With each passing week of the college football season, the national championship picture becomes clearer. More and more teams are dropping out, and with that comes a ton of storylines and games to monitor on this Week 8 slate. There are a few marquee matchups across the country, but the biggest might be in Columbus with Penn State and Ohio State matching up. Both teams will get one step closer to punching their playoff ticket with a win, so this is as big as it gets in terms of importance. Let’s dive into this matchup and the best CFB Week 8 upset pick.
CFB Week 8 Upset & Underdog Pick
Penn State-Ohio State Upset Pick
Penn State has the underdog label as a 4.5-point road dog at around +165 on the moneyline. The game being in Columbus is one of the major factors in front of 100,000 strong. However, this Penn State team is no joke, having beaten every opponent by 17 or more this season and bringing loads of talent on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Drew Allar is in full control of this offense with 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, even if the level of competition increases dramatically this week. He has a great offensive line protecting him and two running backs that most teams would gladly take. Penn State has answered every test so far with flying colors; it’s just the unknown of how it will handle a road test of this magnitude.
Ohio State is also unbeaten at 6-0, but unlike Penn State, the Buckeyes have been tests. They were as close as they could be to a loss at Notre Dame, winning on a last-second dramatic touchdown engineered by quarterback Kyle McCord. McCord running this offense was probably the biggest question heading into the season, and the jury is still out. The stats look good, and he has Marvin Harrison Jr. on the outside, but this is going to be his toughest challenge against Penn State and this defense. Being at home, of course, will help him get the job done, and like Allar he has every weapon imaginable. The Ohio State offensive line is a key to this game, as it needs to give McCord time and a clean pocket to get this win.
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It’s a fascinating matchup between two teams that could easily find themselves in the playoff. Penn State is more unknown, as Iowa and West Virginia are the two best wins on the resume, and both were at home. Ohio State has the more impressive resume with the Notre Dame win, but at times the Buckeyes have looked very beatable, including at home when Maryland had them on the ropes for a large portion of that game. In a situation like this, it makes more sense to side with the unknown at +4.5 and over 1.5-1 on the moneyline. Penn State has everything it needs to go into a hostile environment and get a win, and after Saturday there’s a very real chance the Nittany Lions will become one of the favorites in the national championship picture.
CFB Week 8 Upset Pick: Penn State +4.5, Penn State Moneyline (+164) at DraftKings
OddsShopper College Football Tools & Tips
Looking for more 2023 college football predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down this college football season — make sure to check out the rest of our college football articles, including our best bets for Week 8. If you still need more picks, our market-based betting model might just be for you — you can even try it out now!
