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With Week 8 wrapped up, it's time to reveal our college football power rankings. As each week passes, the margin for error grows thinner, and losses are starting to hit many teams. That included last week's No. 1 team, the Texas Longhorns, which lost to the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs.
Even though the Bulldogs have been the top team in college football over the past few seasons, their victory in Austin on Saturday was still an upset. But they weren't the only ones. No. 7 Alabama also left Neyland Stadium with a loss to No. 11 Tennessee, knocking the Crimson Tide well out of our top 10.
Just about everyone’s rankings, from the AP to the Coaches Poll, now look very different, including ours. So, let's get into it, starting with the new No. 1 Oregon Ducks.
1. Oregon Ducks (previously 2)
Oregon football had the luxury of playing Purdue on Friday night, cruising to a 35-0 victory while letting everyone else battle it out on Saturday. After their thrilling win over Ohio State in Week 7 and Georgia’s decisive victory over Texas on the road, it seemed fitting for the Ducks to take the No. 1 spot. They remain undefeated with a win over a top-3 opponent.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (previously 3)
Having Ohio State football at No. 2 might seem controversial, but it’s not as if the Buckeyes looked bad in their loss to Oregon in Eugene two weeks ago. They were idle in Week 8, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re still one of the best teams in the country.
3. Georgia Bulldogs (previously 4)
Georgia walked into Austin, Texas, and silenced the doubters who thought they were done after nearly a month of subpar play. The Bulldogs overcame everything last Saturday night, from the Longhorns' hype to some controversial SEC officiating calls. Georgia football isn’t going away just yet. They're one blemish to Alabama is what keeps them out of the top 2 in our college football power rankings.
4. Texas Longhorns (previously 1)
Is Texas football not who we thought they were, or did they just have a bad game? That remains to be seen. Right now, a lot with Texas will hinge on the eye test moving forward. The Longhorns probably didn’t expect Georgia to come in and dominate them the way they did, especially up front defensively. However, with all the talent spread across this team, it’s still hard not to consider them among the top five in our college football power rankings. Now what is a top 25 showdown in Nashville against Vanderbilt is on deck.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (previously 5)
Penn State was idle last week, but they’re likely still riding high after their win over USC in Los Angeles. Granted, that victory may begin to look less impressive as the season progresses. The Nittany Lions head to Madison in Week 9 to take on Wisconsin.
6. Miami Hurricanes (previously 6)
The Miami Hurricanes just continue to eke out nail-biters week after week. Week 8 was no different, as they found themselves in a shootout with Louisville on the road. This team’s defense continues to give up explosive plays, but they always have an answer—thanks to Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Cam Ward leading the offense.
7. LSU Tigers (previously 8)
LSU didn’t let the emotional win over Ole Miss distract them in Week 8’s matchup against Arkansas. Many were calling for the Razorbacks to upset the Tigers on the road, but LSU stayed focused. The Tigers continue to climb in the polls and our power rankings.
8. Clemson Tigers (previously 9)
Clemson once again took care of business at home in Death Valley, where they rarely lose, defeating Virginia in Week 8. The Tigers have now become the slight favorite to win the ACC Championship over Miami, but we still have them ranked just a few spots below the Hurricanes for now.
9. Iowa State Cyclones (previously 11)
Iowa State went down to the wire, scoring with just 30 seconds left on a 1-yard sneak by Rocco Becht to secure their undefeated season through seven games. The Cyclones are having an impressive season so far, being one of only two unbeaten teams left in the Big 12, along with BYU.
10. Tennessee Volunteers (previously 10)
If not for the Tennessee Volunteers' defense, they might have lost one or two more games this season — because the offense is still sputtering. That’s probably not something many would have expected under Josh Heupel. Nonetheless, the Vols are now 6-1 after beating Alabama in Week 8, sending the Crimson Tide down the power rankings and possibly out of the playoff race, while keeping their own chances intact.
College football power rankings post-Week 8 teams 11-25
Alabama takes a massive fall from seventh all the way down 17 in our college football power rankings. In the Crimson Tide's two losses now, they've continued to look nothing like the Nick Saban led teams. The hurdles of the transition from Saban to new coach Kalen DeBoer are coming to light now.
BYU, one of the few remaining undefeated teams, just falls outside our top 10 college football power rankings after Week 8. The Cougars pulled out a dramatic, late victory over Oklahoma State last Friday, looking like a team of destiny.
Another undefeated program on the rise is the Indiana Hoosiers — and we're not even talking about basketball. Now under head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are 7-0 for the first time since 1967. The Hoosiers demolished Nebraska in Week 8, 56-7.
The two newcomers in our power rankings this week are Illinois and Colorado. Illinois had previously been ranked a few weeks back, but we felt they had more to prove. Colorado didn’t crack the AP Top 25, but this team looks so much improved this season and is playing well despite their best player, Travis Hunter, banged up.
