Conference title races are heating up around the country midway through October, especially in the Big Ten and SEC, which once again dominate the Coaches Poll top 25 college football rankings as we move into another marquee schedule of games in Week 8.
Oregon took a major step in the right direction by knocking off Ohio State in a dramatic, 1-point victory, gaining the early inside track in the Big Ten conference championship picture, while Penn State rallied in overtime to take down USC on the road and stay undefeated, too.
SEC contenders Alabama and Georgia both won, but in somewhat concerning fashion as the Crimson Tide needed some late heroics to edge out South Carolina at home, and the Bulldogs’ defense didn’t look its usually dominant self in a win over Mississippi State.
Texas stayed undefeated in a dominant 31-point victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, further entrenching its position at the top of the SEC pecking order, but another major test awaits at home, as Georgia comes to the Forty Acres next weekend in a landmark conference clash.
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Where does that leave things in the top 25 college football rankings this week? Let’s check out what teams are moving up and down, and who are the new kids on the block, as we move into Week 8, according to the coaches’ vote.
First-place votes in parentheses
Texas (53)
Oregon (2)
Penn State
Georgia
Ohio State
Miami
Alabama
LSU
Clemson
Tennessee
Notre Dame
Iowa State
BYU
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Missouri
Kansas State
Indiana
Boise State
Pittsburgh
Illinois
Michigan
SMU
Army
Nebraska
More … Predicting the AP top 25 rankings for Week 8
No. 16 Oklahoma. After a bad loss to Texas, the Sooners need to find an offense quick before embarking on the rest of a brutal SEC schedule.
No. 17 Utah. The return of quarterback Cameron Rising wasn’t enough for the Utes offense in a loss at Arizona State that further hurts their Big 12 title hopes.
Oklahoma 81; Arizona State 49; Navy 37; Utah 31; Vanderbilt 26; Syracuse 13; UNLV 12; Iowa 12; Texas Tech 9; Liberty 9; Washington State 8; Memphis 4; Louisville 4; James Madison 3; Tulane 2.
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Ole Miss (Down 7). The Rebels are at 1-2 in SEC play after dropping an overtime decision at LSU and those preseason playoff hopes are slipping away fast.
Clemson (Up 2). Back in the top-10 this week, the Tigers are confident on offense after trouncing Wake Forest and scoring more than 200 points in their 5-game win streak.
Ohio State (Down 3). A close loss at Oregon puts Ryan Day’s performance in big games under a microscope, but the Buckeyes are still well within striking distance in the national title hunt.
Army (Up 4). Undefeated through 6 games, the Black Knights have one of college football’s most potent rushing offenses and have emerged as a G5 sleeper in the early playoff picture.
It was guaranteed we would lose at least one team from the ranks of the undefeated, and this week that dishonor goes to Ohio State, which came just 1 point short of knocking off Oregon on the road.
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ACC: Miami, Pittsburgh
Big Ten: Oregon, Penn State, Indiana
Big 12: BYU, Iowa State
SEC: Texas
AAC: Army, Navy
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CUSA: Liberty
More … ESPN updates Top 25 football rankings in Week 8
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The first round of the College Playoff is the next step for top-level teams to take on the road for the National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The top team in the Sun Belt Conference faces off against one of the top teams in the Big East with the hopes to move deeper in post-season play.
The No. 12-ranked James Madison Dukes (12-1) take on the No. 5-ranked Oregon Ducks (11-1) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 20 with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
At a Glance: How to Watch James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks Online
Want to catch first round game live? Below is a quick guide on the best ways to watch James Madison vs. Oregon online.
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How to Watch James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks Game Online
The James Madison-Oregon game airs on TNT. If you don’t have cable, the best way to watch the pro football game is with DirecTV, which offers TNT in all of their packages. Here’s a breakdown of our favorite streaming options, including free trial and pricing information:
best overall
DirecTV
Pros: Free trial, affordable genre packs Cons: Not as many entertainment channels in genre packs as other options
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Watch the CFP game online with DirecTV. The streaming service offers various streaming options, while it carries TNT in everyone of its packages. Prices start at $49.99 for the first month and $89.99 per month afterwards for DirecTV’s “Entertainment” package. The streamer even offer a five-day free trial.
Hulu + Live TV carries TNT for James Madison vs. Oregon livestream. It starts at $89.99 per month, but you get access to more than 95 channels. Subscribers also get access to Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, and Hulu’s full on-demand library of movies, TV shows, and originals. Meanwhile, Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial to start watching the game.
Best Wallet-Friendly
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Sling TV
Pros: Tons of channels, easy to use Cons: Requires combination of packages + add-ons, no free trial
Sling is the more wallet-friendly live TV streaming service option. College football fans can use to watch James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon on TNT with the Sling Orange package with prices starting at $45.99 per month. Unfortunately, the streaming service does not currently offer a free trial.
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Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from location to location. Learn more about Sling TV here.
Best for ORiginals
HBO Max
Pros: Hollywood blockbusters, prestige TV, live sports and news Cons: No free trial
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You can also watch TNT Sports games, like James Madison vs. Oregon, on HBO Max. Unfortunately, HBO Max does not currently offer a free trial, but it’s relatively affordable with their ad-supported plan starting at $9.99 per month.
James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks: Date, Start Time, Location
The James Madison-Oregon game takes place at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 20, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.
James Madison Dukes vs. Oregon Ducks Predictions & Odds
For the first round of the CFP, the Oregon enter the game as the heavy favorite. Right now, the Ducks are a -21.5-point favorite to win. Meanwhile, as the underdog, the James Madison Dukes have a 950 moneyline, while Oregon sit at -2,000.
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Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart (#7) signals for a first down during a Big Ten college football game between the No. 1 Ducks and No. 20 Illinois at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday Oct. 26, 2024. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
If Evan Stewart is going to return to the field this season, it’s unlikely to be in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Oregon receiver, who has missed the whole season recovering from a torn right meniscus, was downgraded to doubtful for Saturday’s game between the No. 5 Ducks and No. 12 seed James Madison.
It’s not a surprising development, as Stewart appeared limited during the open portion of Monday’s practice.
Receivers Dakorien Moore (knee) and Gary Bryant Jr. (ankle) are listed as questionable for a third straight day, as are cornerback Sione Laulea and safety Trey McNutt (leg).
Moore posted “back” to social media on Thursday and Laulea indicated he was returning to play as well.
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No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No. 5 Oregon (11-1)
When: Saturday, Dec. 20
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Autzen Stadium
TV: TNT/HBO Max
Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV(free trial) or with Sling (a Sling day pass to watch this game and more is just $4.99). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
James Crepea is the Oregon Ducks beat reporter and Big Ten sports reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He primarily covers football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball, as well as…
Officials are reminding drivers when confronted with high water to “turn around, don’t drown” as western Oregon continues to see heavy rainfall, swelling creeks and rivers.
Statesman Journal
Oregonians woke up to flooding, which was gradually dissipating the morning of Dec. 19, following a third atmospheric river that dumped 2-5 inches of rain in just 24 hours across northwest Oregon.
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Many schools were delayed or canceled, some roads were closed and around 18,000 people were without power.
Heavy rain the night of Dec. 18 led to many roads being flooded across the Willamette Valley. But with only sporadic rainfall in the forecast, meteorologists said standing water should gradually drop.
Stream levels were still high and in some cases still in flood stages, on the Santiam, Clackamas and other smaller streams like the Pudding and Luckimute. But many had crested and were dropping as of the morning of Dec. 19.
“The rivers and creeks that respond rapidly will be coming down in next few hours, but some of the other larger streams are still on their way up and won’t crest until Saturday in some cases,” said Sebastian Westerink, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Portland.
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Where did rivers flood their banks?
The most serious situation was on the Clackamas River near Estacada and Oregon City, where the river reached major flood levels.
Closer to Salem, moderate flooding was seen on the Santiam River in Jefferson while the Luckimute, Molalla and Pudding rivers were also still rising into major flood levels.
The Willamette River in Salem will continue to rise above action stage and not crest until Dec. 20, likely leaving some low-lying roads and sites like Minto-Brown Island Park closed.
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24 hour rainfall totals (7 a.m. on Dec. 18 to 7 a.m. on Dec. 19)
Eagle Creek near Estacada: 2.77
Cascade Foothills: 4-6 inches
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social
