The 2026 college football season keeps throwing curveballs, and the AP Top 25 after Week 8 looks every bit as shaky as the results behind it. Top-10 teams have been falling for seven straight weeks, and the No. 1 spot has already changed hands four times. With that kind of chaos, the rankings are starting to feel more like a snapshot of the moment than any real measure of who’s truly rolling.
Indiana is one of the clearest examples. The Hoosiers bounced back from their heartbreaking loss to Ohio State, which snapped a 22-game winning streak, but the 13-6 win over Michigan was anything but convincing.
Indiana didn’t score in the second half, and its first touchdown didn’t come until overtime. The offense never found a rhythm, with Josh Hoover throwing for a season-low 81 yards and recording his first interception of the year.
The ground game wasn’t much better either, finishing with 131 rushing yards at 3.7 yards per carry.
Even so, Indiana climbed two spots after getting past a Michigan team that has disappointed. At 7-1, the Hoosiers are still in strong position, but the recent stretch hasn’t exactly inspired confidence.
They also had to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat Nebraska 20-17 not long ago. Curt Cignetti at least gets a manageable closing run, since Indiana doesn’t have another ranked opponent left in the regular season.
Minnesota, fresh off upsetting Iowa, could still make things interesting.
Utah is another team that raised more questions than answers, even in victory. The Utes finally picked up a win over a team with a winning record by beating No.
14 Houston 21-13, and Morgan Scalley deserves credit for that. Still, Utah was shut out in the first half and trailed 10-0 in the third quarter before turning it around.
There’s a sense that this ride may not stay smooth for long. Utah now heads to Cincinnati, which just knocked off undefeated Texas Tech, and after that come back-to-back games against No.
8 BYU and No. 22 Arizona.
Soon enough, we’ll know whether Utah belongs in the College Football Playoff conversation or is headed for a hard fall.
Alabama remains the highest-ranked two-loss team in the country after jumping three spots for its win over Texas A&M. The résumé has some weight to it, since both losses came against ranked teams. But the Crimson Tide were still down 20-17 entering the fourth quarter at home against the Aggies, and that makes the size of the leap hard to fully justify when others are sitting below them.
The schedule isn’t getting any easier. Alabama opens a two-game road stretch next week at No.
15 LSU. The Tigers are the only ranked team left on the Crimson Tide’s regular-season slate, although the finale against Auburn should draw attention after Auburn beat No.
1 Georgia.
Texas snapped its two-game skid by beating No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27, and that should count for something.
But the Longhorns also showed the same uneven tendencies that have been following them around. They led 24-3 at halftime, then let Ole Miss storm back with a 21-0 run to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Texas escaped, but the late wobble was familiar.
That’s why trust remains such a problem with this team. Three of Texas’ remaining five games are on the road, and if the Longhorns don’t win out, their College Football Playoff path likely closes.
Tennessee also spent the weekend proving how fast things can unravel. Coming off an emotional win over Alabama, the Volunteers walked straight into a trap at South Carolina. The Gamecocks held Josh Heupel’s team to three points in the second half and pulled out the win with a field goal as time expired.
Opponents are daring Tennessee to win through the air, and the Volunteers still haven’t shown they can answer the challenge. George MacIntyre finished with 136 passing yards and lost a costly fumble in the final minute, which all but sealed the loss. Tennessee fell five spots and could slide again after next week’s matchup with Kentucky.
In Other News...
Texas Fans Just Got A Halloween Gameday Reason To Arrive Early
Longhorn fans heading to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 31 have an extra reason to get there early, with Longhorn City Limits presented by Hollister set for a Halloween edition on the LBJ Lawn before Texas takes on Mississippi State. The pregame scene will feature Uncle Kracker and special guest Julianna Rankin, along with free admission and the kind of tailgate atmosphere that has become part of the gameday rhythm around the stadium.
The event will also include food and beverage offerings for fans 21 and older, adding another layer to what is already shaping up as a full-day experience around the football game. Athletics director Chris Del Conte pointed to the festivities as part of the broader gameday package, and for Texas supporters, it is another chance to make a night game feel like more than just what happens between the lines. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans May Not Expect How Reachable This Halloween Game Feels
The atmosphere around Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium has stayed as tight as ever, with all 2026 home games sold out before the season even began, extending Texas run of sellouts to five straight years. Still, one of the more surprising byproducts of that demand is that the upcoming Mississippi State game is not out of reach for fans looking for a seat, at least not compared with what you might expect for a sold-out fall date in Austin.
Tickets are only showing up on resale platforms, but the market for this one has been relatively friendly, with listings generally starting under $100. For a Texas home game with the stadium already spoken for, that makes this Halloween matchup look more accessible than plenty of other dates involving either the Longhorns or the Bulldogs, even if the final price will depend on where buyers are willing to shop. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Injury Report Leaves One Huge Question For The Playoff Push
Texas has reached the part of the season where every injury report feels heavier than the last, and the latest one only underscores how thin the margin is for a team still trying to navigate the playoff push. The Longhorns will head into the Mississippi State game without starting left tackle Trevor Goosby, who is out for the season with a knee injury, a blow that changes the look of the offensive front at a crucial time.
There is some good news mixed in, with running back Hollywood Smothers and wide receiver Cam Coleman both listed as probable after working back from injuries. The biggest lingering question, though, centers on star pass rusher Colin Simmons, who has been upgraded to questionable status because of an ankle injury, leaving Texas to wait and see whether one of its most important defensive playmakers will be available when it needs him most. [Read more 🡒]