Chaos in Week 8 shook up the AP Top 25 again, and the biggest moves all came out of a weekend where 30 percent of the top 10 lost. Two of the Big 12’s last undefeated teams went down, seven ranked teams stumbled, and the pollsters had plenty to sort through heading into the final stretch of October.
Miami moved into a stronger hold on No. 1 after its first-place vote total jumped from 40 to 59. That rise came after No. 2 BYU lost, while Ohio State picked up the other 10 first-place votes during its idle week.
The top of the poll now reads Miami, Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame and Utah. UCLA is No. 7, followed by BYU, Kentucky and Alabama. Texas comes in at No. 11 after the week’s biggest jump, then Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Houston, SMU, Boise State, Northwestern, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
Texas made the loudest move of the week, climbing eight spots after beating Ole Miss. The Longhorns have been a team voters have swung hard on all season, and this latest jump gives Arch Manning and company a fresh wave of positive attention.
Utah also climbed, moving up four spots and nearly breaking into the top five. The Utes got a major vote boost after taking over first place in the Big 12.
BYU, meanwhile, took a heavy hit. The Cougars dropped six spots after losing at unranked UCF, and voters pushed them behind Notre Dame despite BYU having beaten the Irish last week.
Ole Miss and Texas Tech both saw their College Football Playoff outlooks take damage, though the Rebels’ loss at ranked Texas carries more weight than Texas Tech’s defeat at unranked Cincinnati. Texas Tech fell five spots.
Tennessee also slid five places after a rough road loss at unranked South Carolina. The Volunteers had just come off their win over Alabama, but this one dragged them back down. The source on Tennessee was blunt: they defend well and can run the ball, but they need more at quarterback.
Houston dropped four spots after picking up its second loss, with both defeats coming against some of the Big 12’s best. The Cougars lost by two at Texas Tech and then fell in a close game to conference leader Utah.
Wisconsin re-entered the rankings after spending the whole season unranked. A three-touchdown home win over USC pushed the Badgers to 5-2, knocked the Trojans out of the poll, and got Wisconsin back in. Luke Fickell’s team has improved this fall and likely saved his job, according to the poll reaction.
The teams that received votes but not enough to crack the top 25 were Iowa with 76, New Mexico with 41, Cincinnati with 11, Oregon State with 10, South Carolina with 8, Minnesota with 7, USC with 7, UTSA with 1 and Virginia Tech with 1. Iowa and USC both dropped out after road losses on Saturday.
In Other News...
BYU Faces A Complicated Ranking Drop After Costly Upset
Miami stayed put at No. 1 in the AP poll after handling Pittsburgh, and the top of the rankings now looks primed for another shuffle after a wild weekend. For Notre Dame fans keeping one eye on the playoff picture, the real intrigue sits just beneath the top spot, where BYU entered the week at No. 2 before taking an upset loss to UCF in double overtime.
Ohio State is expected to climb into the No. 2 position, but the rest of the top six is less straightforward, with BYU, Notre Dame, Indiana and Georgia all in play as pollsters sort through the damage. For the Irish, the result in Orlando could open the door to a better place in the rankings, but the exact order remains unsettled for now. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Bye Week Brought Playoff Help And Fresh Offensive Frustration
The bye week still delivered a meaningful shift for Notre Dame, even without the Irish taking the field. BYUs loss to UCF and Wisconsins win over USC both shaped the broader College Football Playoff picture, with the Badgers result helping strengthen the Big Tens case while BYU took a hit to its own postseason resume.
At the same time, the week offered a fresh reminder of where Notre Dame still has work to do on offense. Last weeks game plan under coordinator Mike Denbrock drew criticism for how it was constructed, leaving questions hanging over an attack that did not look fully settled before the break. Elsewhere in the league, Tommy Carrs difficult first start as Michigans quarterback only added to the sense that several key CFP contenders are still trying to find their footing. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames AP Poll Drop Just Created A New Resume Debate
Notre Dame stayed put on the field this week, but not in the Associated Press poll. The Irish landed at No. 5 in the latest Top 25 despite not playing, while Georgia and Indiana both jumped ahead of them after their most recent performances. It was a reminder that even when a team is idle, its rsum can still be judged against the weekend results around it.
BYUs placement at No. 8 only adds another layer to the conversation, especially because the Cougars own wins over ranked opponents, including Notre Dame. So the debate around the Irish is less about a single number than the logic behind it, with strength of schedule and head-to-head value once again front and center in a crowded College Football Playoff discussion. [Read more 🡒]