The AP Top 25 didn’t just move on Sunday - it got blown wide open.
Five of the top eight teams lost on the same day, the first time that’s ever happened in AP poll history, and the result was a rankings reset that pushed Miami to No. 1 and sent BYU rocketing to No. 2. The undefeated Hurricanes picked up 40 first-place votes and moved past Georgia, which dropped to No. 5 after a last-second home loss to unranked Auburn.
BYU’s rise was the other major headline from the shakeup. The Cougars climbed six spots after beating then-No.
2 Notre Dame in a finish that stirred immediate controversy, and the Big 12 later said officials erred by not putting another second on the clock. Notre Dame fell to No. 4 anyway, while the conference’s good day kept rolling with Texas Tech jumping two spots to No. 8 after a blowout win over Arizona State.
The Big 12 now owns three teams in the top 10, the best mark of any conference. The Big Ten also has three - Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA - while the SEC has two.
For the SEC, this was a rough one. A week ago, the league had four teams in the top 10 and seven in the top 15.
Now it’s down to two top-10 teams and five in the top 15. Ole Miss was the only top-10 team from last week to get through Saturday untouched.
Georgia, Texas and Alabama all fell, with two of those losses coming at home, and the league no longer has an unbeaten team. With a nine-game conference schedule in place, the path through the SEC is only getting harder, and this week’s carnage made that plain.
The rankings also put a spotlight on two first-year head coaches who have already turned their programs into surprises. UCLA checked in at No. 9, while Kentucky landed at No. 12, and both teams have surged under new leadership.
Bob Chesney has UCLA at 6-0 after taking over a program that went 3-9 last season and lost DeShaun Foster after just three games. The Bruins’ 17-7 win over Wisconsin, even without quarterback Nico Iamaleava, was the kind of result that makes the top-10 ranking feel earned. It’s UCLA’s first time in the top 10 since 2022.
Kentucky’s climb has been just as striking. Will Stein inherited a team that finished 5-7 in Mark Stoops’ final season, but the Wildcats are now 6-1 in the SEC with wins over LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. They could still keep rising with Vanderbilt next on the schedule.
Here’s how the Week 8 AP Top 25 shook out:
- Miami (40), 6-0
- BYU (20), 6-0
- Ohio State (9), 6-1
- Notre Dame, 6-1
- Georgia, 6-1
- Indiana, 6-1
- Ole Miss, 5-1
- Texas Tech (1), 6-0
- UCLA, 6-0
- Utah, 6-0
- Tennessee, 6-1
- Kentucky, 6-1
- Alabama, 5-2
- Houston, 6-1
- Iowa, 5-1
- USC, 6-1
- Wake Forest, 6-1
- LSU, 5-2
- Texas, 4-2
- Florida, 5-2
- Boise State, 5-1
- Missouri, 5-2
- SMU, 5-1
- Northwestern, 5-1
- Arizona, 5-1
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UCLA Gets An Early Chance To Prove Its Big Ten Status
UCLA enters the season with some immediate credibility, landing at No. 22 in the preseason AP poll after a roster reset that still feels familiar in key places. Trent Perry, Eric Dailey and Xavier Booker are back, giving the Bruins a returning core, while the addition of transfers Jaylen Petty, Filip Jovic and Sergej Macura adds needed depth as they settle into their first year in the Big Ten spotlight.
The first real test arrives quickly, with No. 5 Arizona waiting on Nov. 2 in the regular-season opener. UCLA has already had a secret scrimmage, and Petty and Jovic reportedly made a strong impression in that setting, which only adds to the intrigue around how ready this group might be when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's 6-0 Start Has Three Bruins Changing The Season Outlook
UCLAs unbeaten start got another boost at home against Wisconsin, and the Bruins are beginning to look less like a pleasant surprise and more like a team with real staying power. The win pushed them to 6-0, with Ty Dieffenbach giving the offense a steadier shape and Semaj Morgan continuing to emerge as a dependable target in the passing game.
Defensively, Jalen Woods was right in the middle of it, helping set the tone for a unit that kept Wisconsin from settling in. The combination of a more settled passing attack, a trustworthy receiving option and Woods presence on defense is changing how this team is being viewed, and UCLA now has the kind of balance that can carry a season much further than early optimism usually does. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Stayed Perfect But One Concern Just Got Harder To Ignore
UCLA kept its perfect run intact in Week 7 with a home win over Wisconsin, but the kind of issues that can linger into bigger games were hard to miss. The Bruins had to deal with a quarterback who created trouble as a runner, and that sort of dual-threat pressure is the type of wrinkle that can test a defense even when the result still goes in the win column.
The discipline piece was just as notable. UCLA was flagged eight times for 78 yards, the kind of self-inflicted damage that can quietly chip away at momentum as the schedule tightens. With Jayden Maiava waiting on the remaining slate and offering a similar rushing challenge, the Bruins may need a cleaner answer soon if they want to keep the same margin for error. [Read more 🡒]