Nothing shakes up the college football rankings like a loss to the No. 1 team in the country. And if a top-ranked team were to fall to another team higher up in the rankings, such as Texas losing to Georgia on Saturday night, that would result in all sorts of changes to the new AP Top 25 poll. Dew.
That will likely include a new No. 1 player, and Georgia will be content with its status as one of the best teams in the country with a road win, but Associated Press voters will choose the Bulldogs. I have no intention of pushing them all the way to the finals. Top spot. That’s because there’s a very good candidate in Oregon ready to move up.
By moving to No. 1, the Ducks will reach a historical benchmark that has not been achieved by many, even considering the program’s success in the 21st century. In the history of the AP poll, Oregon State has only been ranked No. 1 for a total of eight weeks, and seven of those weeks were in the 2010 season, when the Ducks finished No. 2 in the nation behind Auburn. The last time Oregon was No. 1 was in the 2012 season, but that ranking lasted only one week.
Dan Lanning and Oregon currently take over the top spot from Texas, but they’ve already proven themselves against other top-five teams. The Ducks will be hoping to maintain this performance longer than they did in 2012 heading into a matchup against an Illinois team, one of this week’s other big ranking winners.
Here’s how to predict the new AP Top 25 for Sunday after Week 8.
1. Oregon State (2): The Ducks weren’t feeling any of the disappointment or hangover from last week’s blowout win over Ohio State. Going on the road and shutting out their opponent just one week after a result like this is impressive, and voters will be watching to push Oregon State into first place.
2. Penn State (3): The Nittany Lions had Week 8 off, but return to action next week at Wisconsin.
3. Georgia State (5): The Bulldogs don’t have much room to move up in the rankings, but I think their confidence has grown since going to Austin when it comes to the SEC title race and other championship contentions. Conquer Texas. The 30-15 score may not have fully emphasized how Kirby Smart’s team tied the Longhorns in a knot and looked as bad as they have all year.
4. Ohio State (4): The Buckeyes took Week 8 off, but are scheduled to return next week at home against Nebraska.
5. Texas (Last week — 1): Voters can easily decide whether to put the Longhorns on the ballot. A loss to Georgia would make Texas one of the top one-loss teams in the country.
6. Miami (6): Cam Ward continues his impressive performance, this time with 319 yards and four touchdowns as Miami held off Louisville in a 52-45 shootout on the road. I won. It’s the third straight game in which the Hurricanes will need late-game heroics to remain undefeated, but it’s also the seventh straight game in which Ward and the offense have answered the call to perform at a high level.
7. LSU (8): The Tigers have won six straight since losing to USC in the season opener, following last week’s overtime win against Ole Miss and road win against Arkansas to some degree. We are starting to see results. Add real strength to your ranking profile. Highlights of the win included another strong performance from LSU’s defense, which forced turnovers and prevented the Razorbacks from building any momentum in front of their home crowd.
8. Iowa State (9): Despite some second-half heroics, Iowa State improved to 7-0 with a thrilling 38-35 victory over UCF. A 7-0 record represents the best start since before World War II, and Cyclones fans can look to the highest heights Iowa State can reach this season.
9. Clemson (10): Leading by just seven points at halftime, Clemson stepped up in the third quarter, created some separation and held off Virginia’s second-half onslaught for a 48-31 victory. The Tigers are off to a 5-0 start in ACC play, but face the toughest test on the conference schedule with games against Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pitt coming up in the next three weeks.
10. Tennessee (11): Not only does Tennessee light up the cigar with a win over rival Alabama, but the win also significantly improves its ranking profile. Even though the move may not be immediately dramatic, it further strengthens Tennessee’s staying power as a top team, as the best wins on the schedule so far have come against Oklahoma and Florida.
11. BYU (13): The Cougars improved to 7-0 behind Jake Retzlaff’s late-game dramatics, but another conference win in sight meant multiple 1-1s for voters. It’s getting harder and harder to keep BYU behind losing teams.
12. Indiana (16): Not only did coach Curt Cignetti’s team pass its toughest test of the season so far, but it was a 49-point victory that led to a 56-point lead over Nebraska at Bloomington. My confidence is growing. Star quarterback Curtis Rourke missed the second half with a thumb injury, but the Hoosiers still outscored the Cornhuskers 28-0 in the third and fourth quarters. It’s possible that Indiana could jump ahead of BYU in the undefeated team standings, but we expect them to land just one spot behind the Cougars.
13. Notre Dame (12): There were some hiccups along the way, but for the most part, Notre Dame did a great job on the road trip to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech . The Fighting Irish won 31-13, improving to 6-1 on the season. Despite a rash of injuries, the defense continued to play at a high level, holding opponents to 14 points or less for the fifth time this season.
14. Texas A&M (14): The Aggies’ defense recorded three sacks and 11 tackles for loss in a 34-24 victory over Mississippi State. Although the offense wasn’t as dominant as it was last time out against Missouri State, the road win kept Texas A&M in the top 15 as one of the best one-loss teams in the nation.
15. Alabama (7): Last month’s win over Georgia has a big impact on Alabama’s ranking profile, as the Crimson Tide falls to 5-2 with a loss to Tennessee. The eye test hasn’t been very favorable for Alabama in recent weeks, but voters are left wondering how to rank a team that bears no resemblance to the group that pushed them to first place just three weeks ago. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it.
16. Boise State (15): The Broncos took a break in Week 8, but return to action next week in a big showdown against the Mountain West at UNLV.
17. Kansas State (17): It’s hard to see much change in the rankings, but the Wildcats took care of business in two tough road trips, defeating Colorado State in Boulder and West Virginia in Morgantown. That is worthy of praise. – Back for a few weeks. Kansas State is currently 6-1 with their only loss coming against BYU, and given their upcoming schedule, there are plenty of opportunities to rack up wins and slowly move up the rankings.
18. Illinois (22): The Fighting Illini continue to be questioned and ignored, but they have exceeded expectations at almost every turn. Illinois, 6-1 overall with Penn State’s only loss, is starting to build a profile worthy of consideration as one of the best one-loss teams in the country. Good news and bad news about the upcoming schedule could put an end to these debates. Illinois is scheduled to play Oregon State in Eugene next week on CBS.
19. Ole Miss (18): The Rebels had Week 8 off, but are scheduled to return next week against Oklahoma.
20. Pitt (20): The Panthers had Week 8 off, but are scheduled to return Thursday night against Syracuse.
21. SMU (21): The Mustangs took care of business on their road trip to Stanford and are now up 6-1, 40-10.
22. Army (23): Quarterback Bryson Daley has already put together one of the best single-season performances in program history, leading the way with six total touchdowns in a 45-28 win over East Carolina. He improved his record to 7 wins and 0 losses. 6-0 on the season and in AAC play. With this, Daly broke the single-season record for rushing touchdowns and scored 19 points on the ground, with enough games left to extend that record, two more than the previous record holder.
23. Navy (25): The Midshipmen continued to keep pace with their Commander-in-Chief Trophy rivals, improving to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the AAC, defeating Charlotte 51-17. .
24. Missouri (19): The Tigers came back from a 17-6 deficit to take a 21-17 lead thanks to a gritty effort from quarterback Brady Cook, who was hampered by an ankle injury in the first half. The victory deserves praise. However, given the beauty of the performance in the match and the continued momentum of the Army-Navy’s impressive undefeated start, the team may cede some ground to the undefeated teams behind them in the rankings.
25. Vanderbilt (NR): Can Vanderbilt make the top 25 based on the strength of their 24-14 win over Ball State?No. But behind that 5-2 record, with wins over the University of Alabama, Virginia Tech and the University of Kentucky, the Commodores were 26th in voting points and were on more than half of the ballots, up from last week. may also receive a few more votes. There are up to 17th place.
Expected dropout: 24th place University of Michigan
