B/R's 2025 College Football Experts Top 25 Rankings After Week 8
Another week, another major shakeup at the top of college football's national landscape as the list of undefeated teams shrank considerably in Week 8.
Before a busy Saturday of action even started, Miami had already been upset by Louisville on Friday night, while Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Memphis also took their first loss of the year as the weekend unfolded.
Aside from Ole Miss losing to Georgia, there were multiple other clashes of ranked teams, with Tennessee at Alabama, USC at Notre Dame, LSU at Vanderbilt and Utah at BYU also on the Saturday schedule.
Now it's time for Bleacher Report's updated top 25 ranking after all the Week 8 action, with the college football writing staff of David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard making up our voting panel.
Let the debate begin!
Nos. 25-21
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25. USC (5-2, Previous Rank: 17)
Week 8 Result: Loss at Notre Dame (24-34)
Next Week: BYE
The Trojans turned the ball over three times and the Fighting Irish turned those extra possessions into 10 points and a victory-sealing interception on USC's final drive of the game. Jayden Maiava threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also picked off twice for his first multi-interception game of the year, and the Trojans running game managed just 68 yards and 2.3 yards per carry against one of the nation's best defenses.
24. Tulane (6-1, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Army (24-17)
Next Week: BYE
Tulane is once again one of the top contenders for the Group of Five playoff spot, with their lone loss coming on the road against Ole Miss. The Green Wave trailed 17-10 with 5:54 remaining in the fourth quarter against Army, but quarterback Jake Retzlaff led a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives sandwiched around a three-and-out from Army to pull out the comeback victory. The BYU transfer finished with 261 passing yards, 62 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
23. Houston (6-1, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Arizona (31-28)
Next Week: at Arizona State
The Cougars have emerged as a team to watch in a wide open Big 12 race, with their lone loss coming in Week 6 against Texas Tech. Quarterback Conner Weigman is a former 5-star recruit who began his college career at Texas A&M, and he had 164 passing yards, 98 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's win against a good Arizona team. A road game against Arizona State next weekend gives them another opportunity to pad their resume.
22. Arizona State (5-2, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Texas Tech (26-22)
Next Week: vs. Houston
After suffering a 42-10 blowout loss against Utah in Week 7 with starting quarterback Sam Leavitt watching from the sidelines, the Sun Devils bounced back in a big way to hand Texas Tech its first loss of the season while the Red Raiders dealt with their own quarterback injury. Leavitt returned from a lower leg injury to throw for 319 yards and a score, while Raleek Brown punched in the game-winning touchdown with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
21. Michigan (5-2, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Washington (24-7)
Next Week: at Michigan State
A week after Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. lit up the Rutgers defense for 402 passing yards, 132 rushing yards and four total touchdowns, the Wolverines defense picked him off three times and smothered him for -19 rushing yards in a dominant performance. Meanwhile, true freshman Bryce Underwood put together another strong game under center for Michigan, completing 21-of-27 pass attempts for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Tennessee (5-2, Previous Rank: 10)
Week 8 Result: Loss at Alabama (20-37)
Next Week: at Kentucky
The Volunteers allowed 16 unanswered points in the final eight minutes of the first half, including a safety and an interception returned for a touchdown, and they were unable to dig out of that early hole against the Crimson Tide defense. DeSean Bishop had a good individual game out of the backfield, tallying 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Tennessee will need to win out to have a chance at a playoff spot, with Oklahoma and Vanderbilt their toughest remaining games.
19. Cincinnati (6-1, Previous Rank: 21)
Week 8 Result: Win at Oklahoma State (49-17)
Next Week: vs. Baylor
The Bearcats cruised to victory against arguably the worst Power Four team in the nation, building a 28-10 lead at halftime behind three second quarter touchdowns. Brendan Sorsby completed 20-of-29 pass attempts for 270 yards and three touchdowns while adding a fourth score on the ground, and he has quietly emerged as one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the nation in his second year under center at Cincinnati.
18. South Florida (6-1, Previous Rank: 20)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Florida Atlantic (48-13)
Next Week: at Memphis
After previously undefeated Memphis lost earlier in the day, South Florida took care of business against Florida Atlantic to cement their status as the top Group of Five team in the nation midway through the season. Dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown had another big game, logging 256 passing yards, 111 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and the Bulls piled up 522 total yards of offense while recording their fourth straight game with at least 200 rushing yards.
17. Notre Dame (5-2, Previous Rank: 23)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. USC (34-24)
Next Week: BYE
On the strength of a career night from running back Jeremiyah Love, the Fighting Irish took another significant step toward putting their 0-2 start in the rearview mirror as they try to win out and make their case for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Love had 228 rushing yards on 24 carries while also recording one of Notre Dame's three rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the defense shut down the USC running game, picked off Jayden Maiava twice and held standout wide receiver Makai Lemon to four catches for 76 yards.
16. Louisville (5-1, Previous Rank: NR)
Week 8 Result: Win at Miami (24-21)
Next Week: vs. Boston College
Miller Moss (23-of-37, 248 yards, 2 TD), Isaac Brown (15 carries, 113 yards) and Chris Bell (9 catches, 132 yards, 2 TD) all had strong games, but it was Louisville's defense that shined in a huge win against previously undefeated Miami. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, they locked down the victory by picking off Carson Beck four times and allowing just 2.6 yards per carry.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Virginia (6-1, Previous Rank: 15)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Washington State (22-20)
Next Week: at North Carolina
The Cavaliers are officially headed to their first bowl game since 2019 after winning their sixth game of the season, but it took a field goal, a misplayed kickoff by the Cougars and a safety all inside the final three minutes of the game for them to escape with their fifth straight victory. A road game against Duke on Nov. 15 is their toughest remaining hurdle as they try to secure a spot in the ACC championship game.
14. Missouri (6-1, Previous Rank: 14)
Week 8 Result: Win at Auburn (23-17, 2OT)
Next Week: at Vanderbilt
Missouri trailed 17-10 with 10:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, but knotted things up with a three-yard touchdown run from Ahmad Hardy. Auburn punted and Beau Pribula threw an interception to close out regulation, then both teams missed field goals in the first overtime before Pribula found the end zone with a three-year rushing touchdown to start the second overtime and Auburn was unable to answer. It wasn't pretty, but it's an SEC road win and a 6-1 start for Mizzou.
13. Oklahoma (6-1, Previous Rank: 13)
Week 8 Result: Win at South Carolina (26-7)
Next Week: vs. Ole Miss
After an ugly loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry last weekend, the Sooners bounced back behind a much better performance from quarterback John Mateer. Just 17 days removed from hand surgery when he struggled against the Longhorns, Mateer completed 18-of-26 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. He also got some good support on the ground as Tory Blaylock (19 carries, 101 yards, TD) and Xavier Robinson (11 carries, 58 yards, TD) led the way.
12. Vanderbilt (6-1, Previous Rank: 19)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. LSU (31-24)
Next Week: vs. Missouri
For the first time since 1990, Vanderbilt was victorious against LSU, with Diego Pavia racking up 160 passing yards, 86 rushing yards, three touchdowns and one Heisman pose en route to another signature win in SEC play. The Commodores had four touchdowns and one field goal in their first six drives, and the defense bent but didn't break in the second half after the Tigers pulled within three points midway through the third quarter.
11. Texas Tech (6-1, Previous Rank: 5)
Week 8 Result: Loss at Arizona State (22-26)
Next Week: vs. Oklahoma State
With starting quarterback Behren Morton sidelined, the Red Raiders high-powered offense sputtered to a season-low 276 total yards, and two fourth quarter touchdowns were not enough to come back against the Sun Devils. Tip of the cap to freshman Will Hammond for finding some rhythm late to briefly take a 22-19 lead with two minutes remaining, but Arizona State responded with a 76-yard touchdown drive to snatch away the victory.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Miami (5-1, Previous Rank: 3)
Week 8 Result: Loss vs. Louisville (21-24)
Next Week: vs. Stanford
Carson Beck threw four interceptions and Miami's rushing attack managed just 63 yards on 24 carries as the Hurricanes offense was smothered by the Louisville defense. This team looked like it was in the driver's seat in the ACC race heading into Friday night's game, but is now left chasing Georgia Tech, Virginia, Louisville and others for a chance to play for an automatic berth into the playoff field.
9. BYU (7-0, Previous Rank: 16)
Week 8 Result: Win vs. Utah (24-21)
Next Week: at Iowa State
After pulling out an overtime victory against Arizona in Week 7, the Cougars again survived a nail-biter in the Holy War rivalry to remain undefeated. Tanner Wall came away with a crucial interception in the fourth quarter that helped BYU turn a three-point lead into a 10-point lead, with quarterback Bear Bachmeier ripping off a 22-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive that proved to be the difference. Iowa State and Texas Tech are up next as the Cougars look to stay atop the Big 12 standings.
8. Ole Miss (6-1, Previous Rank: 7)
Week 8 Result: Loss at Georgia (35-43)
Next Week: at Oklahoma
A 6-0 start made Ole Miss a top five team heading into Week 8, but their only win over a ranked opponent was against then-No. 4 LSU in Week 5, making this weekend a significant test. The Rebels led 35-26 through three quarters, but were outscored 17-0 in the fourth, settling for two punts and a turnover on downs to cough up the lead. A close loss to a top-tier opponent won't cause them to fall too far in the rankings, but it does send them tumbling down the SEC pecking order.
7. Georgia Tech (7-0, Previous Rank: 11)
Week 8 Result: Win at Duke (27-18)
Next Week: vs. Syracuse
Another week, another strong performance from dark horse Heisman candidate Haynes King, who finished with 205 passing yards, 120 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets got a 95-yard fumble return touchdown from Omar Daniels in the first quarter, then didn't find the end zone again until the fourth quarter, but back-to-back touchdown drives inside the final five minutes sealed the win to improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1966.
6. Oregon (6-1, Previous Rank: 8)
Week 8 Result: Win at Rutgers (56-10)
Next Week: vs. Wisconsin
After fumbling on their opening drive, the Ducks ripped off seven straight touchdown drives against a Rutgers defense that had allowed 107 points over its last three games. Dante Moore threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns, while the running game piled up 415 yards with a staggering 11.5 yards per carry average. All 56 points by Oregon were scored in the first three quarters, and Rutgers didn't find the end zone until their final drive of the game.
5. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, Previous Rank: 9)
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Week 8 Result: Win vs. Ole Miss (43-35)
Next Week: BYE
Gunner Stockton had the best game of his career, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns while leading three long scoring drives in the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs come back from a nine-point deficit in a back-and-forth shootout.
A 12-play, 75-yard drive, nine-play, 67-yard drive and 10-play, 66-yard drive chewed through nearly 16 minutes of game time down the stretch, and resulted in 17 unanswered points to secure the victory.
Suddenly the regular season finale against Georgia Tech on Nov. 28 looms large, with the Yellow Jackets off to a 7-0 start and vying for their own spot in the College Football Playoff field.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1, Previous Rank: 6)
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Week 8 Result: Win vs. Tennessee (37-20)
Next Week: at South Carolina
The Crimson Tide defense put nine points on the board with a 99-yard interception return from Zabien Brown and a safety, and that helped them come away with a lopsided victory, despite being outgained by the Volunteers in total yardage.
Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan Williams had five catches for 87 yards and Alabama ran its winning streak to six straight since losing its opener to Florida State.
After a road game against South Carolina next weekend they get a bye, before welcoming LSU and Oklahoma to Tuscaloosa in back-to-back weeks.
3. Texas A&M Aggies (7-0, Previous Rank: 4)
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Week 8 Result: Win at Arkansas (45-42)
Next Week: at LSU
The Aggies are the last remaining undefeated SEC team, though their defense was pushed to the limit by Taylen Green and the Razorbacks.
They allowed 527 total yards, with Green tallying 256 passing yards, 85 rushing yards and five total touchdowns while leading a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns drives.
However, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed turned in a strong performance of his own, finishing with 280 passing yards, 55 rushing yards and three scores, while Rueben Owens II tallied two rushing touchdowns, including what ended up being the game winner.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (7-0, Previous Rank: 2)
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Week 8 Result: Win vs. Michigan State (38-13)
Next Week: vs. UCLA
The Hoosiers firmly established themselves as one of the nation's elite teams with a Week 7 win over Oregon, and Week 8 might end up being when quarterback Fernando Mendoza emerged as the clear Heisman front-runner.
The Cal transfer was nearly perfect against the Michigan State defense, completing 24-of-28 pass attempts for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and he now has 1,755 passing yards and 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions through seven games.
Props to the athletic department for moving quickly to sign head coach Curt Cignetti to an eight-year, $93 million extension just as Penn State rumors were starting to swirl.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, Previous Rank: 1)
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Week 8 Result: Win at Wisconsin (34-0)
Next Week: BYE
For the fourth time this season, the Buckeyes defense kept the opposition out of the end zone, and they now have an average margin of victory of 30.6 points during their 7-0 start.
The Badgers managed just144 total yards and nine first downs on the day, while the Buckeyes offense was firing on all cylinders.
Julian Sayin (36-of-42, 394 yards, 4 TD) was nearly perfect under center, while Carnell Tate (6 catches, 111 yards, 2 TD) and Jeremiah Smith (9 catches, 97 yards) once again wreaked havoc on the opposing secondary.
B/R Top 25 Ranking After Week 8
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B/R Top 25
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Georgia Tech
8. Ole Miss
9. BYU
10. Miami
11. Texas Tech
12. Vanderbilt
13. Oklahoma
14. Missouri
15. Virginia
16. Louisville
17. Notre Dame
18. South Florida
19. Cincinnati
20. Tennessee
21. Michigan
22. Arizona State
23. Houston
24. Tulane
25. USC
Others Receiving Votes: Navy
What's Next
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The Week 9 schedule features plenty of SEC excitement, a pivotal weekend in the Big 12 and some intriguing upset potential in the Big Ten, but let's start by shining some light on one of the biggest Group of Five matchups of the year.
South Florida and Memphis square off in a clash of AAC teams that have spent time in the AP poll, and while the Tigers were upset by UAB on Saturday, an injury to quarterback Brendon Lewis was partially to blame. If they can rebound to knock off the Bulls, it creates a wide open race for a playoff bid, and Tulane could potentially leapfrog them both.
Shifting focus to the SEC, Missouri at Vanderbilt, Ole Miss at Oklahoma and Texas A&M at LSU are the headlining matchups of the week, while Tennessee (at Kentucky), Alabama (at South Carolina) and Texas (at Mississippi State) will all look to avoid stumbling on the road.
Texas Tech losing on Saturday without quarterback Behren Morton further muddies an already cluttered Big 12 picture, and the outcomes of BYU at Iowa State, Houston at Arizona State and Colorado at Utah could help bring some clarity to the conference picture.
That said, the most entertaining game on the Big 12 slate might end up being Baylor at Cincinnati, with two of the nation's most prolific passers this season in Sawyer Robertson and Brendan Sorsby poised to air it out.
Indiana (vs. UCLA) and Michigan (at Michigan State) can't overlook their Week 8 opponents, while Illinois at Washington is a matchup of teams looking to claw their way back into the national picture.
See you all next weekend!
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