Week 8 College Football AP Top 25 Poll Analysis

Week 8 in college football brought significant changes to the AP Top 25 Poll. Three Top 10 teams faced road defeats, leading to a reshuffle in rankings.

Key Movements in the Poll

The BYU Cougars experienced the largest drop. They fell six places to No. 8 after losing to UCF in a double-overtime battle. In contrast, the Texas Longhorns climbed eight spots to No. 11. They secured a home win against Ole Miss, finishing 34-27.

Amid these changes, only Miami retained its No. 1 position for a second consecutive week. Every other team in the Top 20 saw shifts in their rankings.

Miami Hurricanes mascot Sebastian the Ibis led the players onto the field, displaying the American Flag during their match against the University of Pittsburgh on October 24, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

Notable Rankings

Week 8 AP Top 25 Poll:

1. Miami (FL)
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Indiana
5. Notre Dame
6. Utah
7. UCLA
8. BYU
9. Kentucky
10. Alabama
11. Texas
12. Ole Miss
13. Texas Tech
14. Wake Forest
15. LSU
16. Tennessee
17. Florida
18. Houston
19. SMU
20. Boise State
21. Northwestern
22. Arizona
23. Missouri
24. Oklahoma State
25. Wisconsin

Conference Highlights

The Big 12 showed significant intra-conference competition, although Utah emerged victorious. Utah improved its record to 7-0, earning a jump to No. 6 in the rankings after a win against Houston. Their next game against Cincinnati poses a challenge, especially since Cincinnati recently defeated No. 8 Texas Tech.

Utah received one first-place vote, Ohio State secured 10, and Miami took 59 first-place votes.

The Big Ten and SEC both have three teams in the Top 10. UCLA and Kentucky, both unexpected contenders, hold the No. 7 and No. 9 spots, respectively.

Malik Hartford of UCLA celebrated with teammates after securing an interception against Michigan State at the Rose Bowl Stadium on October 24, 2026, in Pasadena, California.

Upcoming Matches

The next college football Saturday falls on Halloween, promising interesting matchups. No. 3 Georgia faces No. 17 Florida in Atlanta, while No. 13 Texas Tech meets No. 22 Arizona. No. 25 Wisconsin heads to Iowa, and No. 5 Notre Dame encounters the Navy in New England.