CFP Playoff Bracket, Scenarios and Bowl Projections After 2025-26 Week 8 AP Rankings

The Indiana Hoosiers are a legitmate national championship contender.

That was the primary takeaway from Week 7's college football slate and it was confirmed by Indiana's four-spot jump in the Week 8 AP Top 25.

Indiana sits at No. 3 behind the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes. The Hoosiers are one of six undefeated teams inside the top 10.

The one-loss Oregon Ducks are still inside the top 10 after their Saturday defeat at the hands of Indiana.

The Oklahoma Sooners were not as fortunate, as they fell eight spots to No. 14. The Sooners might struggle to get back into the College Football Playoff schedule due to their current position and difficult schedule in the second half of the regular season.

Indiana Leaps Up to No. 3

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Indiana delivered a statement win with its road triumph over Oregon.

The victory catapulted the Hoosiers up to No. 3 and above all of the top playoff contenders from the SEC.

Entering Week 8, Indiana and Ohio State from the Big Ten and Miami out of the ACC are the top three teams in the country.

Curt Cignetti's team has the potential to remain in the top three for the rest of the regular season due to its easy schedule.

Indiana has no more Top 25 opponents on its schedule. What appeared to be a challenge on the road at Penn State on November 8 no longer looks difficult now that the Nittany Lions are 3-3, without Drew Allar and just fired James Franklin.

Indiana's next six games would ideally serve as a buildup to a showdown with Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Ohio State's toughest remaining game is against the Michigan Wolverines, but Sherrone Moore's team dropped out of the Top 25 on Sunday after a road loss to the USC Trojans.

Oklahoma Drops to No. 14, Faces Tough Road Back to Top 12

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Oklahoma's loss to the Texas Longhorns was more damaging to its playoff hopes than Oregon's defeat to Indiana.

The Sooners tumbled down to No. 14 in the AP poll. They are the seventh-best SEC team in the updated rankings.

Oklahoma has to play four of those other six teams across its next six games.

That makes the Sooners' path to the CFB Playoff as difficult as any team currently inside the top 25.

Two of those six games are on the road against the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide.

There's a chance the Sooners can get in as a three-loss SEC team, but the preferred path to the 12-team field includes a win over either the Vols or Crimson Tide.

Seven SEC Teams Inside Top 15

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Seven SEC teams are bunched inside the top 15.

The Texas A&M Aggies are the highest-ranked member of the group after they swapped spots with the Ole Miss Rebels in the Week 8 AP poll.

We will know by the end of October if A&M and Ole Miss are truly the class of the SEC.

A&M visits LSU on October 25, while Ole Miss faces back-to-back road contests versus the Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma.

Alabama is in the best position to finish as the top SEC team since its three toughest remaining games come at home.

The Crimson Tide, currently No. 6, host Tennessee on Saturday and then plays LSU and Oklahoma to kick off November.

Georgia, LSU and Tennessee reside at Nos. 9-11. All three of those programs have at least three games left against Top 25 opposition.

Oklahoma is down at No. 14 and it has the toughest schedule of the seven SEC teams in the top 15.

Many of the Top 25 battles will feel like playoff games, or even playoff elimination contests, and it shows us that there's plenty left to be decided within the SEC.