Georgia, USC and 7 teams that must-win in college football Week 8

As we approach the midpoint of the college football season, it's becoming clear who the real contenders are in the race for conference titles and playoff spots, while others are fighting to stay in the mix. With conference play in full swing and top 25 matchups heating up, the pressure is mounting for teams across the country to solidify their positions. Several programs find themselves in must-win scenarios in Week 8 of college football as they try to cling to division races or maintain playoff hopes.

Georgia, already dealing with one loss this season to Alabama , is just one of the nine teams in Week 8 that desperately need a win to keep their College Football Playoff and conference title hopes alive. They aren't alone—many teams are beginning to feel the heat, and some face each other in head-to-head matchups, adding even more urgency to their Week 8 showdowns.

While the introduction of the 12-team playoff has provided a little more leeway, the race for an automatic bid with a conference title or remaining in the top 12 rankings is still driving plenty of teams to fight for every win. Let's take a look at the nine teams that are in must-win situations in college football Week 8.

Georgia Bulldogs (5-1)

Saturday is set to be one of the biggest matchups in the SEC this season when No. 5 Georgia travels to Austin, Texas, to take on the No. 1 Longhorns. Some had believed this would be a battle of the unbeatens in Week 8, but the Bulldogs took a loss to the Crimson Tide earlier and nearly fell to the Kentucky Wildcats in the game before that.

Georgia hasn't quite looked like itself this season. Carson Beck has looked shaky at times, likely because he doesn't have a strong receiving corps and his offensive line has been beat up. Does that mean they can't beat Texas on Saturday? Not at all.

This is still a Georgia team loaded with talent, but it's also one that needs a win more than Texas this weekend. Another loss wouldn't necessarily put Georgia out of playoff contention, but it would make the climb a lot steeper.

LSU Tigers (5-1)

LSU is coming off an extraordinary win against Ole Miss in Week 7. After never leading the game, the No. 8 Tigers pulled off a miraculous overtime victory, keeping themselves in the College Football Playoff hunt.

However, with wins like that, it's easy to rest on laurels and overlook the next opponent. The Tigers face no pushover in Week 8 when they go on the road to play Arkansas and returning starting quarterback Taylen Green . The Razorbacks, at 4-2 and 2-1 in the SEC, have already upset a top-five Tennessee team and would love to add another top-10 win to their resume. With more difficult games ahead, LSU can't afford to slip up on Saturday.

Colorado Buffaloes (4-2)

The Buffaloes had a golden opportunity last week to climb to the top of the Big 12 but couldn't quite finish off Kansas State, resulting in their second loss of the season. With the Big 12 wide open this year, there's still plenty of room to make up ground, especially with the hope that other teams in the conference show the same inconsistency.

For Deion Sanders and Colorado football, the goal this season is to at least make a bowl game. They are two wins away from that goal—but they could certainly have more. But the Buffaloes and Travis Hunter will need to contain Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in order to do so. Colorado's Big 12 title hopes aren't dead just yet if they can snatch up a win.

USC Trojans (3-3)

Lincoln Riley made the bold statement that he and the USC Trojans would be 6-0 if not for a few plays. That's actually a fairly accurate claim. But when all is said and done, the USC football program is sitting at 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. The season isn't completely lost just yet, but it's close.

The overtime loss to Penn State was a huge disappointment, especially considering it looked like the Trojans had control for most of the game. Now, they have to travel all the way across the country to face Maryland in Week 8 for more Big Ten action. Riley and USC need a win on Saturday in the worst way to salvage this season.

Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) and Tennessee Volunteers (5-1)

It's not a battle of the top five or even top 10 now (just barely), but when No. 7 Alabama comes to Neyland Stadium to face No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday, it's a must-see matchup. It's also a must-win for both teams, especially since they've each suffered an upset loss just two weeks ago. Moreover, neither team has played well since, with Alabama struggling to put away South Carolina last week and Tennessee needing overtime to beat Florida.

Both teams were preseason favorites to make the 12-team playoff field, yet both have been subpar lately. While the Crimson Tide has struggled defensively under new coach Kalen DeBoer, the Vols have been unable to get their young quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the offense going.

It's very possible multiple two-loss SEC teams, or even a three-loss team, could make the playoff this year. But neither of these teams want to bank on that, which is why both need a win on Saturday.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1)

No one has given Nebraska football much attention since their loss to Illinois at home a few weeks ago. That remains the only blemish on the Cornhuskers' record thus far. They now head to Bloomington, Indiana, to face the undefeated No. 16 Hoosiers in Week 8.

Indiana has been the surprise of the entire season, starting 6-0 for the first time since 1967 . Nebraska will look to derail the Hoosiers' season and hand them their first loss. However, this is a bigger challenge for head coach Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers than anyone anticipated this year. They're still fighting to break the narrative that has surrounded Nebraska football for nearly two decades. Picking up a win against a ranked, undefeated team would put them right back in the mix in the Big Ten.

Miami Hurricanes (6-0) and Louisville Cardinals (4-2)

For No. 6 Miami, they would love nothing more than a week without the need for a dramatic comeback. That's exactly what they've managed in their last two outings. After being idle last week, they've had the time to hopefully fix any lingering issues.