SOONER WIRE - The 2025 college football season rolls on to Week 8, as we’re about halfway through what’s been an incredible regular season so far this year. The college football calendar is far too short, and every week matters so much. The Oklahoma Sooners, after losing against Texas in one of the biggest games of Week 7, will be on the road in Week 8, facing South Carolina.

This weekend features another great slate of games, with the biggest matchups coming in the SEC. The league is so deep and has so many good teams, and all 16 schools will be in action in conference games on Saturday.

However, it’s not just the SEC that has big games, as our rankings for this week also include a classic college football rivalry and another big game in the Big 12. While our focus will be on how the Sooners play in a bounce-back opportunity against the Gamecocks, we’ll also have our eye on the rest of the games going on this week.

Here are the five best college football games to watch in Week 8.

1. Ole Miss at Georgia, 2:30 p.m. CT

The Rebels and the Bulldogs will meet in the biggest game of the week, with both teams looking like two of the best teams in the SEC. Ole Miss is undefeated and has notched some big wins already, but they struggled with Washington State last week. Georgia has that loss to Alabama from a few weeks back, but they’ve looked really good other than that night.

Lane Kiffin’s team won this game in Oxford last year, but Kirby Smart and the Dawgs dominated the last time this matchup was played in Athens. The Rebs will need another explosive day offensively if they want to deal the Bulldogs another loss before the month of November. Georgia will lean on its defense, and they have a big opportunity to get right back in the thick of things in the SEC.

2. Tennessee at Alabama, 6:30 p.m. CT

Tennessee and Alabama will renew their rivalry in another huge SEC tilt, with this edition coming in Tuscaloosa.

The Volunteers won in Knoxville last year, but head coach Josh Heupel has never beaten the Crimson Tide on the road. Kalen DeBoer and ‘Bama started the year rough with a loss to Florida State, but they’ve rebounded with huge wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Missouri in consecutive weeks.

The Vols have already lost to Georgia, and they’ve had closer-than-expected wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas since then. However, they’ve had good fortune against the Tide over the past three seasons, going 2-1. Quarterback play will be big in this one, as Joey Aguilar and Ty Simpson are two of the SEC’s best.

3. LSU at Vanderbilt, 11:00 a.m. CT

The Tigers and the Commodores meet in yet another important SEC contest. Both teams have one loss in league play, with LSU losing to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt losing to Alabama. As good as the conference is in 2025, there’s a lot of jockeying for position under the early leaders in the clubhouse (currently Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Alabama). Brian Kelly and Clark Lea will lead their teams into a game that’s a bit under the radar this week.

Two veteran quarterbacks will duel in Nashville on Saturday afternoon, as Garrett Nussmeier and Diego Pavia will look to lead their teams to another conference win. LSU won last year in Baton Rouge, but Vandy looks like a team that can play with almost anyone in the SEC.

4. USC at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m. CT

Another rivalry renewal in primetime will see USC and Notre Dame go at it in South Bend. This game is big for both teams, as the Trojans have already lost one and the Fighting Irish have already lost two. Lincoln Riley and Marcus Freeman know that it’ll be an uphill battle for their programs to make the College Football Playoff if they lose this game.

Southern California hasn’t won this matchup since 2022, losing in Los Angeles in blowout fashion last season. The Irish were national runners-up last year, but they’re trying to rebound after a tough start to this season. Both quarterbacks are playing well through the last few weeks, as Jayden Maiava and CJ Carr will have to be on point in a big game on Saturday night.

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