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5 Possible Week 8 College Football Upsets

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Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Football might be a game of inches, but deciding which way to go on any given Saturday can be closer than that.

Last week, after three-straight winning weeks in a row against the spread, we went 2-3 and Utah State hosting Boise State turned out to be the key game of the five. A late score by the Broncos turned into a late cover of the seven-point spread and Boise State won on the road, 34-23.

That was the difference between our third-straight 3-2 week and our first losing week of the year. It happens. When two teams are evenly matched, go with the more proven head coach.

More often than not, if you bet on great coaches like Navy's Ken Niumatalolo, and Dave Clawson of Bowling Green, you are going to come out a winner in the long run. Last week, we split with that pair as Duke used its ACC talent to overwhelm visiting Navy, 35-7. On the plus side, we nailed Bowling Green’s cover of a 10-point spread in a 21-20 loss at Mississippi State, banking on Clawson's ability to scheme and game plan. Florida Atlantic came through for us once again, covering an inflated 13-point spread in a 24-23 loss to visiting Marshall.

We thought Utah State’s tougher schedule might put them over the top against a team that owned wins over Tennessee-Martin and Southern Mississippi, but that didn’t materialize. We were also let down by Indiana in a 42-28 loss at Michigan State. This week we're going heavily with teams improving with each week under better head coaches, and here are five undervalued dogs.

Mike Gibson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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5. Central Florida Over Louisville

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Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Here's another case where there are two good coaches going up against the one another. George O'Leary of Central Florida took his team into Penn State and won. Can he take the Black Knights into unbeaten Louisville and pull off the upset? If he doesn't, he should certainly cover the 10.5 points in the nationally-televised game on Friday night.

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4. Duke Over Virginia

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Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Normally, you don't put Duke's David Cutcliffe in the ranks of great coaches, but the Blue Devils were clicking on all cylinders in a 35-7 win over a good Navy team last week and should be able to handle a Virginia team that was clubbed, 48-27, at home by Ball State. The Blue Devils are 2.5-point underdogs on the road.

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3. Syracuse Over Georgia Tech

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Liz Condo-USA TODAY Sports

The Orange are coming off an impressive 24-10 win at North Carolina State and Georgia Tech is favored by 8.5, which is probably too much, even at home. This game probably will be decided on a field goal or two.

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2. Missouri Over Florida

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Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

No team looked more impressive than Missouri in last week's win at Georgia, and returning home to an appreciative crowd should make all the difference in the world against Florida. The Tigers are three-point underdogs but should win this one outright.

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1. Iowa State Over Baylor

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Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Host Baylor has looked outstanding all season, but 31 points is too much to give up to a team as good as Iowa State. Remember, the Cyclones lost by only one point to Texas, so this figures to be something like a 37-21 game at worst. This game is the gift of the week.

Related:

http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-football/2013/10/08/5-possible-week-7-college-football-upsets/

http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-football/2013/10/02/5-possible-week-6-college-football-upsets/

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