Alabama vs. Tennessee, North Texas vs. Memphis predictions: College football odds, picks
A loss for either Alabama or Tennessee has the potential to knock one of the teams out of the College Football Playoff. That should translate to desperation and a more wide-open game on Saturday with both coaching staffs having no reason to hold anything back. Here are my best bets for Week 8 in college football:Nick Saban must be hate-watching the Alabama secondary this season.This year’s unit, while incredibly talented, lacks discipline, which is downright un-Saban-like.
It shows on tape with countless blown assignments and explosive plays through the air. Last week against South Carolina, LaNorris Sellers was able to burn the Crimson Tide with passes of at least 15 yards on four occasions, including a late 31-yard connection with Nyck Harbor in the end zone.This has been a recurring theme throughout the season, with receivers burning Alabama’s defense deep late in games. Can Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava cash in like Carson Beck, Diego Pavia and Sellers have in the past month? The first hurdle will be his coaching staff letting him. When operating at peak efficiency, Tennessee’s “Veer and Shoot” offense should include a flurry of deep shots.The offense’s original architect, Art Briles, coined the phrase “haymakers until the final bell.” This season, it’s decidedly more run-centric. Dylan Sampson has 73 carries over the past three weeks while Iamaleava has attempted just 76 passes.But those conservative game plans came against anemic offenses in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida.The Vols will have no choice but to air it out in Knoxville, Tenn., once the Alabama offense gets cooking.Kalen DeBoer is one of the game’s finest game-planners, and he’s up against a Vols defense that will struggle to communicate on the field.
Until he went down with a season-ending ACL injury, Keenan Pili, arguably Tennessee’s best defender, relayed calls from the coaching staff and made sure everyone was lined up properly pre-snap. With Pili out, Tennessee w...