Before we get to any picks in this Week 8 rendition of “Big-Game Hunting,” let’s catch up on the college football season at roughly the midway point. Who’s hot? Who’s not? Who’s bringing the keg? Grilled onions or sauerkraut? A 10-item what-you-need-to-know heading into the second half of the season:
1. College Football Playoff rankings: The committee’s initial rankings will be unveiled Tuesday, Nov. 4. That means you still have 2½ weeks to get into tip-top complaining shape.
2. One, two, three, then SEC: Ohio State, Miami and Indiana are the top three teams in the Associated Press poll, but six of the next eight are from the SEC. Think it was controversial in some corners when the Big Ten got four teams into the 12-team playoff field last season? The SEC is fixin’ to surpass that. Cousin Cletus will be even more insufferable than usual at Thanksgiving.
3. Luck of the Irish? If two-loss Notre Dame wins out, its playoff chances will be better than coin-flip good. Some in the media are framing it as essentially a 50-50 proposition, but I think they’re missing the picture. Notre Dame — on a 10-game winning streak — out in the cold looking in at the party with its nose pressed against the glass? Come on, not happening.
4. American heroes: The Group of Five playoff rep last season was Boise State from the Mountain West. Bet on the one this season coming from the American. The beauty is there are several from that league — Memphis, South Florida, Tulane, even Navy and North Texas — still in the running.
5. All the unbeatens: BYU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Memphis, Navy, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and UNLV are 6-0.
6. Coaching jobs already open: Arkansas, Kent State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Penn State, Stanford, UAB, UCLA and Virginia Tech. All have interim coaches in place.
7. Coaching jobs soon to be open: Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell, Florida’s Billy Napier and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze are on the hottest of seats.
8. First-half Heisman: My all-important vote for this nonexistent award goes to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Most expected QB to be a relative weakness for the Crimson Tide this season. Instead, Simpson — finally starting in his fourth year in Tuscaloosa — has been the best player on potentially the SEC’s best team.
9. End-of-season Heisman: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, come on down. Unless it’s Simpson, come on down. Miami QB Carson Beck kissed his chances goodbye with four interceptions Friday in a loss to Louisville.
10. Games of the second half: USC at Notre Dame on Saturday is huge for both playoff hopefuls. Later come Texas A&M at LSU (Week 9), LSU at Alabama (Week 11), Texas at Georgia (Week 12), Georgia at Georgia Tech (Week 14), Texas A&M at Texas (Week 14) and Ohio State at Michigan (Week 14).
Week 8 picks
All games are Saturday.
No. 10 LSU (+1½) at No. 17 Vanderbilt (11 a.m., ABC 7): LSU opened as a 3½-point favorite, but bettors piled onto this wild, crazy Vandy bandwagon that has been so much unexpected fun. Are they right? I’m taking the visitors.
Purdue (+3) at Northwestern (2 p.m., BTN, 720-AM): The Wildcats couldn’t lose to the Boilermakers seven days after winning at Penn State, could they? No, really, could they? Wildcats by just enough whiskers, 28-24.
No. 20 USC (+9½) at No. 13 Notre Dame (6:30 p.m., NBC 5, Peacock, 780-AM): If the Irish survive this one, they’re going to the playoff. They do — in a real Shillelagh smasher — 38-34.
No. 11 Tennessee (+8½) at No. 6 Alabama (6:30 p.m., ABC 7): The Volunteers are never more than a breath away from the next big play on offense. I might have picked them to win if not for QB Joey Aguilar’s habit of living dangerously. Tide pick off Aguilar to seal a 35-27 victory.
No. 23 Utah (-3½) at No. 15 BYU (7 p.m., Fox 32): For the first time since 2009, both teams are ranked for the Holy War. Lordy, this is a big one. Utes, 23-21.
My favorite favorite: No. 9 Georgia (-6½) vs. No. 5 Ole Miss (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss has had a sensational month, but this is the first road start of his SEC life. File this under ‘‘See it, then maybe believe it.’’ Bulldogs get it done.
My favorite underdog: Washington (+5½) at Michigan (11 a.m., Fox 32): The Wolverines don’t score easily and don’t have a truly top-tier Big Ten defense this season. If the Huskies don’t fall into the early-kickoff-three-time-zones-away trap, they win.
Last week: 4-3 straight up, 3-4 against the spread.
Season to date: 32-17, 24-25.