Week 8 is the final weekend of the college football season before the College Football Playoff rankings start becoming a weekly factor.
This week features four matchups between ranked teams, including No. 6 Michigan at No. 24 Michigan State, No. 16 N.C. State at No. 3 Clemson, No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU and No. 25 Washington State at No. 12 Oregon.
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It's also the third Saturday in October, meaning No. 1 Alabama takes on Tennessee in yet another matchup between Nick Saban and one of his former assistants, this time former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
With that in mind, here's a look at this week's Heisman watch, coach on the spot, upset alert and what else to look forward to heading into Week 8.
Heisman Watch
Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa isn't the only one with a series of head-turning stats this season. Take Clemson's Travis Etienne, for example. The sophomore running back has 762 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on just 83 carries and was named a Sporting News midseason All-American this week.
He's one of the most efficient and prolific backs in college football, and that's a big reason why Clemson is second in the FBS with 7.0 yards per rushing attempt. He averages 9.2 yards per carry, first among Power 5 backs and third nationally, behind only Memphis' Darrell Henderson (10.3 ypc) and Tulane’s Corey Dauphine (9.6 ypc). Etienne also has 25 touchdowns in just 190 carries through two seasons, averaging a touchdown run once every 7.6 carries.
"He's one of the most explosive players we've had come through here," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said on the ACC teleconference on Wednesday. "Right now he leads us, career-wise, in yards per carry. Some of these games he's had more work than others.
"We have four backs that we really like, and we try to keep them fresh, but we all know for us to be successful Travis has to have a certain amount of numbers," he said. "Sometimes the games will dictate just how many."
Etienne also is coming off back-to-back three-touchdown games heading into Saturday's matchup against N.C. State. Etienne had just eight carries for 31 yards in last year's 38-31 victory against the Wolfpack, but N.C. State Dave Doeren knows it will be more difficult to stymie him this season.
"What makes them challenging is their tailback is the fastest guy on the field," Doeren said. "When No. 9 is in the game, he is super explosive. … He just adds a different dimension to their run game."
If there's any running back who can crash the quarterback party heading to New York City, then it's Etienne.
Coach on the spot
Jim Harbaugh set the tone for Michigan State week at his news conference Monday when he said, "I think we could all use a break from the cliches that have been plowed so thoroughly on both sides."
In other words, enough of the "Little Brother, Little Sister" talk. When it comes to in-state rivalries, few are this heated right now. That's because Michigan State took control of the previously dormant series behind Mark Dantonio, who has led the Spartans to victories in eight of the last 11 meetings. That includes a 2-1 record against Harbaugh heading into Saturday's matchup in East Lansing, the latest round of eliminations from Big Ten contention — and, potentially for Michigan, the Playoff.
The Spartans have the top run defense in the FBS (62.3 ypg) while the Wolverines rank No. 15 (108.9 ypg), something Dantonio knows will play a factor in this game.
"Michigan has an outstanding defense," Dantonio said on the Big Ten teleconference on Tuesday. "They will be difficult to game plan for and difficult to execute (against), but we will do our best. It's a challenge."
The stakes are the same for both schools, whether they admit it or not. This — more than most on the schedule — just isn't a game you want to lose. For Michigan, it's a chance for Harbaugh to silence critics who continually cite his 1-6 combined record against Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. For Dantonio, it's a chance to silence critics who point to the Spartans’ 17-14 record since the start of the 2016 season.
The winner gets the Paul Bunyan Trophy and a shot at usurping Ohio State in the Big Ten East. That's a handsome reward for a rivalry that should be intense on both sides.
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Upset alert
Last week, we put Washington, West Virginia and UCF on alert and were one-point away from seeing all three teams go down.
Michigan State over Michigan would be an upset in Vegas, but there's almost more pressure on the Wolverines to win that game given the recent history. The Washington State-Oregon line has bounced between both teams, and the Cougars are now a 2.5-point favorite. That's not really an upset if Oregon wins.
We didn't predict that major upset this week, but here are two games that could be close — or could be blowouts. No. 22 Mississippi State beat LSU 37-7 last season and is coming off a bye week. A Bulldogs victory would mean the Tigers got caught looking ahead to Alabama. Purdue picked prime time to welcome No. 2 Ohio State. The Boilermakers have given the Buckeyes fits in the past, but it's worth knowing the last meeting in West Lafayette was a 56-0 blowout in 2013.
Keep an eye on those two games.
Think about it
There are so many stats, but sometimes it comes down to which teams score the most points and give up the fewest. In that regard, there are nine FBS teams that rank in the top 25 in scoring offense and scoring defense:
You'll find three of those teams — Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson — among the top four in the first College Football Playoff rankings, if they win this weekend. Georgia and Michigan, meanwhile, will be in the first four out. This combination is why the Bulldogs and Wolverines will stay in the conversation if they keep winning — especially because their Playoff hopes rest on beating Alabama and Ohio State, respectively.
It's also why questions will continue to be asked about "how good" Notre Dame and LSU are. The Irish rank 22nd in scoring defense (18.7) but 47th in scoring offense (32.6). The Tigers rank 17th in scoring defense (16.9) but 51st in scoring offense (32.0). Notre Dame and LSU have great wins over Michigan and Georgia, respectively, but those schools will be treated a differently if they lose now.
