CFW Week 8 Forecast – Maryland fires head coach Mike Locksley
Will this week be anything like last week?
Ole Miss at Texas, Indiana at Michigan and LSU at Auburn, Houston at Utah
Greetings from Albuquerque, New Mexico, college football fans. Swamp Mama and I are here for the annual gathering of a group of former Navy guys who served and worked together at the Naval Security Group Activity in Edzell, Scotland, in the early 1970s. We have a group of 24 (husband and wives) this year.
Yesterday morning, our luxury passenger coach picked us up at the hotel for an hour ride up to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Once in Santa Fe, we covered a lot of territory, including the New Mexico State Capitol building, the Loretto Chapel and the La Fond Art tour. We had free time and time for lunch.
Back in Albuquerque, we had a group dinner last night at Papa Felipe’s.
This morning, our luxury passenger coach will pick us up again and transport us to Boca Negra Canyon, the Sky City Cultural Center and the Acoma Pueblo Mesa. Later in the day today, we’ll be taken to the base of the Sandia Mountains for the Tramway ride to the top.
Friday, we will visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. In the evening, we’ll have a group dinner at Trombino’s Bistro.
It’s hard to believe that it is Week 8 already. We are on the downside of the season. The first half of the season had plenty of surprises. One can only imagine what the second half has in store.
We could be facing another wild weekend. Of the Top 10 games this week, three are SEC contests and three are Big Ten games. But it is the Big 12 that has the Game of the Week – Houston at Utah. And it’s one of those late Saturday night starts too. The matchup pits a one-loss Houston team against an undefeated Utah team. Houston is for real. No doubt about that. Coach Willie Fritz has done a superb job coaching the Cougars.
One other Big 12 game makes the Top 10 – Texas Tech at Cincinnati. Texas Tech is in a race with BYU and Utah for Big 12 supremacy. Cincinnati would like to play the role of the spoiler.
The Runner-Up game this week is the best of the three SEC contests – Ole Miss at Texas. This one should be a dandy. Will the Eyes of Texas be shedding tears of happiness or tears of sadness?
Another big SEC game will be LSU at Auburn. The pressure is on LSU. Auburn has nothing to lose. The War Eagle Tigers already have their prize catch this season – knocking off No. 1 Georgia. The third big SEC game is Texas A&M at Alabama. Can the Tide bounce back from the loss to Tennessee?
The Big Ten has three top games and the best of the bunch is Indiana at Michigan. The Hoosiers will be out to redeem themselves from the loss to Ohio State. Michigan at Ann Arbor won’t be easy for Indiana.
Next up for the Big Ten is Iowa at Minnesota. This will be another one of those slobber-knocker games – a lot of slobbering with a lot of knocking. The third best Big Ten contest gives us USC at Wisconsin. Both of these coaches – Lincoln Riley and Luke Fickell – are fighting to hold onto their jobs. The loser here could be in trouble.
The ACC has an interesting game – Pitt at Miami. The Canes didn’t look good last week in their two overtime win over Florida State. Pitt didn’t look good either in its loss to North Carolina – the second-straight loss for the Panthers. Both teams will be looking to break out of their slump. Don’t look for the Panthers to do any breaking. But you never know.
The last of the Top 10 games is what should be a good affair in the Sun Belt Conference – undefeated James Madison at Appalachian State. Former Florida coach Billy Napier has JMU in position to become the top Group of Six team. But some think App State could knock off the Dukes.
That’s your batch of Top 10 games for the week. How many upsets are waiting to occur?
There are six other games you should keep a close eye on this week. All have various implications. They are Virginia Tech (5-2) at Clemson (4-2), Western Michigan (5-2) at Toledo (5-2), North Dakota State (6-1) at #31 New Mexico (5-1), #11 Tennessee (6-1) at South Carolina (3-3), Oklahoma (3-3) at #30 Mississippi State (4-3) and Iowa State (3-3) at #25 Arizona (5-1).
Maryland fired head coach Mike Locksley yesterday. In his eighth-year with the Terrapins, Locksley had a 39-54 record. He will receive a buyout of $9.75 million. Locksley is the first head coach to be fired this season. Maryland named assistant coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as the interim head coach.
The Top 12 teams in this week’s Top 25 FCS Coaches Poll are 1. Tarleton State (7-0), 2. Stephen F. Austin (7-0), 3. Montana State (6-1), 4. Youngstown State (6-2), 5. South Dakota State (5-2), 6. South Dakota (6-2), 7. Northern Arizona (6-2), 8. North Dakota (6-2), 9. Austin Peay (6-2), 10. Illinois State (5-2), 11. Tennessee Tech (6-1), and 12. Lehigh (6-1).
This week's Saturday morning pregame shows: ESPN's College GameDay is in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Houston-Utah game. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff is in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Indiana-Michigan game. SECN's SEC Nation is in Auburn, Alabama for the LSU-Auburn game.
Swamp Mama and I will be flying back to Florida on Saturday. So my viewing of games will be limited. I should have stayed an extra night in Albuquerque to catch the North Dakota State-New Mexico game. Oh well. Enjoy your weekend.
Touchdown Tom
October 22, 2026
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
Week Eight’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. #14 Houston (6-1) at #10 Utah (6-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Houston’s one loss was by two points to undefeated Texas Tech. The Cougars failed on a two-point conversion attempt in the final 0:49 of the game. Houston lost 28-26. The Cougars were on the road in that game. They will be on the road this week against another undefeated team – Utah. The Utes are tough at home. Both teams have the offense to score. The outcome is likely to come down to which team plays the better defense. That’s likely to be the Utes – Utah 30, Houston 27.
RUNNER-UP: 2. #7 Ole Miss (5-1) at #19 Texas (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Texas has had it rough in its last two games. The Longhorns will either continue their skid or bounce back this week. If the skid continues, the season is all but over for Texas. The pressure is on Arch Manning. He is in dire need of a good game – one without any turnovers. The pressure is on Texas coach Steve Sarkisian too. He is in dire need of a victory. Ole Miss is certainly capable of beating Texas. The Magnolias are strong on offense. If Ole Miss has a weakness, and they do, it’s on defense. That’s where Texas can take advantage of them. The Magnolias wilt – Texas 27, Ole Miss 24.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Pitt (5-2) at #1 Miami (6-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Miami almost blew it last week. The Canes looked terrible against Florida State, especially the Miami defense. As a result, the Canes could easily pour it on Pitt. It may not be pretty. Pitt has not played well since losing its starting quarterback Mason Heintschel. The Pitt offense has suffered. The Panthers defense has been up-and-down. They’ll be down this week – Miami 34, Pitt 20.
4. #6 Indiana (6-1) at Michigan (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – A foot that was inches out-of-bounds likely cost Indiana the game last week. The Hoosiers suffered their first loss to Ohio State. Indiana’s defense should be able to contain Michigan. It’s the Indiana offense that needs to step up. The Wolverines are still trying to find themselves – Indiana 24, Michigan 16.
5. #8 Texas Tech (6-0) at Cincinnati (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Texas Tech should remain undefeated, but you never know. Strange things have been happening this year. Tech can be overwhelming on offense and defense. Cincinnati is underwhelming on defense. Tech needs to stay focused. As the season comes down to the final games, the Red Raiders have the upper hand. They don’t play BYU or Utah. But they can’t let Cincinnati ruin things for them. Bearcats are looking bare – Texas Tech 31, Cincinnati 18.
6. #18 LSU (5-2) at #28 Auburn (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – After some of those games last week in the SEC, I’m thinking anything could happen this week. But I’m thinking Auburn will be hungover from its win over Georgia. How could the Tigers not be? Alex Golesh is how. The Auburn coach has the mindset to keep his Tigers focused. If he does and Auburn is focused, it could spell trouble for LSU. But even if Auburn is focused and fired up, LSU is a pretty big obstacle. LSU knows it can’t afford a loss. War Eagle gets its wings clipped – LSU 27, Auburn 23.
7. Texas A&M (4-3) at #13 Alabama (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Like Texas and LSU, Alabama can’t afford another loss. Kellen DeBoer can’t afford another loss either. Fortunately, for Bama and DeBoer, they are facing Texas A&M. The Aggies are in a slump – big time. A&M appears to be lost. The slump continues – Alabama 30, Texas A&M 15.
8. #15 Iowa (5-1) at Minnesota (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Don’t look for a lot of scoring in this game. It should be a defensive battle. The game could be won or lost on mistakes. The Hawkeyes make fewer mistakes – Iowa 17, Minnesota 13.
9. #16 USC (6-1) at Wisconsin (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Wisconsin is a dangerous team. Even more so at home. The Badgers are also an erratic team – on offense and defense. But if the Badgers are on, it could spell trouble for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. USC struggles at times to keep its head above the water. The Trojans struggle, but win – USC 27, Wisconsin 22.
10. #29 James Madison (7-0) at Appalachian State (4-2) – (Sun Belt at Sun Belt) – 7 pm ET, Thursday ESPNU – It’s rare for a Sun Belt game to make the Top 10, but this one has the makings for a Top-10 game. If James Madison remains undefeated, it’s possible the Dukes could make the CFP for the second-straight year. Appalachian State will be tough on its home turf. But not tuff enough to beat the Dukes – James Madison 31, Appalachian State 24.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
West Virginia (4-3) at TCU (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – West Virginia’s offense has moved at will throughout the season. However, TCU will be the toughest defense the Mounties have played to date. So, this is a challenge for WVU. TCU doesn’t have the strongest offense. That is a good thing for the Mountaineers. Maybe WVU can keep the game close. But the Horned Frogs keep it out of reach – TCU 27, West Virginia 24
Duke (4-2) at Virginia (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Duke was rolling along until its last two games. The Dookies lost those last two games by a combined 7 points – 4 points to North Carolina and 3 points to Georgia Tech. And they lost both of those games in the closing minutes. The Dookies couldn’t hold onto the lead. They could end up in a similar situation this week. But the Dookies right the ship – Duke 31, Virginia 27.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Middle Tennessee (3-3) at FIU (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Tuesday, CBSSN….
Rice (1-6) at Florida Atlantic (4-2) – (AC vs. AC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
#22 (FCS) Jackson State (6-1) at Bethune-Cookman (4-3) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Stetson (1-6) at Morehead State (1-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
#23 (FCS) West Florida (4-2) at Eastern Kentucky (2-5) – (UAC vs. UAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-3) at Florida A&M (2-5) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
#2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX….
Quotes of the Week
“What we’re trying to do is give Julian and his family the space and privacy to go through this process. Based on the nature of the injury, we are putting together a plan for him not being available for the rest of the season and also him not being available for the postseason,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, on his injured quarterback Julian Sayin. Sayin suffered an injury to his right shoulder and throwing arm in last week’s win over Indiana.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
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