As we survey the damage from another very active Saturday of games across the country, let’s look ahead to the AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 8
Who’s moving up? Who’s moving down?
Note: this isn’t our ranking of the best teams, but our prediction for how top 25 voters will slot them in the official poll
Dropping out: No. 15 Michigan, No. 21 Arizona State, No. 22 Iowa State, No. 25 Florida State
25. Cincinnati. Just a three-point loss against Nebraska from being undefeated, the Bearcats took care of UCF to improve to 3-0 in Big 12 competition. AP voters gave Cincinnati 129 votes last week to place 26th in the poll, with a very narrow vote count around the bottom of the rankings but other ranked teams’ losses combined with the Bearcats’ own wins should move them up.
24. Utah. AP voters dumped the Utes a couple weeks ago after the loss at home to Texas Tech, but they rebounded since then with two very dominant performances against West Virginia and then ranked, reigning Big 12 champ Arizona State, surpassing 40 points in each of those games. Utah got 82 votes last week.
23. Nebraska. The potential addition of Cincinnati to the poll should also herald the arrival of the now 5-1 Cornhuskers, who have that head-to-head in the season opener, but who came in behind the Bearcats in last week’s rankings.
22. Memphis. Off this past weekend after finally breaking through into the AP top 25 rankings last week, the undefeated Tigers are playing some serious offense, averaging nearly 41 points per game, but have challenging dates ahead against USF, Tulane, and Navy to help sort out the American standings.
21. USF. A strong statement in a crowded American Conference, the Bulls smacked previously undefeated North Texas on Friday, piling on 63 points and over 300 rushing yards, scoring 42 points in the second half to pull away on the road.
20. USC. One of Lincoln Riley’s more impressive wins, a 31-13 result against ranked Michigan at home should be enough to get the Trojans back in the rankings heading into next week’s road date against Notre Dame.
19. Texas. A loss at Florida sunk the Longhorns to 27th in last week’s rankings, but a gritty win over sixth-ranked Oklahoma will be enough, especially combined with other poll movement, to put the SEC hopefuls back in the top 25.
18. Missouri. College football’s ninth-ranked scoring attack put up about half its usual output in a three-point loss at home against Alabama, snapping their 15-game home win streak, their first defeat of the season heading into two road dates against Auburn and Vanderbilt before hosting Texas A&M after that.
17. Vanderbilt. Idle this past week, the Commodores got some rest coming out of their first loss of the season in a road test against Alabama, and now head into a pair of SEC test games against LSU and Missouri that could determine how their season unfolds in the second half of the year.
16. Virginia. One of a few teams off this past Saturday, the Cavaliers are 5-1 and coming off that close win at Louisville two weeks ago, and still with that win against Florida State in its back pocket and very much in the ACC title race behind an offense good for 43 points per game and with no games remaining against ranked opponents.
15. BYU. Up against it with seconds left, the Cougars forced overtime with a dramatic touchdown and then finished the job in extra time to stay undefeated and improve to 17-2 in their last 19 games with a date against rival Utah in a week’s time.
14. Notre Dame. CJ Carr had 342 yards and 2 touchdowns while Jeremiyah Love rushed for 2 more scores in a 36-7 win over NC State that propels the Golden Domers to a 4-2 overall record, winning four straight games since that 0-2 start, with a big date against USC at home up next.
13. Oklahoma. A drop in the rankings is in order after the Sooners lost to a previously unranked Texas, but not too far given their respectable 5-1 record, although wins against Michigan and Auburn aren’t as impressive, given both lost on Saturday.
12. Georgia Tech. Haynes King ran for 2 touchdowns and Malachi Hosley added a third as the Yellow Jackets pulled away from Virginia Tech at home to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 2011 and the first place position in the ACC standings.
11. Tennessee. A little closer than perhaps expected, but the Vols pulled out a 3-point win over an Arkansas team undergoing a midseason coaching change. DeSean Bishop had a career-high 146 rushing yards, but this run defense needs to tighten up with a date at Alabama up next.
10. LSU. Another sluggish offensive showing slowed by an underwhelming rushing attack, nevertheless the Tigers pulled out a double-digit win over South Carolina to stay in the win column.
9. Georgia. What could have been a 17-0 deficit against Auburn if the officials called it right instead turned into a 20-10 win for the Bulldogs, who scored 20 unanswered points against their rival to improve to 5-1 and likely stay within the top 10 this week.
8. Oregon. Losses by other ranked teams will prevent the Ducks from falling too far after a loss at home to Indiana, but the win at Penn State doesn’t look so good anymore.
7. Texas Tech. Cameron Dickey had 263 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns while the Red Raiders’ defense was dominant once again, holding Kansas to three scoreless quarters in a 42-17 victory. They’re still the favorite in the Big 12 title race early on.
6. Alabama. For the first time in school history, the Crimson Tide have begun 3-0 in SEC play with all three wins coming against AP ranked opponents, the latest coming by 3 at Missouri to improve to 5-1. The loss at Florida State does still hurt, especially with FSU’s decline since then, but Bama’s wins are of a high quality, and it should take advantage of other losses.
5. Ole Miss. “Escape” is not the word you want to use to describe your team against Washington State, but that’s what the Rebels had to do in a listless, but ultimately successful, performance to move to 6-0, but the look of the game could cost them some votes in the Week 8 rankings.
4. Texas A&M. Just 15 votes separated the Aggies from the Rebels in last week’s rankings, so AP voters could be inclined to reward the former for a more impressive win over Florida than the latter’s victory over Wazzu.
3. Indiana. Maybe the statement of the season as the Hoosiers answered those critics who said they couldn’t beat good teams on the road, edging out Oregon by 10 points while cementing themselves as playoff contenders, and Curt Cignetti pulling off one of the greatest program turnarounds in NCAA history.
2. Miami. Idle this past weekend, the Hurricanes should stay in second place and not get jumped by Indiana given the overall quality of their resume, beating three AP ranked teams this season. They could get some, or all, of Oregon’s five first-place votes.
1. Ohio State. College football’s most dominant defense turned 3 takeaways into 21 points for the offense, with Julian Sayin throwing 2 TDs and CJ Donaldson running for 2 more as the Buckeyes put away ranked Illinois on the road to stay undefeated.
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