Nine AP Top 25 teams fell in Week 8, including four from the top 10. Ohio State still led the pack with a 7-0 record. The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 255-41 this season.
After already achieving its highest-ever ranking of No. 3, Indiana rose to No. 2 for a new program best. No. 3 Texas A&M remained the last unbeaten team in the SEC after escaping Fayetteville with a 45-42 win over Arkansas. It was the first time this century the Aggies started 7-0.
Alabama defeated Tennessee in its fourth straight ranked matchup. The Crimson Tide extended their home winning streak to 16 games — tied for the longest in Division I — and climbed into the top 5 for Week 9.
Right behind them at No. 5 sat another SEC school, Georgia, which outlasted a red-hot Ole Miss team 43-35 at home. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton totaled 348 yards (289 passing, 59 rushing) and accounted for five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing).
Oregon bounced back with a 56-10 rout of Rutgers to improve to 6-1 and climb to No. 6. Georgia Tech stayed undefeated with a win at Duke, leading the ACC and earning its highest ranking — No. 7 — since the 2009 season.
No. 8 Ole Miss did not fall far after its loss to Georgia. The Rebels opened the game with five touchdowns on their first five drives. Neither team punted until the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs made the key stops late.
Miami (Fla.) also dropped out of the top 5 but remained in the top 10 at No. 9 following a 24-21 loss to Louisville on Friday night. Vanderbilt rounded out the top 10 after beating LSU — the highest the Commodores had been ranked since 1947.
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS | RECORD | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (60) | 1643 | 7-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Indiana (6) | 1583 | 7-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 1499 | 7-0 | 4 |
| 4 | Alabama | 1463 | 6-1 | 6 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1360 | 6-1 | 9 |
| 6 | Oregon | 1317 | 6-1 | 8 |
| 7 | Georgia Tech | 1143 | 7-0 | 12 |
| 8 | Ole Miss | 1119 | 6-1 | 5 |
| 9 | Miami (FL) | 1073 | 5-1 | 2 |
| 10 | Vanderbilt | 1031 | 6-1 | 17 |
| 11 | BYU | 975 | 7-0 | 15 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 964 | 5-2 | 13 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 882 | 6-1 | 14 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 782 | 6-1 | 7 |
| 15 | Missouri | 748 | 6-1 | 16 |
| 16 | Virginia | 624 | 6-1 | 18 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 527 | 5-2 | 11 |
| 18 | South Florida | 501 | 6-1 | 19 |
| 19 | Louisville | 458 | 5-1 | NR |
| 20 | LSU | 388 | 5-2 | 10 |
| 21 | Cincinnati | 350 | 6-1 | 24 |
| 22 | Texas | 318 | 5-2 | 21 |
| 23 | Illinois | 168 | 5-2 | NR |
| 24 | Arizona State | 155 | 5-2 | NR |
| 25 | Michigan | 123 | 5-2 | NR |
Movers of the Week
Biggest jumps: Vanderbilt climbed seven spots to No. 10, and Georgia Tech rose five spots to No. 7 — two of the most surprising Top 10 appearances of the season.
Biggest drops: Four teams between No. 20 and No. 25 lost their Week 8 games. USC fell to Notre Dame in South Bend, Memphis was upset by UAB on the road, Utah narrowly lost to undefeated BYU, and Nebraska was routed by Minnesota. All four dropped out of the rankings this week.
Inside the poll, LSU fell 10 spots to No. 20 after losing to Vanderbilt 31-24 for its second loss of the season.
New entrants: Michigan, Arizona State and Illinois all reentered the AP Top 25 after their Week 8 victories, ranking No. 25, No. 24, and No. 23, respectively. Louisville debuted in the Top 25 at No. 19 following its upset of Miami.