The second half of the college football season is in full swing and Week 8 is in the rearview. Miami, Texas Tech and Ole Miss saw their undefeated records take a hit over the weekend, while traditional SEC powers Alabama and Georgia solidified their place at the top.
Elsewhere, the fringes of the CFP picture saw a big shakeup with Vanderbilt beating LSU, Nebraska taking its second loss of the season against Minnesota, BYU staying unbeaten and Notre Dame taking down USC.
The blue bloods of the sport are rising back to the top, but some teams trying to break through still have a chance to get in and make some noise. How far did Miami, Texas Tech and Ole Miss fall in our Week 9 CFP predictions after taking their first losses of the season? Let's go through the list as we forecast how the rest of the year will go.
1. Ohio State (7-0)
The defending champs and the best team in college football had no trouble in Week 8, suffocating Wisconsin 34-0 to get to 7-0 on the season. The Buckeyes have gone a long time without playing a marquee game, and their win over Texas to open the season has not aged very well to this point.
The schedule won't challenge Ohio State until a trip to Ann Arbor to close the regular season, and even that seems like it could be routine this season despite the recent history. Ryan Day and the best defense in the nation are on the fast track to Indianapolis.
2. Alabama (6-1)
Miami's loss helps Alabama slide into the N0. 2 spot, and the Crimson Tide solidified that position with a resounding win over Tennessee on Saturday night. Ty Simpson continues to play some of the best ball in the nation at quarterback, and Alabama has one of the deepest and most talented receiver rooms in America.
Alabama's defense still has some flaws, but it made enough big plays on key downs to keep a very explosive Tennessee offense to just 20 points. In an SEC without one dominant team at this point, Alabama still has a solid foundation to lean on with one of the best offenses in the country.
3. Indiana (7-0)
Indiana and Ohio State may both get byes even if they meet in Indianapolis and both are unbeaten. The Hoosiers have earned the benefit of the doubt to roll through the rest of what is a pretty light remaining schedule, and Saturday was business as usual for Curt Cignetti and company in a 38-13 win over Michigan State.
This Indiana team is legit. It boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Fernando Mendoza, a great receiver room, improved play at the line of scrimmage, and a great core of linebackers to go with a truly elite cornerback in D'Angelo Ponds. We're not quite ready to give them a win over Ohio State on a neutral field, but a 12-1 Hoosiers team should slot comfortably into the top 4.
4. Miami (5-1)
The ACC is a fascinating place after Miami took an upset loss against Louisville where Carson Beck threw four interceptions. The Hurricanes are still comfortably the best team in the conference from top to bottom, but there's a real world where they don't even make it to Charlotte for the conference title game.
Now, Miami is in a large jumble of teams with one conference loss in the ACC. Most notably among them are Duke and Louisville, both capable teams with very good quarterbacks. On top of that, Virginia, SMU and Georgia Tech are all still unbeaten in conference play.
Still, an 11-1 Miami team with wins over Notre Dame, South Florida and SMU (if it beats the Mustangs on the road in a few weeks) should be enough to get top four consideration. There is still a good chance Mario Cristobal and company can get into the ACC title game, which would certainly earn it a bye.
5. Georgia (6-1)
This Georgia team doesn't always pass the eye test, but in classic Kirby Smart fashion, it usually passes the scoreboard test. Ole Miss scored touchdowns on each of its first five drives on Saturday in Athens, but the Georgia defense eventually buckled down and helped the Bulldogs hand the Rebels their first loss of the year in a 43-35 barnburner.
Georgia could very easily have four losses right now after staging multi-score comebacks against Auburn, Tennessee and Ole Miss, but instead Smart and company are sitting at 6-1 with the hardest part of the schedule behind them. Three more wins should send Georgia back to Atlanta for the SEC title game with a little help.
6. Texas A&M (7-0)
If there was any doubt about the Texas A&M offense before Week 8, there is none anymore. Marcel Reed continued to quietly build a Heisman Trophy case with a four-touchdown performance against Arkansas in a 45-42 road win on Saturday.
Mario Craver and KC Concepcion form one of the best receiver duos in the nation, and the Aggies still ran for 217 yards in Week 8 despite losing star running Le'Veon Moss to an injury the week before. Three road tests still await the Aggies — at LSU, Missouri and Texas — but a 2-1 mark in those games should earn Mike Elko and company a home playoff game.
7. Oregon (6-1)
Oregon was staggered by a big punch from Indiana in Week 7, but it steadied itself with a dominant 56-10 drubbing of Rutgers on the road on Saturday. 10 different Ducks caught a pass and Dante Moore threw four touchdown passes to get Oregon back on track.
Dan Lanning and company need a lot of help now to get into the Big Ten title game — help that doesn't look like it's coming — but at the very least they should cruise to 11-1 and earn a home game at Autzen Stadium to kick off the CFP.
8. Ole Miss (6-1)
The Ole Miss defense got pushed around and humiliated for much of Saturday against Georgia, especially up front. The Bulldogs racked up 510 yards of total offer including 221 on the ground to give Lane Kiffin's squad its first loss.
Still, Trinidad Chambliss once again showed that he can put up points on just about anybody and this offense is still one of the best in college football. Ole Miss' remaining schedule includes a road trip to Oklahoma in Week 9 and not much else after that, which should allow it to sneak into the playoff. We have Ole Miss winning in Norman and getting to 11-1, which puts it in the No. 8 spot.
9. Texas Tech (6-1)
Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday in front of a raucous crowd in Tempe against Arizona State. Despite a furious late comeback, Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson were too much as the Sun Devils stayed in a Big 12 title race that is now very close.
Arizona State has just one conference loss and has the tiebreaker over Texas Tech, who now has a single loss as well. Cincinnati and BYU are both unbeaten in conference play as well with just five games to play.
Still, Texas Tech is the best team with the most talent in the league. Starting quarterback Behren Morton didn't play on Saturday, and the Red Raiders will get a crack at BYU down the stretch of the season. They are still our pick to finish 12-1, win the rematch with Arizona State in the conference title game and get out of the Big 12.
10. Vanderbilt (6-1)
Before the season, Diego Pavia said his goal was to win a national championship this year and everyone laughed. Now, he and Clark Lea have turned this Commodores team into a legitimate top 10 squad after taking down LSU on Saturday in Nashville.
The SEC title race is jam-packed, but Vanderbilt is right in the middle of it with just one loss on the season. Vandy hosts Missouri in Week 9 before a road game against Texas, which was not impressive at all in its win over Kentucky on Saturday. If Pavia and company can get through those games unscathed, a rivalry week showdown in Knoxville against Tennessee could serve as a de facto playoff game. We'll give the Commodores the slight edge between the two at the moment.
11. Georgia Tech (7-0)
Georgia Tech survived one of its toughest games left on the schedule on Saturday, a 27-18 road win over Duke that was heavily aided by the Blue Devils getting in their own way. Now, Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets are 7-0 and must be included in any playoff discussion moving forward.
Georgia Tech still has a road game against NC State and a home date with Pitt left on the SEC schedule to get into the conference championship game. It also has a neutral-site game against Georgia to close the regular season, but it may not need a win over the Bulldogs if it can run the table everywhere else.
12. South Florida (6-1)
Memphis faltered in the Group of Five playoff race on Saturday with a stunning upset loss at the hands of UAB, who was fresh off of firing Trent Dilfer. Unbeaten UNLV also was throttled by Boise State, leaving South Florida as the clear representative for the little guys at this point in the year.
Alex Golesh and company can reinforce their position with a win at Memphis in Week 9. Tulane also still lurks in the American as a team that can make some noise.
Next Out: Notre Dame, Tennessee, BYU, Louisville, Arizona State, Missouri
Quarterfinal Predictions
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Ole Miss
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 7 Oregon
Cotton Bowl: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Texas A&M
Orange Bowl: No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Georgia
Semifinal predictions
Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Georgia
Peach Bowl: No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 7 Oregon
National Championship prediction
No. 1 Ohio State over No. 7 Oregon
