Alabama Crimson Tide

WhatIfSports college football Week 8 predictions: Bama keeps rolling against Texas A&M

Published Dec. 24, 2016 7:47 p.m. ET

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Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's college football simulation engine generates predictions for every Division I FBS game for the coming week. Our highly sophisticated algorithms simulate every play of every game to produce each team's likelihood to win. Each matchup is simulated 101 times.

Week 7 in Review

The computer predictions continue to produce around 80 percent winners. Last week, we correctly picked the Game of the Week (Ohio State over Wisconsin) and the Upset of the Week (Stanford over Notre Dame). The computer is now a remarkable 6-1 for the GotW.

Nailed It: Ohio State 30 - Wisconsin 23

We predicted the Buckeyes to remain undefeated in the Game of the Week. It took overtime, but Ohio State was victorious. OSU won 65.3 percent of the time, by an average score of 27.9-23.0. Also, with the spread being 10.5, our projections had the Badgers covering, which they did.

Wide Right: Syracuse 31 - Virginia Tech 17

The Hokies are a tough team to predict. In last week's post, this space was used for Virginia Tech 43 – North Carolina 3 (we had the Tar Heels winning 66 percent of the time). This time, we predicted VT to win 61.4 percent of the time, by an average score of 29.3-25.6 and they lost.

Track our 2016 performance or view our accuracy last season, when we correctly picked the winner in 80.0 percent of all games involving FBS teams.

Week 8 Top 25 vs. Top 25 Matchups

No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama

When the top team in college football plays, the game is always on the public's radar. When the opponent is in the Top 25 as well, a little more interest is put toward the game. When both teams are undefeated, and it's later in the season, you get all of the attention. The Tide rolled on Tennessee last week, 49-10, yet they are still tied with the Aggies at 4-0 in the SEC West standings. Texas A&M's last game was against the Vols, too. Both team produced at least 45 points against the common opponent, but Bama held Tennessee to 10 points and the Volunteers scored 38 points against the Aggies. Both teams also defeated Arkansas, this time by similar margins. Bama's biggest strength is its defense. Teams are averaging 274 total yards per game when facing Alabama (fifth in the nation) and scoring only 15 points per game. A&M's quarterback, Trevor Knight, has thrown for at least 200 yards and helped the offense produce at least 24 points in each game this season. The outcome of our simulation was surprisingly close. Alabama wins 55.9 percent of the time, by an average score of 27.5-26.3.

No. 17 Arkansas at No. 21 Auburn

The Razorbacks' only two losses this season have come to undefeated teams (Texas A&M and Alabama). Auburn is in the same boat. A&M and Clemson gave the Tigers their only losses of 2016. When a team gets its third loss, the wheels tend to fall off and programs start planning for next season. If Arkansas wants to win, it needs to get the ball into the hands of Rawleigh Williams. In both losses, RW3 rushed for under 80 yards. Auburn has two RBs to work with: Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway. KJ missed last week's game with a leg injury, but has returned to practice for this week's contest. KP filled in nicely in the win over Mississippi State on Saturday: 39 carries, 169 yards and three TDs. With that duo, Auburn wins the simulations 54.4 percent of the time, by an average score of 26.7-25.2.

No. 23 Ole Miss at No. 25 LSU

That dreaded third loss I was eluding to earlier could impact the Rebels this week. They lost a 34-30 battle with Arkansas last week and the wind could be completely taken out of their sails as they travel to LSU. After losing to Auburn, and firing Les Miles, the Tigers have won back-to-back games and have carved up their opponents with their ground attack. They've also been doing it without Leonard Fournette. Sophomore Derrius Guice has tallied 325 yards and five TDs in the past two games. Fournette is already expected to play this week, but Guice will be ready to take advantage of his opportunities, too. LSU wins 52.5 percent of the simulations, by an average score of 28.1-27.4.

Week 8 Upset Pick

Akron (+2) over Ball State

There's always that one game when scrolling through the Vegas lines and you think, "That doesn't look right." That's the case for this matchup. The Zips have lost three times this season. First, they were whopped by the Badgers (54-10). Then, FBS-buster, Appalachian State narrowly beat Akron (45-38). Finally, last week, undefeated (and ranked) Western Michigan destroyed the Zips, 41-0. Three, albeit bad, losses to good programs. Yet, Akron is a two-point underdog to Ball State. The computers expect the Zips to bounce-back as Akron wins 57.1 percent of the simulations, by an average score of 30.9-29.1.

In addition, view our Week 8 power rankings or visit our college football archive for predictions from past weeks. For more statistics, view our weekly college football predictions.

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