USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 released after Week 8 of college football

The latest USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll was released after Week 8 of the 2023 college football regular season.

There were some upsets, some near misses and of course, some blowouts by the top teams. That shook up the top 10 a little bit and put others on the brink.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the latest USA Today Coaches Poll after Week 8.

1. Georgia

Georgia had the week off but take on Florida this coming weekend in that classic rivalry. The Bulldogs were shaky a bit this season, but have yet to lose of course.

Is it enough to win a third straight national title? That remains to be seen. But what is it that we say every week? To be the champ, you have to beat the champ.

2. Michigan

Michigan is simply rolling and this boulder cannot be stopped. Amid allegations of sign stealing, the Wolverines suspended their assistant and simply brushed it off.

A 49-0 drubbing of Michigan State is the latest example of how good this team is this fall, compared to the last two. Despite all of the NCAA hooplah, will Jim Harbaugh finally win it all?

3. Ohio State

Ohio State didn’t look great offensively, but that defense swarmed everyone around the Horseshoe Saturday. The Buckeyes controlled the game and won 20-12 over Penn State.

Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr. did just enough in this one. Can that keep up with Michigan? Perhaps if they’re firing. But one thing’s for sure, the defense is scary.

4. Florida State

Florida State wasn’t as explosive in this one, but the Seminoles still put up a 38-20 win over Duke. The Blue Devils were ranked but were hampered by injuries.

Jordan Travis played decent enough and Keon Coleman didn’t have an otherworldly performance, but did what he had to do. The same goes for Johnny Wilson, who returned to the lineup. FSU kept pace in the inevitable CFP race.

5. Washington

Wow, that was close. Washington was on the brink of an upset before defeating one-win Arizona State 15-7 late Saturday night.

The Huskies faced adversity for, basically, the first time this season and trailed at halftime. Michael Penix Jr. tossed two picks and led three field goal drives. Luckily a pick six ended up being the biggest difference for Washington.

6. Oklahoma (+1)

It’s been two weeks since we saw Oklahoma in action but the Sooners returned home after a big win over Texas. It was a close call and UCF nearly pulled the upset, but OU remained unbeaten.

Dillon Gabriel tossed for 253 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. How about Nic Anderson? He had five catches for 105 yards and two scores. He’s been hot lately.

7. Texas (+1)

This wasn’t an overly impressive victory, but Texas came out of the bye week and beat Houston on the road 31-24. The bigger concern is quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The shoulder injury knocked him out of the game and Maalik Murphy came in relief. Murphy only threw two passes but it was a balanced attack for the Longhorns. For the Longhorns, they better hope Ewers can get back ASAP.

8. Alabama

Alabama is back. Okay, Texas jokes aside, the Crimson Tide looked like they were going to struggle to stay at the top following that loss to the Longhorns.

Not so fast my friend. Alabama used a second half comeback to beat Tennessee and managed to keep its SEC record perfect. A win over LSU in two weeks and it’s time to book a flight to Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

9. Oregon (+2)

Oregon won an old-fashioned Pac-12 shootout Saturday over Washington State. Now, the Cougars aren’t ranked, but certainly a tough cookie. The Ducks defense gave up 438 yards to Wazzu QB Cam Ward, but held on for the 38-24 win.

Bo Nix threw for 293 yards and two scores and Mar’Keise Irving had quite the day with 129 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Pac-12 dream and potential rematch with Washington stayed alive.

10. Penn State (-4)

Penn State remained in the top 10 despite a loss to Ohio State on the road. That’s nothing to scoff at, it’s a tough place to play.

However, Drew Allar and the Penn State offense had no answers for the Buckeyes’ defense. Mustering just 12 points is not going to get it done. The Big Ten title and CFP hopes are dwindling.

Rest of Coaches Poll Top 25

11. Ole Miss (+1)
12. Oregon State (+1)
13. Utah (+1)
14. Notre Dame (+4)
15. LSU (+4)
16. Missouri (+4)
17. North Carolina (-7)
18. Louisville (+3)
19. Air Force (+3)
20. Tennessee (-5)
21. Duke (-4)
22. USC (-6)
23. Tulane (+1)
24. UCLA (+1)
25. James Madison (NR)

Dropped out: No. 23 Iowa

Receiving votes: Florida 52; Miami (FL) 27; Kansas State 25; Iowa 24; Fresno State 23; Oklahoma State 13; Kentucky 10; Wyoming 9; SMU 8; Liberty 8; Arizona 7; UNLV 6; Maryland 4; Kansas 4; Wisconsin 2; Toledo 2; Clemson 1

There were upsets, there were shakeups and the season isn’t over yet folks. It’s about to get crazier because, yes that’s right, November is right around the corner.