Amway College Football Poll 2016: Week 8 Rankings Unveiled for Top 25 Teams

If you fancy yourself a game that ends with overtime, Saturday was for you. Several of the top teams in the nation needed extra time to earn crucial wins. Meanwhile, one major contender absolutely stomped a premier opponent. 

So, did those results significantly alter the rankings?

We'll find out below as we review this week's Amway Coaches Poll and the Bleacher Report rankings and analyze the college football landscape.

Analysis

Ole Miss was a struggle. Arkansas was more casual. And Tennessee, well, Tennessee was merely brushed aside. 

Alabama keeps on winning. And the wins are coming more easily, even against top competition, as the season wears on. The Crimson Tide were always going to be the favorites against Tennessee, but a 49-10 dismantling of the Volunteers was another reminder of the talent this Alabama team possesses. 

"This is as proud of our team as I've been all year long in terms of playing a complete game against a very good team, especially in a tough environment," Alabama coach Nick Saban told the Associated Press after the game (h/t ESPN).

Perhaps it was appropriate that the Crimson Tide were led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, who indeed left Tennessee hurting after rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Alabama's new-look, high-tempo offense is led by its dual-threat quarterback, and he was the most dangerous player on the field Saturday.

For that reason, Barrett Sallee of Bleacher Report thinks he's earned a spot in the running for college football's most prestigious award:

Gil Brandt of NFL.com agrees:

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It's time to start thinking about Alabama QB Jalen Hurts as a Heisman contender. 

Yes, I know Hurts is a true freshman and no true freshman has ever won the award. He belongs in the conversation, though. He's playing at a very high level, and he's delivered against good competition. I was impressed when I saw him play in person in Week 1 against USC. Now, Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is considered the Heisman front-runner. Jackson is probably a better runner than Hurts, although Hurts rushed for three touchdowns on Saturday in a rout of Tennessee. Hurts is probably a better passer than Jackson. Hurts doesn't always throw a tight spiral, but it looks like he has good accuracy. 

Hurts is also looking to become the first true freshman to lead his team to a national title since 1985, when Jamelle Holieway accomplished the feat with Oklahoma.

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Right now, Hurts certainly seems like a solid bet to accomplish that feat.

But teams like Ohio State and Clemson may have a say in that. The Buckeyes survived a nail-biter against Wisconsin, winning in overtime, while the Tigers needed a missed field goal as time expired against NC State to give them a new lease on life.

Like Ohio State, Clemson won in overtime.

The Buckeyes, however, were playing an excellent Wisconsin team that truly tested them in every facet of the game. But they had J.T. Barrett, who accumulated 318 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in the win. 

"We grew up even more this week," Barrett said after the game, per the Associated Press (via ESPN). "We just had to keep on grinding. This Big Ten football."

Nobody knows that better than Wisconsin, which has now lost to Michigan and Ohio State by a combined 14 points and is the best two-loss team in the nation. While that second loss will probably cost the Badgers consideration for a College Football Playoff spot at the end of the season, they remain in the running for a premier bowl.

A number of other results made it inevitable that this week's rankings would look far different than a week ago, meanwhile. Arkansas upset Ole Miss in SEC play, while both Miami and Virginia Tech lost in the ACC.

Next week will certainly bring more changes. 

No game will be bigger than Alabama vs. Texas A&M in a showdown that will almost assuredly decide the SEC West, while Arkansas will take on Auburn in the conference's other premier showdown. Ohio State has a tough matchup in Happy Valley against Penn State, Miami and Virginia Tech will each look to bounce back from losses when they face off Thursday night and Louisville will look to stay close on Clemson's heels when it faces NC State.

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