College Football Rankings: Projecting AP Poll Top 25 after Week 8

Another week, another wild set of results that will shake up the latest AP Poll Top 25 projections. Week 8 didn’t feature a ton of upsets, but top-ranked Texas got toasted at home by No. 5 Georgia, while No. 11 Tennessee rallied to beat No. 7 Alabama on the Third Saturday in October. 

So Sunday will see a new No. 1 (Hello, Oregon), while Indiana, which destroyed Nebraska by 49 points, should crack the Top 10. 

Elsewhere, Miami held on in a shootout at Louisville, and both Big 12 undefeated teams (BYU and Iowa State) had late, clutch comebacks to stay perfect. 

Oh, and the reigning defending national champs Michigan lost for the third time and are out of the Top 25. 

So once again, the AP Poll Top 25 should look a lot differently come Sunday afternoon. After another exhilarating day of football, it will be interesting to see where the voters rank Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson and others. 

Here’s how I think the Week 8 AP Poll Top 25 could look come Sunday morning:

1. Oregon (Last week: 2)

Coming off an emotional upset over No. 2 Ohio State last weekend, Oregon handled its business on a short-week in a 35-0 blanking over Purdue on Friday night. The Ducks pitched their first road shutout in 32 years, holding an offense that scored 49 points the week prior to just 93 yards passing. 

Dillon Gabriel had another 290 yards passing and two touchdowns, while Jordan James scored twice on his 10 carries. Sophomore edge Matayo Uiagalelei led a defense that had three sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two takeaways. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Ducks were fairly methodical offensively against Purdue (just four plays over 20 yards), but they were perfect in the red zone — with touchdowns on all five trips inside the 20-yard line.

2. Penn State (Last week: 3)

Idle.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Drew Allar threw for a career-high 391 yards in the comeback win over USC last weekend, and while the junior also had three picks (more than his entire 2023 output), it was actually an encouraging performance with the way he pushed the ball vertically and hit explosive plays (13 plays over 16 yards).

3. Georgia (Last week: 5)

How ‘bout them Dawgs? In classic Georgia fashion, the Bulldogs rode a dominant defensive performance (seven sacks, just 250 yards allowed) and three rushing touchdowns to a 30-15 statement upset at No. 1 Texas. Kirby Smart’s reminded the country that the preseason title favorites remain a very dangerous team, as quarterback Carson Beck was mostly terrible (three INTs, just 175 passing yards) and it didn’t matter. Trevor Etienne carried the load with three rushing touchdowns and 110 yards from scrimmage.

The Bulldogs held Texas to just 4 of 19 on third and fourth downs, and had four takeaways (with 3-4 other INTs dropped). For much of the night, Jalon Walker, Mykell Williams and Damon Wilson were unblockable. Georgia overcame some controversial officiating, too, and forced Steve Sarkisian to play both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Kirby Smart’s team has now won 51-straight games against all non-Alabama opponents, but Saturday night marked Smart’s first-career victory over an AP Top 10 team on the road. 

4. Ohio State (Last week: 3)

Idle.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: With three weeks before their showdown with No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley, the Buckeyes are already working on multiple contingency plans to replace starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who might’ve been lost for the season in the loss to Oregon. Backup tackle Zen Michalski replaced Simmons and played OK, but Ryan Day revealed that All-Big Ten guard Donovan Jackson could be an option at the spot moving forward, too.

5. Texas (Last week: 1)

A week after bodying rival Oklahoma, Texas was bullied at home by Georgia, losing 30-15 in a game where the Longhorns’ ballyhooed offensive line was exposed. Future Top 5 NFL Draft pick Kelvin Banks hadn’t allowed a sack all season, but was beaten for three of Texas’ seven sacks allowed (three of which resulted in fumbles). Quinn Ewers was so rattled early that Steve Sarkisian benched the starter for Arch Manning, but no spark was had. 

Texas did show signs of life in the second half offensively (two touchdowns, one aided on a short field after a Carson Beck INT), but it still couldn’t muster enough plays to ever truly threaten UGA. The silver-lining for the Longhorns was the play of their defense, which picked off Beck three times and held UGA to just 283 total yards. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: How rare of a loss was this for the No. 1 team in the country at home by double-digits? The 15-point loss was the worst loss by a top-ranked team since Pitt fell to Notre Dame in a blowout in 1982, per Sportradar via the AP. 

6. Miami (Last week: 6)

In one of the wildest games of Week 8, Miami answered what-might-be its toughest test of the regular-season by holding off Louisville in a crazy 52-45 seesaw win. The game had a little bit of everything — 50-yard touchdowns, 100-yard kickoff return score, a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Canes quarterback Cam Ward had another 319 yards with four touchdowns, throwing the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter. On Miami’s ensuing possession, the Canes caught another replay break (albeit the right call!) when officials overturned a 68-yard fumble return for a touchdown that briefly tied the game at 45-all. Ward’s arm was moving forward, though, and two plays later, Damian Martinez barreled 30-yards for a touchdown, breaking multiple tackles to effectively ice the game. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Miami’s secondary continues to be the weak-link of the defense. The Canes allowed Tyler Shough to throw for 342 yards and four scores, with multiple coverage busts on the 11 throws over 17 yards.

7. LSU (Last week: 7)

For the eighth time in nine years, the Golden Boot will go back to Baton Rouge, as LSU handled rival Arkansas 34-10. Thanks to untimely penalties, the Tigers had to settle for four field goals on six red zone trips, but freshman tailback Caden Durham did have 101 yards rushing and three scores. 

The Tigers’ defense came to play for the second straight week, too, as linebacker Whit Weeks spearheaded a unit that allowed just 277 yards and forced three turnovers. Weeks, who had 18 tackles last week against Ole Miss, had nine stops, a sack and a big interception to setup a short touchdown.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: After losing its opener vs. USC, the Tigers have won six-straight and are 3-0 in SEC play. They now travel to Texas A&M to face the 6-1 Aggies — which are 4-0 in conference games.

8. Indiana (Last week: 16)

Looking for a definition of SPLATTERING? That would be Indiana’s 56-7 demolition of Nebraska. The Hoosiers hounded freshman quarterback into four turnovers, while the offense racked up more than 500 yards of offense. They made it look easy, carving up Nebraska’s defense at 9.6 yards per rush and more than first down (11.1) per pass. It was the program’s largest Big Ten win since World War II. The one concerning takeaway is quarterback Kurtis Rourke injured his throwing hand early in the second half and did not return. Backup Tayven Jackson didn’t miss a beat, though, completing his first four passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Indiana, which is 7-0 for the first time in 56 years, is positioned for a real run to the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers will be favored in every game the rest of the season outside of a trip to No. 3 Ohio State.

9. Iowa State (Last week: 9)

Talk about cojones. Trailing by five inside the last 90 seconds, quarterback Rocco Becht took Iowa State 80 yards in just over a minute to score on a one-yard touchdown to give the Cyclones a nutsy 38-35 win over UCF. Becht had his worst game of the season (two INTs, both of which should’ve been pick-sixes but one that wasn’t because the Knights dropped the ball short of the goal line), but he was clutch late when it mattered most. He rushed for a career-high 97 yards on 20 carries with two scores. With the comeback, Iowa State remained undefeated with its best start since 1938. 

The best defense in the Big 12 had all sorts of problems stopping UCF’s ground game, though, allowing a season-worst 354 rushing yards and four scores — the most yards the program has allowed since 2016. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: After an open date, Iowa State will enter November undefeated with a remaining schedule that features just one Top 25 team (Kansas State in the finale).

10. Clemson (Last week: 10)

Cade Klubnik brushed off a sluggish start to finish with another 300-yard, three-touchdown game in Clemson’s 48-31 win over Virginia. The Tigers, which have been pouncing on teams most weeks, actually trailed 10-3 after Klubnick threw a terrible interception, but the offense got going behind Phil Mafah (two touchdown runs) and Antonio Williams (a 36 yard touchdown run, a 34-yard pass and 44 receiving yards) to score 35 unanswered points. The Tigers finished with 539 yards — the fifth time in six games they’ve topped the 500-yard mark. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Tigers will enjoy their second and final bye week of the 2024 season before finishing the season with a stretch that looks tougher than it did a few weeks ago with games remaining against Va. Tech, No. 20 Pitt and South Carolina, among others.

The rest of the projected AP Top 25:

11. Tennessee (Last week: 11)

After being held scoreless for the third-consecutive first half (something that hasn’t happened since 1963), Tennessee’s offense awoke in the third quarter to rally the Vols to a 24-17 win over arch-rival Alabama. Nico Iamaleava was dreadful for much of the game (two first half interceptions, multiple overthrows), but he hit a couple big sideline shots including the go-ahead touchdown to Chris Brazzell with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Once again, tailback Dylan Sampson put the Vols’ sputtering offense on his back, rushing for 100 yards and two scores on 18 carries after halftime. 

Tennessee’s defense was mostly outstanding once again, too, holding Alabama to just three yards on its final four possessions. They picked off Jalen Milroe twice, sacked him three times and held the dynamic quarterback to under 20 yards rushing. After a late UT field goal, safety Will Brooks then sealed win with a diving interception on Milroe’s final pass of the night.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Sampson had a first-half fumble (the first of his career) but he was Tennessee’s offense for much of the night. His 139 yards were his sixth game over the century mark, and he now has 17 rushing scores, which trails only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

12. Notre Dame (Last week: 12)

After falling behind 7-0 for the second week in a row, the Irish cruised to a 31-13 win in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. While quarterback Riley Leonard had 250 total yards and two scores, Notre Dame’s defense led the way by holding a prolific Yellow Jackets rushing attack to just 64 yards (by far a season-low). The Irish also blocked a field goal, had four sacks and saw All-American safety Xavier Watts record a pick.

Leonard threw a bad pick early in the first quarter, but the Duke transfer responded by completing 12 straight throws to setup two touchdown drives (both Leonard runs).  

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Irish have won five straight after their upset loss to Northern Illinois, but now they must tangle with an undefeated Navy team that is blasting opponents. 

13. BYU (Last week: 13)

The self-proclaimed “BYU Jew” Jake Retzlaff saved the Cougars perfect season with a 27-yard run followed by the game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining in a 38-35 comeback win over Oklahoma State. 

Retzlaff shook off a pair of interceptions to finish with 300 total yards and three scores. LJ Martin rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, too, as BYU had to lean on its offense (nearly 500 total yards, 7.4 yards per play) for the first time all season. 

“It’s magical. It’s spiritual,” Retzlaff told reporters on Friday night. “How can you not be romantic about this game?”

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: BYU’s typically solid run defense got shredded by Ollie Gordon and the Pokes (269 rushing yards). Gordon had his best game of the year (102 yards, two touchdowns), as the Cougars missed a season-high 14 tackles.

14. Texas A&M (Last Week: 14)

The Aggies came off their bye week with a spotty showing at Mississippi State, keeping the Bulldogs at arm’s length in a 34-24 win. Conner Weigman threw two picks and Texas A&M led just 21-17 at halftime before pulling away in the third quarter with a field goal and Le’Veon Moss’ second score of the night. The Aggies allowed 22 first downs, but MSU had just 360 yards and averaged just 5.9 per pass. 

TAMU’s tenacious front controlled the line of scrimmage, recording three sacks and 11 tackles for loss. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Aggies have won six-straight since their opener loss to Notre Dame, and they remain atop the SEC standings at 4-0. Next up? No. 8 LSU comes to town.

15. Boise State (Last week: 15)

Idle.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Ashton Jeanty gets the week off, but the Broncos’ tailback remains among the Heisman Trophy frontrunners with 1,248 rushing yards at 9.9 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns — all tops in the nation.

16. Alabama (Last week: 7)

The Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes took a major hit after Alabama coughed up multiple leads at Tennessee to fall 24-17. Jalen Milroe tossed the game-sealing interception with 90 seconds left to end any comeback attempt. The Tide continue to struggle in second-halves, as they were outscored 24-10 after halftime. Penalties, including a back-breaking personal foul by wideout Kendrick Law that made Kalen DeBoer go for it on 4th-and-22, remain a huge issue, too. 

Alabama was flagged 15 times for 115 yards. After holding Tennessee scoreless in the first half, the Tide’s defense allowed scoring drives on four of the Vols’ six possessions.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Crimson Tide have lost twice before the end of October for the first time since 2007 — Nick Saban’s first year with the program.

17. Kansas State (Last week: 17)

The Wildcats went to Morgantown and mollywhooped West Virginia, turning a 17-10 halftime lead into a 48-18 rout. Quarterback Avery Johnson (two scores) and tailback DJ Giddens (two touchdowns) sparked the second-half fireworks, as Kansas State found the end zone on four of its first five possessions. Johnson, who notably didn’t have a single rushing attempt for the first time in his career, finished with nearly 300 passing yards and three scores at 10.3 yards per throw (with eight explosive passes over 15 yards). 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Wildcats defense had a pair of interceptions, one for a 43-yard pick-six, and they held WVU’s rushing attack to just 3.5 yards per carry.

18. Illinois (Last week: 22)

That’s the Fighting Illini defense I’m familiar with! A week after allowing 49 points and over 500 yards to Purdue, Illinois shutdown Michigan’s toothless offense in a 21-7 upset. The Illini forced fumbles on back-to-back possessions in the first half, turning the two takeaways into 10 points. They held Michigan’s ground game to just 3.0 yards per carry, and their defense came up with the biggest play of the game midway through the fourth quarter when linebacker Matthew Bailey intercepted a Jack Tuttle pass at the 1-yard line, halting the Wolverines’ comeback hopes. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Illinois won a game in which quarterback Luke Altmyer had 80 yards passing (4.4 per throw). Altmyer did have 48 yards and a score rushing, as Illinois grind’d its way to 187 yards on 39 carries.

19. Missouri (Last week: 19)

Talk about gutsy. Three plays into the game against Auburn, quarterback Brady Cook got hurt on a sack and went to the hospital for an MRI. Then suddenly, with Mizzou’s offense in a total rut, Cook returned to action late in the third quarter, rallying the Tigers from 17-6 deficit to a 21-17 win. Cook led a 80-yard touchdown drive on his first possession (running in the two-point conversion), and he capped the comeback by leading a 17-play, 95-yard drive that ended with a Jamal Roberts 4-yard touchdown run with just 45 seconds remaining. The Tigers’ defense held Auburn to just 286 total yards, but their special teams gifted AU a touchdown on a muffed punt return by Luther Burden III.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Tigers love kicking field goals. After four more attempts Saturday (2 of 4) Missouri leads the nation with 22 field goal tries (15 of 22 on the season).

20. Ole Miss (Last week: 18)

Idle.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Rebels are hoping to get healthy during their bye week, as star wideout Tre Harris was injured in the loss to LSU last weekend.

21. Pitt (Last week: 20)

Idle. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Panthers are off to one of their best starts in the last 25 years, but they have a tough next month ahead — even with the majority of their games at home. They come out of the bye week playing Syracuse on a Thursday night and then go to No. 21 SMU, play a tricky Virginia team and host No. 10 Clemson. 

22. SMU (Last weekend: 21)

The Mustangs moved to 3-0 in ACC play, handing Stanford a 40-10 beatdown in Palo Alto. Kevin Jennings threw for three scores (all in the first quarter), as SMU raced out to a 21-0 lead. 

Jennings finished with 322 passing yards, while SMU rolled up 179 rushing yards and two scores. Rhett Lashlee’s team continues to feast on takeaways, too, with two more picks to give them 17 turnovers on the season (tops among all Power Conference teams). 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: It wasn’t a flawless night from SMU, as special teams featured multiple mistakes. Returner Roderick Daniels muffed two punts for fumbles, while Collin Rogers missed a field goal. 

23: Army (Last week: 23)

Army continues to just ambush opponents from the jump, racing out to a 31-0 lead against East Carolina en route to a 45-28 win. Bryson Daily continued his darkhorse Heisman Trophy campaign, throwing for 147 yards and one score (14.7 yards per attempt!) while pacing the Black Knights’ rushing attack with 171 yards and five touchdowns. Army’s defense held the Pirates to under 100 yards in the first half.

Daily now has six-straight 100-yard games on the ground, and his 19 rushing touchdowns is already a school-record. 

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: The Black Knights extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 11 games. They’ve yet to trail for a single minute all year, and have won all seven games by at least 17 points.

24. Navy (Last week: 25)

The Midshipmen continue to sink opponents on a weekly basis, burying Charlotte 51-17 to move to 6-0 for the first time in 45 years. Blake Horvath delivered his latest Heisman Trophy campaign with three passing scores and 56 yards rushing, while corner Deshaun Peele nearly outscored the 49ers himself with two pick-sixes (61-yard return, 84-yard return). 

Navy forced five takeaways on the afternoon, and fullback Alex Tecza had three rushing touchdowns on the day.

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Navy, ranked for the first time since 2019, will now see Notre Dame in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

25. Washington State (Last weekend: Unranked)

The Cougs should be back in the Top 25 after blasting Hawaii 42-10 to move to 6-1. Quarterback John Mateer accounted for another five touchdowns with close to 350 total yards, while Wazzu’s defense turned three takeaways into 21 points.  Wazzu out-gained the Warriors by 144 yards (444 to 300) and blanked Hawaii on third and fourth downs (0-9).

ONE NUGGET TO KNOW: Jake Dickert’s team is suddenly a darkhorse CFP contender. The Cougs have just the loss to No. 15 Boise State and stand to be favored over every team on its remaining schedule.

Projected to drop out: No. 24 Michigan