Week 8 of the college football season is in the books, and several contenders made major statements on a wild Saturday. Ohio State topped Penn State 20-12 in the biggest Big Ten game of the year so far, as its defense shut down a Nittany Lions squad that simply couldn't find any spark in the passing game. The Buckeyes only allowed the Nittany Lions to convert one out of their 16 third down opportunities, which was big for an Ohio State program that is slowly but surely finding its identity as the season moves along.
Michigan topped rival Michigan State 49-0 after a tumultuous week for the Wolverines. The 60-minute beatdown of the Spartans provided a nice escape from the NCAA investigation into sign stealing and further solidified coach Jim Harbaugh's squad is a legit College Football Playoff contender for the third-straight season.
How did the CFP National Championship contenders grade out throughout Week 8? It's time to check out the report card for every national title contender with odds of +6000 better, according to the SportsLine consensus heading into Saturday's action.
College football grades: Week 8 report card
| Team | Odds | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 14/5 | n/a | Georgia had a bye |
 | 3-1 | A+ | Michigan had a tumultuous week after it was learned that the program is under NCAA investigation for sign stealing, but it didn't look like it on the field. The Wolverines steamrolled rival Michigan State 49-0 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Simply put, it was total domination for a Michigan team that has a strong case to be ranked No. 1. |
 | 17/2 | D- | Championship-level teams aren't supposed to sleepwalk like Washington did in its 15-7 win over Arizona State. The Huskies didn't score an offensive touchdown and needed 12 points in the final quarter to get the win. Heisman Trophy frontrunner Michael Penix Jr threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a hangover that looked worse than all three of the movies combined. |
 | 17/2 | A- | Florida State earned ACC frontrunner status in the 38-20 win over Duke on Saturday night. It was sloppy for 45 minutes, but the Seminoles found the end zone three times in the fourth quarter against a Blue Devil defense that was simply worn out. |
 | 10-1 | B+ | Ohio State's offense was a little shaky, and that's ok. Why? Because its defense was lights out in the 20-12 win over Penn State. It held the Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar to 18 of 42 passing. It wasn't a complete game. Far from it. But it was impressive because this game was played in the exact way Penn State wanted to play it, and Ohio State did it better. |
 | 12-1 | C+ | Penn State hadn't needed Allar to win a game with his arm this year. He was asked to do so against Ohio State, and it just didn't happen. He only completed 43% of his passes and threw for 191 yards in the 20-12 loss. It's very concerning that the Nittany Lions only averaged 3.9 sack-adjusted yards per carry since the rushing attack is supposed to be their strength. |
 | 13-1 | C+ | Texas probably needs to win out to have a chance to make the CFP, and the Longhorns barely kept that dream alive in the 31-24 win over Houston. The offense struggled even before star quarterback Quinn Ewers left with an injury. The defense had to get it done, and it held up its end of the bargain by allowing just 2.0 sack-adjusted yards per carry. The Longhorns entered the game as 24-point favorites, so this game shouldn't have been close. |
 | 14-1 | C- | Oklahoma was a 17-point favorite at kickoff, but the Sooners didn't play like it in the 31-29 win over UCF. This was an interesting game for a Sooners' team that went from 'hunter' to 'hunted' after the win over Texas two weeks ago. They didn't handle it well at all. The Sooners needed a failed two-point conversion by UCF with just over one minute to play to avoid overtime. |
 | 14-1 | B+ | The first half was sloppy in Alabama's 34-20 win over Tennessee, but the Crimson Tide flipped the script after halftime. They ripped off 27 straight points over the final 30 minutes due in large part to running back Jase McClellan -- who finished the day with 115 rushing yards and one touchdown. The defense sacked quarterback Joe Milton III three times and notched eight tackles for loss as the Crimson Tide stayed unblemished in conference play. |
 | 25-1 | B+ | Oregon wasn't perfect in the 38-24 win over Washington State, but the Ducks still showcased how versatile they can be. Running backs Bucky Irving and Jordan James each topped the 100-yard mark on the ground. However, the Ducks gave up 438 yards passing to Cougars quarterback Cam Ward. |
 | 40-1 | A+ | This might come as a shock, but LSU's offense was lights out. Sarcasm aside, this was the second straight week where the Tiger defense played like a championship-caliber unit in the 62-0 win over Army. It was essentially a perfect effort for coach Brian Kelly's crew. |
 | 60-1 | D+ | USC fell 34-32 on a walk-off field goal by Utah's Cole Becker to fall to 6-2. It essentially ends any chance the Trojans had to make the CFP. The defense got torched -- again -- and quarterback Caleb Williams couldn't find a way to do it himself. To USC's credit, it looked like Utah was on the brink running the Trojans out of the building multiple times, but the Trojans kept fighting. It wasn't enough, though. |
 | 60-1 | F | North Carolina's 31-27 loss to Virginia is about as embarrassing as it gets. This team not only had legitimate CFP hopes, but a manageable path to the ACC Championship Game. The latter is still there for the taking, but it would take a wild set of circumstances for coach Mack Brown to wipe away this blemish from the CFP resume. |
