Week 8 college football first look: Penn State-Ohio State leads another Top 25 Separation Saturday

The second half of the 2023 college football season begins with a week that will earn that Separation Saturday moniker. 

The Big Ten showdown between Penn State and Ohio State leads that loaded slate with a Big Noon Kickoff on Fox. Week 8 should include four games between teams in the AP Top 25 when the poll is released Sunday.. That will be the first Big Ten East separator in the race with Michigan, who visits rival Michigan State in prime time. 

Those are not the only huge games on the schedule. Tennessee and Alabama meet in a battle of one-loss SEC teams. Can the Vols win at Bryant-Denny Stadium and knock the Crimson Tide out of the CFP race?

MORE: SN's CFB rankings from No. 1 (Georgia) to No. 133 (Sam Houston)

Duke travels to Florida State in an ACC prime-time matchup, and the Pac-12 grinder continues with a conference championship rematch between Utah and USC. 

With two weeks until the first College Football Playoff rankings are released, there will be more separation in Week 8. A closer look at those early storylines: 

Week 8 best college football games 

Penn State at Ohio State: Let the round robin begin

Penn State hasn't won at Ohio Stadium since 2011 – and coach James Franklin is 1-8 against the Buckeyes. That lone victory, however, was part of the Nittany Lions' last Big Ten championship season. 

Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar – a Medina, Ohio native – could be the difference this time. Allar (12 TDs, 0 INTs) and Ohio State's Kyle McCord (11 TDs, 1 INT) have not made mistakes, and they'll be up against tough defenses. Penn State (8.0 ppg.) and Ohio State (9.7 ppg.) trail only Michigan (6.8 ppg.) in scoring defense, and this is the first leg in that Big Ten East round robin. 

Ohio State coach Ryan Day made headlines with a post-game callout of Notre Dame's Lou Holtz after the Buckeyes' 17-14 victory in South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 23. That will not be necessary here. Both teams are tough enough to win the Big Ten championship. 

Since Penn State joined the Big Ten, the lowest scoring game between the teams was the Nittany Lions' 13-6 victory at The Shoe on Oct. 25, 2008. 

Tennessee at Alabama: Who wins elimination game in Tuscaloosa? 

It took a while for the smoke to clear after the rematch of last year's 52-49 thriller at Neyland Stadium. Now, the Vols have a chance to win back-to-back games in the series for the first time since 2003-04. 

Do not count on this to be the same kind of high-scoring affair as last season. Tennessee is grinding out victories under Josh Heupel with a methodical rushing attack. Quarterback Joe Milton has a 59.1% completion percentage with four TDs and four interceptions in SEC play this season. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has a 66.7% completion percentage with six TDs and two interceptions in four straight SEC victories. 

Which quarterback avoids those fatal mistakes in a game that should play out in the 20s? That will be the question, along with which team commits fewer penalties. Nick Saban has done a nice job getting Alabama back in the CFP hunt after the non-conference loss to Texas. This is the next step toward the SEC championship game. 

Duke at Florida State: Will Riley Leonard return for Blue Devils? 

Riley Leonard, who suffered an ankle injury on Sept. 30 in the loss to Notre Dame, did not start against NC State on Saturday. The Blue Devils won 24-3 against the Wolfpack, and now that sets up an ACC showdown at Florida State. Will Leonard be available? 

The Seminoles cannot afford to slip up in a tight ACC race, but they remain the team to beat in the conference. Florida State is 19-0 all time in the series against Duke, and the teams have not met since 2020.

Jordan Travis re-established the connection with Keon Coleman in a 41-3 blowout against Syracuse, and Johnny Wilson could return after missing that game with a lower body injury. This is the next piece in the ACC puzzle, and it will be more enticing if Leonard and Wilson are on the field.

Michigan at Michigan State: Will Spartans spoil Wolverines' season? 

This is the true definition of “throw the records out the window."

Michigan has outscored four Big Ten opponents by a combined score of 180-31 heading into a matchup with their in-state rival. 

This will be an emotional test for the Wolverines given the fight that broke out in the tunnel of last year's 29-7 victory at Michigan Stadium. The Spartans (2-4, 0-3 in Big Ten) will be all-in here for their prime-time spotlight game of the season, and they are the last team to beat Michigan in the regular season. That was a 37-33 shootout at Spartan Stadium on Oct. 30, 2021. Mark Dantonio – who was 8-5 against the Wolverines – is an associate coach for the Spartans under Harlon Barnett as they make the transition from Mel Tucker. This is Michigan State's bowl game after a 27-24 loss to Rutgers on Saturday. 

Harbaugh is 4-4 against the Spartans, but he's 2-1 in East Lansing. 

Utah at USC: Which Pac-12 team will be eliminated? 

Utah and USC met in a pair of classic shootouts last season, including a 47-24 victory in the Pac-12 championship game. Emotions will be high with the Trojans heading to the Big Ten and the Utes going to the Big 12. 

The stakes have changed heading into a Week 8 matchup. The loser will be out of the College Football Playoff mix. Utah turned to Bryson Barnes at quarterback, and Cam Rising's status remains up in the air. The Utes average 44 points per game in their last three victories against the Trojans, and USC has not answered the questions that have followed them from last year about their defense. 

How will USC bounce back from a five-turnover disaster in a 48-20 loss at Notre Dame? Caleb Williams threw three interceptions, and this was the worst loss under Lincoln Riley. The good news is it didn’t count in the Pac-12 standings. The bad news is there is no margin for error given the road ahead in the Pac-12.