College Playoff Futures Bets for Week 8: The Vols Could Be Contenders
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College Playoff Futures Bets for Week 8: The Vols Could Be Contenders

After a week of upsets, who are our favorite bets to make the College Football Playoffs? John Supowitz shares his three top picks heading into Week 8.

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As we get deeper into college football conference play, we’re getting a clearer picture of the teams that look like contenders. Last week was one of the most shocking in college football this season. There were six upsets, including two top-ten teams losing to unranked teams. This has changed the College Football Playoff landscape.

We’ll look at three teams that have a chance to make the College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff Futures - Week 8

Georgia Bulldogs (-1100)

Georgia losing to an unranked Auburn isn’t ideal, but it's not as bad as it seems. Auburn’s only losses this season were in close games to Florida and an up-and-coming Tennessee.

The loss came on a last-second field goal, and Georgia stayed competitive throughout.

Talent-wise, they are still one of the best teams in the nation, ranking second in points per game (43.0) and 17th in points allowed per game (15.8).

Georgia could benefit from a resume-building upcoming schedule. Its next three games are against No. 20 Florida, No. 7 Ole Miss, and No. 22 Missouri. If Georgia wins these games, it'll have a 4-0 record against ranked opponents.

This is still a Bulldogs team that has won three of the last four SEC Championships. The Bulldogs still have a good shot at the playoffs.

BYU Cougars (-140)

This was BYU’s first big test of the year, as they hosted No. 2 Notre Dame last week. The matchup turned into a classic, with the Fighting Irish staging an 11-point fourth-quarter comeback to take a 24-21 lead. The Cougars put together a game-winning touchdown drive to secure a 28-24 victory. 

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier had one of his best performances against an excellent Notre Dame defense, throwing for 224 yards and one passing touchdown, rushing for 45 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and catching a 15-yard touchdown pass.

The BYU defense did a great job containing an excellent Notre Dame offense, holding it to 376 total yards, the Fighting Irish’s second-lowest total of the season. The Cougars' defensive unit has been strong, allowing 17 or fewer points in four of six games this season.

The biggest concern for the offense is that the Cougars might struggle if their opponent can contain Bachmeier. Running back LJ Martin might miss the rest of the regular season with an injury. Running Back Preston Rex averaged 6.6 yards on ten carries against Notre Dame, but only 3.1 yards per carry in the previous two games.

They still face challenges before the end of the regular season. In a couple of weeks, they take on No. 10 Utah. Neither BYU nor Utah plays Texas Tech in the regular season, so this matchup could determine a berth in the Big 12 Championship.

Tennessee Volunteers (+154)

After last week, the race for the SEC Championship is wide open. Every team in the conference has at least one loss, and 12 of the 16 teams are within a game of each other.

Tennessee is one of them, and you might need to take them seriously as a playoff contender. The Volunteers climbed all the way to the Rocky Top and convincingly beat Alabama 26-10, keeping the Crimson Tide scoreless for three quarters.

Running back DeSean Bishop is driving the offense and is one of the country's best. Since Week 5, he has led the nation in rushing yards (517) and yards after contact (389).

Bishop has masked a below-average passing attack. Quarterback George MacIntyre recently took over the starting job after Faizon Brandon struggled early in the year. MacIntyre hasn’t been much better, averaging 222 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his two starts.

Tennessee’s defense could be the best in the conference. It allows the fewest points per game in the SEC (14.7) and the second-fewest touchdowns. 

There’s plenty of football left, and the Vols still play No. 12 Kentucky and No. 18 LSU, but it feels like even if they don’t win the SEC title, they could still get an at-large bid.

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