The Week 8 college football schedule is not great by any stretch of the imagination.
There are no games involving two Top 25 teams and the biggest matchups on paper involve a pair of Top 10 teams visiting two disappointing squads in the Pac-12 and Big 12.
Most of us are waiting until next Saturday's massive set of Big Ten games, which is why this weekend's light slate is excusable.
Even though the slate is not great on paper, we still found a handful of bets that can give us winners on Saturday.
Week 8 Picks
Joe Tansey (44-35 overall)
Syracuse at Virginia Tech (-3.5) (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Syracuse had some of the worst late-game management you will ever see in a college football game last Friday against Clemson.
The Orange are using the wrong quarterback with Garrett Shrader starting over Tommy DeVito, their top wide receiver entered the transfer portal and head coach Dino Babers proved that he just isn't very good.
Syracuse is 0-3 in the ACC and it failed to take advantage of its home comforts in the last two weeks against Wake Forest and Clemson.
Virginia Tech is firmly supplanted in the middle of the ACC, but it is still the better team than Syracuse. The Hokies give up almost three points fewer per game on defense.
The Hokies could use Saturday's home game as a get-right spot to kick off the easier stretch of their schedule.
Oklahoma State (+7.5) at Iowa State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
I'm still not quite sure what to make of this line.
Oklahoma State is the better team on paper, but it is coming off an emotional road win over Texas and Iowa State is still a solid team that will be hard to beat at home.
The Cyclones suffered two defeats to Iowa and Baylor, but they corrected themselves against Kansas and Kansas State in the last two weeks.
Iowa State has the better scoring offense and the superior rushing defense, so the numbers suggest it can win.
But will the Cyclones cover the spread that has gone over a touchdown? I'm not quite sure of that.
Oklahoma State will not get blown out. There is a good chance it will cover if it does not win. I'm willing to trust the Cowboys defense to at least do that.
BYU (-4.5) at Washington State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
I feel very bad for the players on the Washington State roster.
Wazzu head coach Nick Rolovich and a few other staffers were let go due to the Washington state vaccine mandate.
Wazzu is 4-3 with a three-game winning streak, but it faces a tough set of circumstances and a difficult opponent in BYU on Saturday.
BYU and Washington State have identical defenses. They both allow 391.9 yards per game. BYU averages 32 yards per game more on offense.
The visiting Cougars need a win after losing back-to-back games to Boise State and Baylor. This looks like a spot to get back on the right track.
Oregon (+1.5) at UCLA (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Oregon has not played great since its win over Ohio State, but it has been able to find ways to win in most contests.
Last week, the Ducks rallied from a seven-point deficit at home to beat Cal. That performance showed me how much fight the Ducks have.
In order to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, the Ducks need to win out and capture the Pac-12 Championship Game.
UCLA presents a tricky test for Oregon, but the Ducks have the edge based off their performance against top-tier opponents.
The Bruins' win over LSU looks worse by the week and they fell against Fresno State and Arizona State, who are the two best teams on their schedule to date.
Oregon's defense held three of its last four opponents under 20 points. If it can do the same on Saturday, it should leave Westwood with a win.
Clemson (+3.5) at Pittsburgh (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Alright, Clemson show us what you got here.
The Tigers put together a two-game winning streak against Boston College and Syracuse thanks to their defense.
Clemson's defense allows 12.5 points per game, 201.7 pass yards per contest and 113 rush yards per game.
Dabo Swinney's team can limit the production of Kenny Pickett and the Pitt offense. Pickett worked his way into the Heisman Trophy discussion with 24 total touchdowns.
If Clemson's defense holds Pitt under 20 points, the Tigers can absolutely win the game outright with a few big plays.
I don't have enough trust in Clemson to bet the money line, so I'm going to put faith in its defense that it will at least keep the game close.
UTSA (-5.5) at Louisiana Tech (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
UTSA is the best team you have not heard about yet.
The Roadrunners broke into the Top 25 for the first time in program history and they have a favorable matchup to get to 8-0.
UTSA is 5-1 against the spread and it carries a significant advantage over Louisiana Tech. The Roadrunners concede 12 fewer points per game than the Bulldogs.
UTSA running back Sincere McCormick is one of the best Group of Five players in the country and he should run rampant against a Louisiana Tech defense that allows 457.5 yards per game.
South Carolina at Texas A&M (Over 44.5) (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Texas A&M should beat the ever-living snot out of South Carolina on Saturday.
The Aggies avoided a let down last week by posting 35 points on Missouri in a road game. That contest featured 49 points.
South Carolina let up over 40 points in two of its last three losses to Georgia and Tennessee.
Texas A&M's offense should ran all over the Gamecocks, but its defense is not great enough to hold South Carolina scoreless. Look for South Carolina to score a touchdown or two to aid the low total.
Jon Jansen (7-13)
Western Michigan (-1.5) vs. Toledo (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
Western Michigan is having a solid year so far and it looks to be one of the MAC's best.
The Broncos do have some problems defensively, but I don't think that will be an issue in this game. Toledo's offense looks broken and its PPG total is a bit skewed because of a 45-point outing against UMASS and a 49-point game against Norfolk State. The last five games have been tough on the Toledo offense and they might just be broken at this point.
Oklahoma State (+7) vs. Iowa State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Everyone has hopped on the Iowa State train this weekend. While I do believe Iowa State has a chance to win this game, seven points is way too much.
I don't know where the trust of this Cyclones team comes from. They do have one of the nation's best running backs, but they're going up a stout rush defense in Oklahoma State. This should be a low-scoring, close game so I want to get the seven points here.
NC State (-3.5) vs. Miami (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
The Wolfpack have quietly put together a really solid start to the season with a 5-1 record.
Since the Mississippi State loss, the Wolfpack have won four straight and just last week completely stonewalled the Boston College offense.
Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes are just falling apart at the seams. Quarterback D'Eriq King is out for the season now and there's not much left for this Miami offense. Wide Receiver Charlston Rambo is fantastic but I just have no idea how they get it to him and don't think he'll be enough.