2026 College Football Week 8: Best Games To Watch This Weekend

Will the reigning national champion Hoosiers bounce back after their loss to Ohio State with a Week 8 win over Michigan? Can Texas find its footing against Ole Miss after dropping two consecutive matchups? Here are the five must-watch games for college football Week 8 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 22). This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Spread: Indiana -7.5Moneyline: Indiana -278; Michigan +225O/U: 41.5 What To Know: Last weekend, Indiana lost its first game since 2024, falling 19-15 to Ohio State. Now the reigning national champions get a chance to right the ship against Michigan. The Wolverines are 4-2 straight up (SU), but they’re 2-4 against the spread (ATS). They also started their season off with a controversial 13-12 win against Western Michigan — the precursor to Blue not covering. Indiana, at 1-6 ATS, is even worse in that spot. But the Hoosiers are 6-1 SU on the season and are still fifth on the board at +750 to win the College Football Playoff. “The Hoosiers have never lost back-to-back games under Curt Cignetti and that won’t start now,” FOX Sports college football writer Laken Litman noted. Spread: BYU -6.5Moneyline: BYU -258; UCF +210O/U: 43.5 What To Know: BYU’s 28-24 upset over Notre Dame in Week 7 helped move the Cougars to No. 2 in the national rankings. But they’re still relative long shots at +4400 to win the title. Can BYU keep rolling two weeks in a row and get a win over UCF one week after an emotional victory over the Irish? Well, the Knights are 3-3 SU but are 4-2 ATS, so bettors eyeing this game might want to keep that in mind. Spread: UCLA -14.5Moneyline: UCLA -700; Michigan State +500O/U: 43.5 What To Know: The UCLA Bruins are one of the most surprising betting stories of this college football season. They’re without their starting quarterback, yet they’re 6-0 under the leadership of first-year head coach Bob Chesney. In their Week 7 win over Wisconsin, the Bruins’ backup QB Ty Dieffenbach went 22 of 33 passing for 264 yards. It was his first start for UCLA. Michigan State’s season has taken a completely different trajectory, as the Spartans are 2-5 SU. State’s record ATS is 4-2-1. Spread: Texas -3.5Moneyline: Texas -162; Ole Miss +136O/U: 54.5 What To Know: In Week 7, by a score of 31-3, Ole Miss dismantled Missouri — a team with one of the top rushing offenses in the country. In that contest, Heisman contender Trinidad Chambliss passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Ole Miss now heads into hostile territory to face a Texas team that’s desperate for a win after losing two straight to Oklahoma and Florida. The Longhorns’ 4-2 SU record is disappointing, considering they were once near the top of the oddsboard to win the CFP. Now, they’re +135 to even make the 12-team field. Can Texas, at 1-5 ATS, win and cover at home in Week 8? According to FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt, the answer is no. “I think Ole Miss wins this outright, 28-21. I’ll take the -3.5 and take Ole Miss.” Spread: Utah -6.5Moneyline: Utah -250; Houston +205O/U: 56.5 What To Know: With a 6-0 record overall, Utah has climbed its way into the top 10. In fact, this is the hottest start the Utes have had in 12 years. Against Colorado, Utah QB Devon Dampier had 278 passing yards and three touchdowns. As a team, the Utes had 409 total yards in the 27-24 win. Houston, with its 6-1 record, comes into the weekend on the heels of a close victory over Oklahoma State. The Cougars got past the Cowboys 35-32 in a contest where QB Connor Weigman threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns. And FOX Sports college sports writer Ben Portnoy is backing the Cougs. “[Head coach] Willie Fritz has the Cougars riding high after last week’s huge victory over Oklahoma State,” he explained. “That momentum carries them in this one.”