The top six college football teams stayed the same in the AP Top 25 poll after Week 8. No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Michigan were both off, while No. 2 Ohio State dominated Iowa and No. 3 Tennessee breezed past UT Martin. No. 5 Clemson survived a tough test from Syracuse, and No. 6 Alabama cruised against Mississippi State.
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TCU moved up a spot to No. 7 after its comeback win against Kansas State. The biggest changes came as a result of two top-10 teams that lost. LSU reentered the rankings at No. 18 after its impressive 45-20 win against previously undefeated Ole Miss. The loss knocked the Rebels from No. 7 to No. 15. And Oregon moved up from No. 10 to No. 8 after beating UCLA 45-30. The Bruins fell three spots to No. 12.
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There are actually 11 teams in the top 10, as USC and Wake Forest tied for 10th with 927 voting points each. It’s the second consecutive season Wake Forest has appeared at No. 10 after never previously reaching the top 10.
Ole Miss was the only ranked team to lose to an unranked opponent. Two teams did fall out of the poll, however, as Texas and Mississippi State both dropped to 5-3 following their losses to Oklahoma State and Alabama, respectively.
In addition to LSU, South Carolina entered the poll at No. 25 after beating Texas A&M. It’s the Gamecocks’ first AP poll appearance since September 2018.
Week 9 will feature three matchups of ranked teams: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 Penn State, No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee and No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Kansas State. There is also a pair of crucial rivalries, as No. 1 Georgia meets Florida and No. 4 Michigan hosts Michigan State.
The full AP Top 25 after Week 8:
1. Georgia (31)
2. Ohio State (18)
3. Tennessee (13)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson (1)
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State
10. USC
10. Wake Forest
12. UCLA
13. Penn State
14. Utah
15. Ole Miss
16. Syracuse
17. Illinois
18. LSU
19. Kentucky
20. Cincinnati
21. North Carolina
22. Kansas State
23. Tulane
24. NC State
25. South Carolina
Others receiving votes: Texas, Liberty, Oregon State, Mississippi State, Maryland, Troy, UTSA, Arkansas, Washington, Florida State
(Photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today)
