Seven teams in the Coaches Poll top 25 took losses in Week 8, and the ripple effect hit all the way through the upper tier of college football. Two teams from the top five went down, three from the top ten fell, and the race for the sport’s best team got even messier heading into Week 9.
The harshest shakeup came in the Big 12. BYU and Texas Tech both suffered their first defeats of the season, adding another twist to a conference that already sits in the middle of the broader fight over national standing. The losses also kept the SEC and Big Ten firmly in control at the top of the rankings.
No. 25 Oregon took the biggest slide in the back end of the poll after a 21-10 loss at Illinois. The Ducks were held without a second-half point and, after being viewed as a national title contender in the Big Ten, are now 4-3 and dealing with some serious questions about where the program goes from here.
Texas moved up seven spots after the coaches liked what they saw in a win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss. The Longhorns built a double-digit lead and, more importantly, held onto it to snap a two-game losing streak and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Utah climbed four spots after a tough win over ranked Houston. That result pushed the Utes to the top of the crowded Big 12 picture and kept them unbeaten in a strong home statement.
Arizona and Northwestern each rose five places. Arizona handled Iowa State with ease, while Northwestern did the same against Rutgers, with both teams staying positioned in the top half of their leagues as November gets closer.
BYU dropped six spots after an overtime loss at UCF. The Cougars had just come off an emotional win over Notre Dame, so the road trip was a setback, even if their playoff hopes are still intact.
Texas Tech fell nine spots after a flat loss at Cincinnati. The Red Raiders didn’t find the end zone until the final minute and had trouble all night in the red area. They’ll have Arizona next, which makes for a major test.
Tennessee slid six spots after South Carolina beat the Vols at the last second. That came one week after Tennessee’s win over Alabama, which only added to the confusion in the SEC.
The other major drops belonged to Iowa and USC, both down 10 spots. Each lost on the road to unranked Big Ten teams, but USC’s defeat at Wisconsin raised the louder alarm and could point to real regression under Lincoln Riley rather than just the usual noise.
Coaches also scattered votes to a long list of teams that didn’t quite crack the poll this week: Oklahoma State 120; Wisconsin 114; Cincinnati 49; New Mexico 43; Minnesota 35; UTSA 34; Nebraska 27; Virginia Tech 16; Oregon State 15; South Carolina 12; Duke 12; Oregon 5; Auburn 4; North Texas 2; Michigan 2; UCF 1; Oklahoma 1; James Madison 1.
In Other News...
Bo Nix And Bucky Irving Kept Oregons NFL Buzz Alive
Former Oregon standouts kept the Ducks pro pipeline in the spotlight over the weekend, with Bo Nix and Bucky Irving both turning in performances that will resonate back in Eugene. Nix sparked the Denver Broncos with a 62-yard touchdown run and finished with 222 passing yards and a touchdown, while Irving gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a jolt on the ground with 106 rushing yards and two scores.
Tez Johnson also found the end zone for Tampa Bay and added rushing yards, adding another layer to Oregons presence across the league. On the defensive side, Dillon Thieneman and Noah Sewell helped the Chicago Bears in their win over the New England Patriots, a reminder that the Ducks NFL footprint is stretching well beyond the usual spotlight names. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Scoring Problem Just Put Dan Lanning Under Real Pressure
After a 21-10 loss to Illinois, Oregon made a change on the offensive side that had been building for weeks, parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer in his first season on the job. For a program that came into the year expecting more from its attack, the move underscored how quickly patience can disappear when the offense stalls and the losses start to pile up.
Dan Lanning did not immediately name a replacement play-caller, leaving the Ducks with an obvious next question as they try to steady things before the season slips further. The timing makes the decision as much about urgency as accountability, and it puts the spotlight squarely on how Oregon plans to fix an offense that has struggled to find consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Trip To Ohio State Suddenly Feels Like A Real Opportunity
The calendar has finally put Oregons visit to Ohio State on the board, with the Big Ten announcing kickoff time and TV details for the November 7 matchup. It is a game that already carried plenty of weight, but the atmosphere around it has shifted noticeably in recent days as both teams head into it with questions that were not on the table when the schedule was first drawn up.
Ohio State will have to adjust without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, and backup Luke Fahey is expected to get the nod. Oregon, meanwhile, comes in unranked at 4-3 after parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, but Dylan Raiolas recent improvement has at least given the Ducks a clearer path into a game that now feels far more open than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]