College football preview: Texas-Georgia, Zombieland event and more ahead of

Oct 17, 2024, 07:00 AM ET Week 8 is here as we look toward multiple amazing conference matchups on Saturday’s slate of games. With how this season’s matches have been panning out, these are ones you won’t wish to miss.No.

5 Georgia handles No. 1 Texas in Austin as the Bulldogs aim to hand the Longhorns their very first loss of the season. The Bulldogs understand it’ll take a complete effort to take down their top-ranked challenger, especially in Longhorns area, however what exactly does Georgia require to concentrate on to win Saturday?No. 11 Alabama will take a trip to Neyland Arena as the Crimson Tide play No. 7 Tennessee in another exciting SEC match. Both teams are 5-1 (2-1 in SEC play )on the season, and as we’re at the midseason point, the stakes are even higher with the playoff not too far. Could this game identify who might be out of the playoff picture?It’s a touchdown celebration that you may have seen throughout college football and in the NFL this season. It acquired national attention when Miami QB Webcam Ward hit the event after a touchdown, however it didn’t start with Ward. So where did it come from?Our college football experts preview storylines and huge matchups to learn about ahead of Week 8

. What each team requires to capitalize on to win Texas: The Longhorns’death game will require to keep Georgia off balance. Quinn Ewers returned last Saturday

vs. Oklahoma, his very first game because getting hurt against UTSA on Sept. 14. He threw for 199 backyards and struggled early, with Texas acquiring simply 13 first-quarter backyards before the Longhorns started cracking away. The difference was when Ewers had time. The Sooners got pressure on 12 of his 32 dropbacks, and he went 3-of-9 with an interception on those attempts. But when he wasn’t pressured, he was 17-of-20 for 191 yards and a goal. Oklahoma also reduced the field: 18 of his 29 pass attempts were tossed within 5 backyards of the line of skirmish, and he averaged a career-low 1.7 air yards on his conclusions, according to ESPN Research. By keeping the chains moving, the Longhorns were able to get production at running back from Quintrevion Wisner, who ran 19 times for 72 backyards(3.8 backyards per bring)in the Longhorns ‘very first 3 games however has actually balanced 7.9 yards per carry and totaled 206 yards over the previous 2 games, consisting of a career-high 118 against Oklahoma.– Dave Wilson

ESPN is set to host a memorable experience in Austin, Texas, unifying college football and Formula 1 fans from Thursday through Sunday. ESPN reveals, from College GameDay to SportsCenter, will feature on-site broadcasts.Saturday: No. 5 Georgia-No

. 1 Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET
– See on ABC/ESPN+|Register today

Sunday: F1 Grand Prix at COTA, 3 p.m. ET
– See on ABC/ESPN+|Subscribe now

Georgia: Kirby Smart talked today about his desire for the No. 5 Bulldogs to play a complete game, which they haven’t done because their 34-3 rout of Clemson in the season opener. Georgia left to slow starts at Kentucky and Alabama, then struggled to put away Mississippi State in the 2nd half in the house recently. There’s no concern it’s going to require a total effort to take down No. 1 Texas on the roadway on Saturday. The Bulldogs require to generate turnovers (five in 6 games, 2nd fewest in the SEC) and reduce penalties (71.5 yards per game, third most in the league). The defense needs to take on well– the Bulldogs are averaging 9.6 missed out on takes on per contest– and do a much better job on 50-50 balls. Offensively, Georgia has had a hard time to get its running game going, which won’t be easy against a Texas defense that is enabling just 103.7 yards hurrying per game. Quarterback Carson Beck has actually played well sometimes however requires to reduce his interceptions and not require tosses into tight windows. Georgia has currently used the roadway twice and may be more battle-tested than Texas. It’s probably not a CFP elimination game provided the Bulldogs’ schedule strength, but losing in Austin would undoubtedly leave them no margin for error the remainder of the way.– Mark Schlabach

Zombieland event

Miami QB Webcam Ward commemorates a goal by doing the Zombieland event against Virginia Tech. Megan Briggs/Getty Images For weeks, the goal celebration that Camera Ward ushered into the nationwide spotlight was surrounded with a lot secret, even he demurred when requested a deeper meaning.”I don’t know if the world’s all set for that right now,” he said with a laugh a couple of weeks ago.After some

gentle prodding, however, he relented.

“You have to ask my old OC, Ben Arbuckle, at Washington State,” Ward explained.Challenge accepted.Arbuckle chuckles when inquired about the event

that Ward has actually brought to life– throughout college football and into the NFL.” The Zombieland,” Arbuckle says.”It’s a nationwide treasure now.

“Arbuckle got here as the offensive coordinator at Washington State in 2023 after working as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western Kentucky. In order to familiarize Ward with the offense he wished to run, Arbuckle revealed him cut-ups from his time with the Hilltoppers.It was throughout one of those sessions that Ward discovered a player doing an unique event after scoring a touchdown. He positioned his left turn over his face mask and tumbled his ideal arm straight in front of him. Intrigued, Ward asked Arbuckle, “What is he doing?” Arbuckle informed him about Zombieland. Ward stated just, “I’m going to begin doing it

.”That player Ward seen? Western Kentucky receiver Daewood Davis. But what exactly does Zombieland mean? Arbuckle said his players informed him it suggested they were informing their opponents,”You stink like a zombie.” In a phone interview with ESPN, Davis explained the initial meaning. During fall camp in 2022, Davis said one of his colleagues, a defensive back called Upton Stout, initially did the celebration after a pass breakup. “It came out of nowhere,”Davis said. Then he decided to do it after scoring a touchdown. He keeps in mind protective back Kahlef Hailassie doing it, too. Eventually, the entire group used it as its signature celebration. play 0:30 Daewood Davis hits Zombieland event after hauling in 44-yard TD for Western Kentucky vs. Indiana Daewood Davis hauls in 44-yard TD for Western Kentucky vs. Indiana Now it needed a name. The players created”Zombieland”due to the fact that zombies are unstoppable and difficult to

kill. Davis proudly announced he was the very first player to do the celebration on national television, when he did it following a goal catch versus Indiana in 2022. Soon, the Hilltoppers started attaching various meanings to Zombieland, including a jab at their challengers for well, stinking like a zombie. Davis said they strove to make the event go viral in 2022 however had no luck. The very first time he saw Ward do it, he was so stunned, he turned to his better half and stated,”He’s doing our event!””I didn’t even understand how he understood about it,” Davis stated.”I forgot our old OC went to Wazzu.”Ward in fact began doing it at Washington State in 2023, as he promised Arbuckle he would. The very first time he did it in a game protested Oregon State last September. Ward threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to

Kyle Williams on the second play of the game.”Web cam got struck when he threw it, however he remained on his feet. So he drifted over to the far sideline and he offered [then-Oregon State coach] Jonathan Smith the Zombieland right in his face

,”Arbuckle said.”And I was like, ‘Oh my god. ‘” Ward knew he would continue doing the event when he transferred to Miami. “I didn’t develop it, but I’m going to blow it up. The entire nation is doing it now.”Earlier this season, Washington State faced San José State and former Wazzu quarterback Emmett Brown.”He threw like 4 touchdowns and he struck the celebration every single time, “Arbuckle said.”I resembled, ‘Oh, we’re getting Zombied right now.'”Davis was seeing when Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers hit the event a couple of weeks ago versus Seattle, and he made sure to let the world know on social media where it all began.” It’s surreal, “Davis said.”To see NFL players striking it,

Webcam hitting it, there’s some other college players hitting it, male, it’s like we actually set a pattern. We left our piece people in football. When I see someone do it, I can be like,’That’s me right there.'”– Andrea Adelson Might Alabama-Tennessee be a removal game from the playoff?This variation of the Third Saturday in October sets up as a lot more than simply one of the SEC’s many storied rivalries, a competition that has actually been dominated by Alabama over the previous twenty years. The Crimson Tide have actually won 16 of the past 17 games in the series and reeled off 15 in a row until Tennessee won a 52-49

thriller the last time Alabama ventured to Neyland Arena in 2022. As we move into the 2nd half of the college football season, the stakes get higher in regards to the playoff. The loser Saturday may not necessarily be out of the playoff picture, however it will find itself quite on the fringes. Alabama and Tennessee are both 5-1 and 2-1 in the conference, and both teams still face difficult tests on the road. Alabama travels to LSU on Nov. 9, and Tennessee takes a trip to Georgia on Nov. 16. Another method to take a look at it is that both groups would still have opportunities for marquee success even if they were to lose this weekend. Either way, a three-loss group making the playoff in the first year of the 12-team format seems unlikely.Editor’s Picks 2 Related In a great deal of methods, Alabama and Tennessee mirror each other this season. They both lost to unranked teams on the road, the Tide to Vanderbilt and the Vols to Arkansas. Alabama’s defense is trying to shore up the holes after enabling 90 points in its past 10 quarters. Tennessee’s offense is trying to find some pop after failing to score more than two goals in guideline in each of its previous three games. If that’s insufficient, the 2 coaches– Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel– are both from South Dakota.This will be DeBoer’s first taste of the rivalry after changing Nick Saban this season. Both fan bases came into this season completely anticipating to be in the playoff. It won’t be an enjoyable offseason at either place if the season ends without a playoff appearance. But for DeBoer to miss out on the postseason in Year 1 after Alabama has actually played in either the BCS title game or the playoff in 10 of the previous 13 years would send Tide fans into a frenzy, specifically if two of the losses were( gasp) to Tennessee and Vanderbilt.– Chris Low Five surprises from groups as we approach the midseason point Ashton Jeanty is making a push for the Heisman Trophy as he has amounted to 1,248 backyards through 5 games this season. Marco Garcia-Imagn Images 1. Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35 We have a long method to enter this 2024 season, however this game going down as Distressed of the Year appears like a lock. Vanderbilt crafted among

the greatest upsets in SEC history on Oct. 5, spectacular the top-ranked Crimson Tide one week after they ‘d removed Georgia. Diego Pavia’s team made this game thrilling to watch from start to complete, attained the program’s first win over Bama in 40 years and got to view Vandy fans bring a goalpost all the method down Broadway to the Cumberland River.2. Jeanty’s dominance Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was really excellent last season, so his introduction as the very best running back in college football isn’t completely surprising. However 1,248 rushing lawns and 18 overall touchdowns through 6 games? Legitimately tough Barry Sanders’single-season rushing record? Heisman Prize front-runner? It has actually been a fantastic surprise to watch the Broncos back become one of the biggest stars in the sport.3. The increase of Indiana Curt Cignetti called his shot back in December:”It’s quite simple.

I win. Google me.”Indiana’s

brand-new head coach has done nothing but win since he showed up in Bloomington, and he’s making it look simple. He acquired a 3-9 team, flipped the roster with a lots of transfers and has rolled to a 6-0 start, reaching No. 16 in the AP poll. He’s not the only first-year head coach who’s prospering at midseason. Texas A&M, Syracuse, Duke and UL Monroe all should have praise as well for achieving 5-1 starts with brand-new coaching staffs.4. The fall of Florida State It’s still hard tofathom that Florida State, just 10 months gotten rid of from nearly reaching the College Football Playoff, is 1-5 with little hope of ending up being bowl eligible. The preseason No. 10-ranked Seminoles needed to change 10 NFL draft picks but looked prepared to refill and stay a contender in the ACC. Instead, it has been a harsh season in every way. Eight more groups from the preseason AP Top 25 are presently unranked: Utah(No. 12), Oklahoma( 16), Oklahoma State(17), Arizona(21), Kansas(22 ), USC (23 ), NC State (24 )and Iowa (25).5. Unanticipated QB has a hard time Florida State going with DJ Uiagalelei as its brand-new QB1 obviously did not work out, however he’s far from the only prominent quarterback who has had a difficult season up until now. Michigan has actually tried utilizing 3 various QBs. Oklahoma benched previous luxury recruit Jackson Arnold after 4 starts. UCF’s KJ Jefferson and SMU’s Preston Stone lost their beginning jobs as well. Utah’s Cameron Rising, Florida’s Graham Mertz, Wisconsin’s Tyler Van Dyke and North Carolina’s Max Johnson were all lost to season-ending injuries. Arizona’s Noah Fifita and Kansas ‘Jalon Daniels have actually thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. At this point, the groups that haven’t gone through some hard times with their quarterback this season need tofeel lucky.– Max Olson