College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Teams Moving Up, Down in Week 8

It was an historic Saturday massacre across the Week 7 college football slate, with a half-dozen matchups involving ranked teams on both sides of the field, and a metric ton of heavyweight favorites taking unexpected losses across the country.

The one thing we do know? There will be a new No. 1 team in the college football rankings. Here are the teams heading up, and moving down, in the new poll for Week 8. Folks, it’s a mess.

Rankings reflect AP top 25 poll

Moving down: Georgia

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

For the second Saturday in a row, the No. 1 team in the college football rankings goes down. And once again, it was to an unranked opponent. While it was a last minute field goal by Auburn that won the game, in truth they dominated much of the game.

Georgia opened a quick 14-0 lead, but Auburn stormed back with incredible efficiency, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal to lead by 10 before the Bulldogs tied it late. Gunner Stockton had a chance to win the game, but his fumble, and third turnover on the day, enabled Auburn to win as time ran out.

AP top 25 pollsters will punish the Bulldogs for not playing up to par against an unranked, two-loss opponent, but considering the rest of their resume this season, they shouldn’t drop out of the top-ten this week.

Moving up: Tennessee

Last week’s ranking: No. 14

Credit to Jim Knowles, the expert coordinator who has turned out a suffocating Volunteers defense that just punched a very potent Alabama offense in the mouth. 

Big Orange held the Crimson Tide backs to 2.5 yards per carry and just 54 rushing yards total and didn’t let Keelon Russell throw a touchdown pass in a 26-10 victory.

The win puts Tennessee near the top of the SEC standings right behind Georgia at a commanding 6-1 record overall with a 3-1 mark in conference play. DeSean Bishop ran for over 100 yards for the third-straight time in SEC games and is the heart of this offense right now.

Moving down: Alabama

Last week’s ranking: No. 6

Scoring 10 points on the road against Tennessee is not what you expect from a Kalen DeBoer team. Russell had 2 turnovers on the Tide’s first 3 possessions and the only touchdown drive he led came after a giveaway handed him a short field to navigate.

The lack of a physical rushing threat in the trenches, a serious problem last season that was supposed to be fixed in 2026, once again reared its ugly head. The offense went just 3 of 16 on third down and Bama’s front line protection endured 10 tackles for loss and five sacks.

A second-straight loss, after what happened against Georgia las weekend, will deprive the Crimson Tide of more crucial votes in the AP poll, but it doesn’t spell the end of its College Football Playoff hopes. Winnable games against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Auburn await, although they play at LSU, too.

Moving up: Ohio State

Last week’s ranking: No. 4

Sneaking out of Bloomington with a close 19-15 win against champion Indiana, the Buckeyes crucially avoided a second loss, but at what cost?

Quarterback Julian Sayin will miss “several weeks” after injuring his throwing shoulder in the game, as Ohio State faces upcoming tests against USC and Oregon with their playoff hopes on the line.

The offense wasn’t exactly humming with Sayin on the field, either, as critics once again pointed to the lack of a consistent deep passing threat absent Jeremiah Smith's supernatural playmaking.

Now they have to forge a credible Plan B going forward. For now? The Buckeyes could see a bump of one spot to No. 3 over Miami considering the quality of the win, on the road, against the ranked national champion.

Moving down: Texas

Last week’s ranking: No. 7

It’s safe to say Arch Manning hasn’t lived up to the hype. And that’s being very generous. Last week, it was his two interceptions that led to the loss to Oklahoma. This week, more miscues, missed opportunities, and a late fumble sealed the Longhorns’ second-straight loss, this time to unranked Florida.

The AP No. 1 ranked team and consensus projected top playoff seed two weeks ago, Texas now faces no margin for error going forward. They’ll have to play perfect football the rest of the way to stay in contention. Good luck against Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU over the next month.

Moving up: LSU

Last week’s ranking: No. 22

The losses at Ole Miss and Kentucky threw a curveball into Lane Kiffin’s debut season, but his Tigers bounced back with a statement 31-0 win against Mississippi State to improve to 5-2 and back to .500 in SEC play. 

Kamario Taylor not playing quarterback for the Bulldogs helped, but so did Sam Leavitt playing turnover-free football and throwing 4 touchdown passes. LSU’s defense forced five turnovers on downs. A tough stretch awaits, though: at Auburn, Alabama and Texas at home, and at Tennessee are to come.

Moving up: BYU

Last week’s ranking: No. 8

A massively important showing for the Big 12, whose chance of putting more than one team in the College Football Playoff rose dramatically with BYU’s dramatic instant classic win against second-ranked Notre Dame.

Bear Bachmeier delivered a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to retake a four-point lead, and the Cougars’ stout defense turned in a critical stop with no time remaining in regulation to clinch one of the biggest wins in school history.

Losses by Texas, Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, and of course the Irish allow for some serious movement for BYU to exploit and cruise into the top-five this week.

Moving down: Notre Dame

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

All the Fighting Irish had to do was beat BYU and they would be the No. 1 team in college football, but the Cougars had other ideas. In the process, not only did Notre Dame pick up its first loss of the season, but considerably narrowed its margin for error down the line, with a date at home against Miami in two weeks’ time.