering the bye instead of 7-1, now needing a perfect November to advance to the College Football Playoff. Can the Vols do it? Sure, but they’ll need to be more disciplined than Saturday night in Columbia.
Winner: Utah
It was a bad week for most Big 12 contenders. Not Utah, though!
The Utes downed Houston Saturday night in comeback fashion, shutting down the Cougars’ offense in the 4th quarter to win 21-13. Devon Dampier has had better afternoons with his arm, but he was excellent in the run game, rushing for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Utah is now the only undefeated Big 12 program after Texas Tech fell to Cincinnati in the Brendan Sorsby Bowl and BYU was stunned by UCF a week after earning its best AP ranking since 1984.
It’s been quite the start for the Utes, but now it’s time to finish — and that’s no easy task. Utah still has to face BYU in the Holy War alongside road matchups at Cincinnati and Arizona.
Prediction Markets Big 12 Championship Winner Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi Utah 35% BYU 17% Texas Tech 13% Oklahoma St. 8% Houston 4% Kansas St. 1% Arizona St. 1% Baylor 1% Colorado 1% Cincinnati 1% PredictLoser: USC
USC’s path to the College Football Playoff was tough enough without its 24-7 loss at Wisconsin Saturday night. Now, though still technically doable, it just seems downright impossible — especially if the Trojans have another game on the ground like they did in Week 8.
Saturday’s game was by far the worst performance of the Trojans’ season. Wisconsin converted 6 fewer first downs and threw for just 58 yards on the evening but still beat USC by 3 possessions, 24-7. USC rushed for -17 yards on 25 carries. Yes, seriously.
The inability to get anything going in the run game completely handicapped Trojans QB Jayden Maiava, who still managed to throw for 241 yards with 2 interceptions.
Making matters worse, USC still has to play Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA to close out the season.
Winner: Texas
Texas just can’t stay away from winners and losers list, folks.
The Longhorns’ rollercoaster of a season barreled on Saturday as Texas dispatched Trinidad Chambliss and No. 7 Ole Miss. Despite missing Colin Simmons, the Longhorns forced Chambliss into his worst performance of the year — he completed 25 of his 52 passing attempts for 250 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in a 34-27 Texas win. Chambliss’s 48% passing is the lowest mark as Ole Miss’s starting QB.
“Edgy” Arch Manning — is this going to be a thing all season? — had a game to remember, too. He started off red hot and cooled as the game wore on, but his excellent start was enough to keep Texas’s CFP hopes alive at least one week longer. Manning accounts for 3 touchdowns and 212 yards on 18 completed passes — and he did it without Cam Coleman and Trevor Goosby for most of the game.
Last time Texas beat a top-15 team, it dropped 2 straight immediately after. How will the Longhorns respond in Week 9 against Mississippi State?
Loser: Michigan’s offense
After falling to Indiana 13-6 in the ugliest football game you will ever see, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham said, “If that’s the number 6 team in the country, then we’re a pretty good football team.”
That just about speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
The Wolverines held the ball for 33 minutes and 44 seconds of Saturday’s game and all they have to show for it is 6 points. Michigan finished 6-of-20 on 3rd down and totaled just 57 yards rushing. Tommy Carr, making his first career start in place of Bryce Underwood, committed 2 turnovers as his brother watched from the stands.
The numbers for Michigan’s offense this year are genuinely shocking. The Wolverines rank 130th in the country in yards per game (only Michigan State is worse among Power 4 teams) and 118th in scoring offense (behind only Colorado, Stanford and Michigan State). The Wolverines’ passing offense is by miles the worst in the Big Ten — they’re the only school with more interceptions than passing touchdowns through Week 8.
Subscribe to the Saturday Football Newsletter — Get the latest news and updates on your team, your conference, and the college football nation straight to your inbox.
Having trouble seeing the signup form? Some privacy or ad-blocking tools can prevent it from loading. You can subscribe directly here.
College football winners and losers from Week 8 Saturday Down South.
Hence then, the article about college football winners and losers from week 8 was published today ( ) and is available on SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( College football winners and losers from Week 8 )
Also on site :
- China Box Office: ‘Resident Evil’ Stays at No. 1 as Market Hits Fall Lull
- Detroit Lions Broadcaster Dan Miller Honors Late Wife During First Game Back, and What Happens Next Is Enough to Bring You to Tears
- Donald Trump Posts 1,300+ Word Diatribe About “Complete And Total Loser” Bill Maher, Nine Days After Praising Their “Great Dinner”