We are into the second half of the 2023 college football season and the schedule is rapidly heating up with great games and storylines. With more than a dozen undefeated teams remaining -- many of which are scheduled to play at least one other undefeated over the next handful of weeks -- there is plenty that must still shake out before the College Football Playoff picture comes into clearer focus.
The first CFP Rankings of the season are just under two weeks out, and there's a good chance either No. 3 Ohio State or No. 7 Penn State -- more specifically, the winner of Saturday's rivalry game -- is a member of that initial four-team field. Quarterback Drew Allar hopes to end a six-game series losing streak for the Nittany Lions, while another significant win for coach Ryan Day will give him even more to boast about still a few weeks removed from The Game.
A CBS doubleheader brings two big-time matchups together in the afternoon windows as the first of three Commander-in-Chief's Trophy battles kicks off the day with No. 22 Air Force -- one of those remaining undefeateds -- seeking its fourth straight win over rival Navy. Appropriately, the Third Saturday in October will continue with No. 11 Alabama visiting No. 17 Tennessee with both one-loss SEC teams seeking to avoid being effectively eliminated from CFP contention.
The nightcaps are no slouches either with a pair of top-20 battles across the ACC and Pac-12. No. 4 Florida State looks to keep its spotless record together against a feisty No. 16 Duke team, while No. 18 USC eyes a rebound against No. 14 Utah.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let's take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 8.
Odds via SportsLine consensus| All times Eastern
No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State
7:30 p.m. | NBC,fubo(Try for free) --Nearly every Michigan game this season has followed the same formula: sleepy start, dominant drive, pull away and cover easily. While MSU presents a rivalry challenge, there's absolutely no reason to believe the Spartans have any chance of keeping up with the Wolverines. Michigan State held the margin of victory to 22 points last season in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but this Spartans team is notably worse and dealing with all sorts of off-field distractions.Pick: Michigan -24--Shehan Jeyarajah
 Dennis Dodd |  Tom Fornelli |  Chip Patterson |  Barrett Sallee |  Shehan Jeyarajah |  David Cobb |  Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSU +24 | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan St. | Michigan | Michigan St. | Michigan | Michigan |
| SU | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan |
No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State
7:30 p.m. | ABC,fubo(Try for free) --This is the toughest defense that Florida State has faced since Clemson, and the Tigers did not allow the Seminoles to gain the lead until overtime. I think Duke has the personnel to disrupt Jordan Travis' rhythm enough to keep it close, though with an X-factor like Keon Coleman, the Seminoles should be able to avoid the outright upset.Pick: Duke +14-- Chip Patterson
Dennis Dodd | Tom Fornelli | Chip Patterson | Barrett Sallee | Shehan Jeyarajah | David Cobb | Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSU -14 | Florida State | Duke | Duke | Duke | Duke | Duke | Duke |
| SU | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State |
No. 14 Utah at No. 18 USC
8 p.m. | Fox,fubo(Try for free) --Yes, USC's defense has looked downright awful against Pac-12 competition for most of the year. And yes, the Trojans offense must figure out its own issues against the No. 1 defense in the conference. Still, the gap in quarterback play between the two teams is just too wide to pick the Utes in this one. Utah keeps things interesting for a while, but this game becomes a shootout in the later rounds. Unfortunately for the Utes, they just don't have enough to win that wayPick: USC -6.5 -- Cameron Salerno
Dennis Dodd | Tom Fornelli | Chip Patterson | Barrett Sallee | Shehan Jeyarajah | David Cobb | Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC - 6.5 | Utah | USC | Utah | Utah | USC | Utah | Utah |
| SU | USC | USC | USC | Utah | USC | Utah | Utah |
No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State
Noon | Fox,fubo(Try for free) --I picked Penn State to cover the spread below, but that's more of a reflection of how I feel the game will be played than it is confidence in Penn State. I have far more confidence in both of these defenses than the offenses. My gut feeling is that this will be a close, low-scoring contest, and neither team will be capable of pulling away. If I'm betting anything here, it's the under.Pick: Under 45.5-- Tom Fornelli
Dennis Dodd | Tom Fornelli | Chip Patterson | Barrett Sallee | Shehan Jeyarajah | David Cobb | Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSU -4.5 | Ohio State | Penn State | Penn State | Ohio State | Penn State | Penn State | Ohio State |
| SU | Ohio State | Ohio State | Penn State | Ohio State | Ohio State | Penn State | Ohio State |
No. 22 Air Force at Navy
Noon | CBS,Paramount+ with Showtime,CBSSports.com,CBS Sports App--The logical pick here is Air Force, but this also feels like a trap game for the Falcons as they begin to navigate life without their starting quarterback. While not Navy's "Super Bowl" -- that doesn't come until Army rolls around in mid-December -- the Midshipmen have every reason to play a bit more inspired Saturday with a home crowd on their side. Keep in mind, too, that Air Force had lost four consecutive trips to Annapolis, Maryland, before finally clearing that hurdle during its most recent visit in 2021. The Falcons will improve to 7-0, but it's going to be a fight for the majority of the afternoon before they pull away for a late cover. Pick: Air Force -11.5-- Dean Straka
Dennis Dodd | Tom Fornelli | Chip Patterson | Barrett Sallee | Shehan Jeyarajah | David Cobb | Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAVY +11.5 | Air Force | Air Force | Navy | Air Force | Air Force | Navy | Air Force |
| SU | Air Force | Air Force | Air Force | Air Force | Air Force | Air Force | Air Force |
No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 17 Tennessee
3:30 p.m. | CBS,Paramount+ with Showtime,CBSSports.com,CBS Sports App--These teams both struggle throwing the football, and both defenses are excellent at racking up sacks and living in the backfield. That means life will be even harder than normal on a pair of quarterbacks who aren't great in the first place. Alabama should be amped up for revenge after Tennessee won a classic at Neyland Stadium last season. With home-field advantage on their side, look for the Crimson Tide to squeak out a close win without covering the spread.Pick: Tennessee +8.5--David Cobb
Dennis Dodd | Tom Fornelli | Chip Patterson | Barrett Sallee | Shehan Jeyarajah | David Cobb | Jerry Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALA -8.5 | Alabama | Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee | Alabama | Tennessee | Alabama |
| SU | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 8, and which underdogs will win outright?Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread-- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
