The latest US LBM coaches poll looks like it was built in a blender.
Miami is still sitting at No. 1 for the second straight week, but the bigger story is how quickly the top of the sport keeps getting torn apart. Two straight weeks of chaos have left the rankings looking more unstable than ever, and the picture at the top still feels wide open. After five of the top seven teams lost last week, seven of the top 18 took hits overall.
The loudest crash came from BYU. The Cougars were No. 2, fresh off an eye-opening top-10 win over Notre Dame, and then got stunned by unranked UCF.
That sent BYU tumbling all the way to No. 9.
Texas Tech also took a major step backward after falling to unranked Cincinnati, dropping from No. 5 to No. 14.
The Big 12’s lone unbeaten team is Utah, which held at No. 5 and will meet BYU in two weeks.
Texas was the week’s biggest mover near the top. The Longhorns climbed to No. 11 after their third ranked win of the season, knocking off now-No.
12 Ole Miss and keeping their year on track. Georgia stayed put as the SEC’s highest-ranked team at No. 3 after a bye, while Kentucky’s rise to No. 8 turned heads of its own.
The Big Ten also took some damage. Iowa slid to No. 24 and USC dropped to No. 25 after losses, while Indiana jumped to No. 4 thanks to a road win at Michigan.
Ohio State remained No. 2 during a bye week that also brought questions after Julian Sayin was lost for several weeks. UCLA is still unbeaten and landed at No. 7, while Northwestern is the other Big Ten team in the poll.
Here’s how the full top 25 shakes out this week:
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes 7-0
- Ohio State Buckeyes 6-1
- Georgia Bulldogs 6-1
- Indiana Hoosiers 7-1
- Utah Utes 7-0
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 6-1
- UCLA Bruins 7-0
- Kentucky Wildcats 7-1
- BYU Cougars 6-1
- Alabama Crimson Tide 6-2
- Texas Longhorns 5-2
- Ole Miss Rebels 5-2
- LSU Tigers 6-2
- Texas Tech Red Raiders 6-1
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons 6-1
- SMU Mustangs 6-1
- Tennessee Volunteers 6-2
- Northwestern Wildcats 6-1
- Houston Cougars 6-2
- Florida Gators 5-2
- Arizona Wildcats 6-1
- Boise State Broncos 6-1
- Missouri Tigers 5-2
- Iowa Hawkeyes 5-2
- USC Trojans 6-2
Oregon dropped out of the poll after being No. 25 last week.
Among teams receiving votes, Oklahoma State led the way with 120, followed by Wisconsin with 114. Cincinnati had 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 and James Madison 1.
Up next for Penn State, the Nittany Lions are home against Purdue after four straight conference losses. The hope there is simple: a better offense, and a defense that looks rested and refreshed as they try to salvage something from a lost season.
In Other News...
Penn State May Have Finally Fixed One Defensive Problem
Penn State has spent much of the season shuffling pieces on defense, and the latest adjustment points to how much the staff is still trying to settle the middle of the unit. Head coach Matt Campbell said Marcus Neal Jr. has been moved from safety to off-ball linebacker, a move intended to add depth after injuries and some uneven play have thinned that group. It is the kind of in-season switch that can say as much about necessity as it does about development.
Zion Tracy is going the other direction, sliding to safety in an effort to steady that spot and give the defense a more workable rotation. The changes underscore how fluid Penn States personnel plan has been as the season has unfolded, with the staff continuing to tweak both roles and scheme to find a combination that holds up better week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Gets An Early Heavyweight Test Cael Sanderson Needed
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For Sanderson, the appeal goes beyond the marquee matchups. The exhibition offers a useful first look at how Penn State stacks up in a live setting, especially at heavyweight, where Mirasola is slated to meet Wisconsins Braxton Amos. It is the sort of early test that can help clarify lineup decisions before the grind of the season really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Quarterback Search Just Got More Pressing For Matt Campbell
Penn States quarterback pursuit in the 2027 class just got a little more complicated during the Week 8 bye, when Matt Campbell and his staff tried to make a late push for Braylen Warren. The four-star quarterback has been on Missouris board for a while, and the Tigers have been his commitment since December 2025, leaving Penn State to keep searching for a long-term answer under center.
The urgency is easy to see from Penn States side. The Nittany Lions still do not have a committed quarterback in the 2027 class after Will Wood decommitted, and Warren would have represented a major addition with the kind of production that made him such a sought-after prospect. Instead, Penn State is back in the market, and the next move in that search will matter plenty for a program still trying to lock down its future at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]