Another chaotic Saturday has the AP Top 25 set for another shake-up, but the top of the board should stay put. Miami did exactly what a No. 1 team is supposed to do, rolling past Pittsburgh and keeping control of the top spot while a bunch of teams around it stumbled, sat idle, or both.
The biggest movement is likely to come just below the Hurricanes, where BYU’s loss to unranked UCF opens the door for Ohio State to rise to No. 2.
The Buckeyes were off in Week 8, but with Julian Sayin out and going to USC next, they should still slide up after the Cougars’ setback. Notre Dame also stands to gain from BYU’s loss, even while sitting idle before a return date with Navy next Saturday.
There should be plenty of turbulence in the middle of the poll, too, especially for teams that took losses to unranked opponents. Tennessee’s drop looks steep after its last-second loss at South Carolina, even with the win over Alabama still on the résumé.
Texas Tech also figures to slide after falling to unranked Cincinnati, though its 2-point win over a Houston team that pushed Utah hard may soften the blow. Houston, in turn, is likely to fall after a close loss at Utah added to its earlier 2-point defeat to Texas Tech.
At No. 10, Texas looks positioned for one of the week’s biggest upward moves.
The Longhorns snapped a two-game slide by beating No. 7 Ole Miss, and that win should pair with their victories over Ohio State and Tennessee to give them a significant boost.
Ole Miss, despite the loss at Texas, can hang on to some credit after scoring 21 unanswered points to make the game respectable and on the strength of wins over ranked LSU and Missouri.
Among the teams still climbing, Utah should rise after turning an early 10-0 deficit into a key Big 12 win over Houston. Kentucky, now alone atop the SEC after beating Vanderbilt, also has a strong case to move up before a road test at Tennessee. UCLA should continue its unbeaten run after moving to 7-0 with a win over Michigan State, while Indiana’s overtime road win over Michigan keeps the Hoosiers in strong shape despite an ugly 13-6 game.
Lower in the poll, there are several teams hanging on despite losses or inactivity. Iowa could get dropped out after losing at Minnesota, though the lack of obvious replacements might keep the Hawkeyes inside the top 25. Florida, Missouri, Wake Forest, and Georgia were all idle, and Georgia now heads into its rivalry game with Florida needing to avoid a second straight loss after the setback against Auburn.
At the back end, Oklahoma State appears ready to return after piling up 57 points on Colorado and benefiting from USC’s loss. Arizona also should be moving up after a dominant win over Iowa State, while Northwestern’s 502-yard outburst in a blowout of Rutgers and SMU’s multi-score rushing day against Cal both keep them in the mix.
Here’s how the projected AP Top 25 should shake out after Week 8:
- Oklahoma State
- Iowa
- Arizona
- Northwestern
- SMU
- Missouri
- Boise State
- Florida
- Tennessee
- LSU
- Houston
- Ole Miss
- Wake Forest
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- Texas
- Kentucky
- Utah
- UCLA
- BYU
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Miami
Boise State should remain in the playoff picture conversation after playing Washington State close early and getting help from James Madison’s loss, while Alabama settled things late against Texas A&M with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to improve to 6-2. LSU’s road win at Auburn was impressive, but tougher tests against Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee are still ahead.
The top line remains simple: Miami stays No. 1. The Hurricanes handled business, and in a week packed with upsets, that was enough.
In Other News...
Texas Escaped Ole Miss But A Bigger Arch Manning Concern Remains
Texas kept finding trouble early and resilience late, turning another shaky outing into a 34-27 win over Ole Miss after once again coughing up a double-digit lead. For the third straight game, the Longhorns watched an advantage slip away, only to answer in the fourth quarter with a touchdown drive that steadied things just enough to leave Austin with a victory.
Arch Manning did enough to keep Texas in front, throwing for 171 yards and scoring twice on the ground, including the go-ahead run. Even with the win, the broader concern lingers for Texas: the offense still has to prove it can sustain control for four quarters, and Ole Miss nearly forced the issue at the end before an interception in the end zone preserved the result. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Coach Is Still Explaining The Choices Texas Made Hurt
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding spent the aftermath of the Texas game doing what coaches often have to do after a close loss: explaining the calls that looked bold in the moment and costly in hindsight. A late 58-yard field goal attempt was his choice because he believed the game was still within reach, even with the risk attached, and the kick was blocked before Texas answered with a field goal of its own to widen the gap.
Golding also revisited an earlier fourth-down decision late in the second quarter, saying he regretted passing up a short field goal there instead of chasing the conversion. For Texas, those two moments helped shape a win that never really let Ole Miss off the hook, while Golding is left weighing whether the aggressive approach helped his team or handed the Longhorns extra breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Kept Its CFP Hopes Alive But Exposed A Bigger Problem
Texas kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 34-27 win over Ole Miss, but the game also laid bare how much cleaning up remains. The Longhorns had to fight through turnovers, penalties and injuries to key players Cam Coleman and Trevor Goosby, then lean on a defense that picked off Trinidad Chambliss three times to survive a volatile night.
Raleek Brown gave Texas the kind of ground production it needed with 157 rushing yards, and Arch Manning helped steady things by accounting for both a passing touchdown and a rushing score. Even with the win in hand, the bigger picture lingers for Texas: this was the sort of performance that can keep a postseason path open while also reminding everyone how fragile it still looks. [Read more 🡒]