We should expect nothing less than chaos every week in this new era of college football, as I continue to struggle for words to describe the wild outcomes that we seem to see each Saturday. We should have known that we were in for a crazy weekend with #2 Miami going down against Louisville on Friday night in a result that stunned all but those who watch ACC football. When the dust settled on Week 8, 4 more Top 10 teams lost, with #5 Ole Miss, #7 Texas Tech, and #10 LSU joining the Hurricanes in their fate. In total, 9 ranked teams lost this weekend while others – looking at you Texas – were lucky to survive against inferior opponents. 

Now, let’s take a look at the Week 8 action for Notre Dame opponents.

Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 48-34

MIAMI HURRICANES 

Record: 5-1
Week 8 Result: Lost 24-21 at Louisville

Recap: Carson Beck threw 4 interceptions, the vaunted Miami rushing attack managed just 63 yards on the ground, and Miami committed 9 penalties. A performance like that provides the perfect recipe for an upset, and that’s just what happened against the Cardinals. The Canes never led on Friday night and Miller Moss’ fourth quarter touchdown strike to Chris Bell extended the lead to an insurmountable 24-13. Without games against ACC leaders Georgia Tech and Virginia, Miami lost control of its own destiny for an ACC title game bid, but the Canes still have the inside track toward their first CFP bid. 

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Record: 7-0
Week 8 Result: Won 45-42 at Arkansas

Recap: The Aggies led just 21-20 at halftime but used a 17-7 edge in the third quarter to surge past a pesky Arkansas team on the road to remain the only unbeaten team in the SEC. QB Marcel Reed played one of the best games of his career, throwing for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding another 55 yards and a score on the ground. Still, Mike Elko and his defensive team have plenty to clean up, as the Razorbacks rolled up 527 total yards and 25 first downs on an Aggie team that wants to build around its defense. Next up is a road trip to Baton Rouge to face a desperate LSU team playing with its season on the line. 

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

Record: 2-5
Week 8 Result: Lost 19-0 at Northwestern 

Recap: After losing a couple competitive games, Purdue was utterly lifeless on Saturday in a 19-0 loss to Northwestern. QB Ryan Browne had been a bright spot for the Boilermakers during the rough start to the season, but he was limited to just 31 passing yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Purdue was unable to do much of anything on offense, achieving just 11 first downs and possessing the ball for a paltry 22:21. They’ll need Browne to be back to have any chance next weekend against Rutgers before a brutal closing slate of Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, and Indiana. Did the Boilermaker athletic department do something to draw the ire of the Big Ten league office?

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

Record: 2-5
Week 8 Result: Lost 45-42 vs. Texas A&M

The Razorbacks fell just short against #4 Texas A&M on Saturday night in Fayetteville, something that has been a common theme this season. QB Taylen Green was again brilliant, accounting for 341 total yards and 5 touchdowns, while RB Mike Washington Jr. rolled up 147 yards on the ground on just 16 carries. In the end, though, the Razorback defense had no answer for Marcel Reed and the Texas A&M offense. After this performance, Arkansas now ranks dead last in the SEC and 126th in the nation in total defense. Other than the blowout loss to Notre Dame, Arkansas’ other 4 losses have been by a combined 13 points. With little margin for error remaining to make a bowl, next week’s matchup with Auburn is a must-win. 

BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Record: 5-2
Week 8 Result: Won 56-31 vs. UNLV 

Recap: The road to the Mountain West title still runs through Boise, as the Broncos dispatched previously-undefeated UNLV with relative ease Saturday afternoon on the blue turf. Boise State outscored UNLV 21-0 in the third quarter to seize control of the game, with a dominant performance on the ground a big reason why. RB Dylan Riley rushed for 201 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries to pace a backfield that posted 294 yards and 3 scores on the ground. QB Maddux Madsen also ripped the Rebel defense for 253 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air on just 14 completions, and the Boise State defense harassed UNLV QB Anthony Colandrea all afternoon, accounting for 3 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Boise State will be favored the rest of the way with the road trip to San Diego State on November 15th being the biggest test remaining. The Broncos will be big fans of South Florida opponents the rest of the way, needing some help to get a second straight CFP bid. 

NC STATE WOLFPACK

Record: 4-3
Week 8 Result: Bye 

Recap: The Wolfpack were off this weekend after the 36-7 loss to Notre Dame. They’ll attempt to rebound against the difficult stretch of their schedule next weekend, traveling to a red-hot Pitt team before hosting #7 Georgia Tech and heading south to face #9 Miami. 

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

Record: 1-6
Week 8 Result: Lost 38-23 

Recap: In all likelihood, this still wasn’t rock bottom for Boston College, with games against Louisville, SMU, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech still remaining. The Eagles were dominated by UConn at home Saturday, allowing Husky QB Joe Fagnano to throw for a career-high 362 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Eagles took a slim 21-20 lead into halftime but UConn dominated the second half, seizing control of the game with 2 third quarter touchdowns, while Boston College punted three times, turned the ball over on downs, and kicked a field goal on their 5 second half drives. A road trip to #19 Louisville stands between Bill O’Brien’s team and a visit from the Fighting Irish. 

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

Record: 6-0
Week 8 Result: Bye 

Recap: The Midshipmen were off this weekend and after next weekend’s matchup with FAU, embark on their season-defining stretch of North Texas, Notre Dame, South Florida, Memphis, and rival Army. 

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Record: 5-2
Week 8 Result: Won 30-13 at Syracuse 

Recap: Pat Narduzzi’s decision to bench starting QB Eli Holstein in favor of freshman Mason Heintschel continues to look like one of the best coaching decisions of the seasons, with the Panthers winning their third straight on Saturday. It wasn’t as pretty as the first 2 outings, but Heintschel did enough to win, while the Pittsburgh special teams scored 16 points, with 3 field goals and a 66-yard Kenny Johnson punt return touchdown. The Pittsburgh defense also limited Syracuse to just 212 total yards and forced 3 turnovers. There’s still plenty for Narduzzi and staff to clean up though, starting with 13 penalties for 114 yards. The Panthers host NC State next weekend before traveling out West for a tricky game against Stanford. 

SYRACUSE ORANGE

Record: 3-4
Week 8 Result: Lost 30-13 vs. Pittsburgh 

Recap: It’s pretty clear why Syracuse coach Fran Brown dipped into the transfer portal to bring in Steve Angeli, as the Orange continue to spiral following Angeli’s injury with Rickie Collins at the helm. Remember, it was just a month ago the Orange dominated Clemson in Death Valley, but Angeli was lost to a torn Achilles in the second half of that game and it’s been all downhill since then. On Saturday against the Panthers, Collins completed just 15-31 passes for 126 yards and 3 interceptions as Syracuse managed just 212 total yards, wasting one of the best performances by the Orange defense this season. With Georgia Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame still looming, the Orange are going to need to pull off at least one upset to make a bowl, as it is looking more and more like a lost season after last season’s 10-win mark. 

STANFORD CARDINAL

Record: 3-4
Week 8 Result: Won 20-13 vs. Florida State 

Recap: The Cardinal rewarded those who stayed up late Saturday night with a wild win over Florida State that may have ended the Mike Norvell era in Tallahassee. The Cardinal led 13-10 at halftime and extended the lead to 20-10 after a 13-play, 94-yard drive capped off by a Cole Tabb touchdown run with 3:04 left in the third quarter. The Seminoles pulled within a touchdown and had a chance to tie the game on an untimed down after a wild sequence in the final minute, but RB Gavin Sawchuk was ruled down just short of the goal line, sending the crowd of hundreds on The Farm into pandemonium. The Cardinal travel to an angry Miami team next weekend, but with visits from Pitt and rival Cal sandwiching a road trip to reeling North Carolina, a path to an improbable bowl game still remains. 

This article was written by Andrew McDonough

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