After a crazy day of college football, with three of the Coaches Poll top four and five of the top seven losing, who will be the new No. 1? Last week’s top-ranked Georgia team lost to Auburn, No. 2 Notre Dame lost to BYU, and No. 4 Indiana just missed.
Will it be Ohio State? Last week’s No. 5 team beat No. 4 IU in Bloomington, but that goes the other way if Nick Marsh gets his foot in bounds.
Will it be BYU? It was physical and tough in the thrilling 28-24 win over No. 2 Notre Dame. The unbeaten Cougars have a claim.
Will it be Miami? It took everything in the bag to get out alive in a 43-35 double-overtime thriller over Florida State. It was No. 3, and the top two lost.
2026 Coaches Poll Prediction: Week 8 Quick Hits
- The coaches tend to make fewer giant moves, but they’ll keep it clean and easy with Miami up top – at least that’s our guess. We’re also guessing that most coaches don’t know what to do with all the SEC teams.
- This week’s Coaches Poll Big Winners Will Be: BYU, UCLA, LSU
- This week’s Coaches Poll Big Losers Will Be: Texas, Missouri, Mississippi State
Week 8 AP Top 25 Prediction
25. Florida
Last Week Ranking: NR
Record: 5-2
Last Week: Florida 27, Texas 24
24. Northwestern
Last Week Ranking: NR
Record: 5-1
Last Week: Northwestern 24, Michigan State 21
23. Oregon
Last Week Ranking: 25
Record: 4-2
Last Week: Oregon 17, Nebraska 14
22. Boise State
Last Week Ranking: 24
Record: 5-1
Last Week: No Game This Week
21. Missouri
Last Week Ranking: 13
Record: 5-2
Last Week: Ole Miss 31, Missouri 3
20. Texas
Last Week Ranking: 6
Record: 4-2
Last Week: Florida 27, Texas 24
19. SMU
Last Week Ranking: 22
Record: 5-1
Last Week: SMU 23, Virginia 13
18. Wake Forest
Last Week Ranking: 23
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Wake Forest 41, Cal 7
17. LSU
Last Week Ranking: 21
Record: 5-2
Last Week: LSU 31, Mississippi State 0
16. Iowa
Last Week Ranking: 16
Record: 5-1
Last Week: No Game This Week
15. Houston
Last Week Ranking: 18
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Houston 35, Oklahoma State 32
14. Kentucky
Last Week Ranking: 17
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 13
13. USC
Last Week Ranking: 15
Record: 5-1
Last Week: No Game This Week
12. Alabama
Last Week Ranking: 7
Record: 5-1
Last Week: Tennessee 26, Alabama 10
11. Tennessee
Last Week Ranking: 14
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Tennessee 26, Alabama 10
10. Ole Miss
Last Week Ranking: 10
Record: 5-1
Last Week: Ole Miss 31, Missouri 3
9. UCLA
Last Week Ranking: 12
Record: 6-0
Last Week: UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7
8. Utah
Last Week Ranking: 11
Record: 6-0
Last Week: Utah 27, Colorado 24
7. Indiana
Last Week Ranking: 4
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Ohio State 19, Indiana 15
6. Notre Dame
Last Week Ranking: 2
Record: 6-1
Last Week: BYU 28, Notre Dame 24
5. Georgia
Last Week Ranking: 1
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Auburn 27, Georgia 24
4. Texas Tech
Last Week Ranking: 9
Record: 6-0
Last Week: Texas Tech 53, Arizona State 25
3. BYU
Last Week Ranking: 8
Record: 5-0
Last Week: BYU 28, Notre Dame 24
2. Ohio State
Last Week Ranking: 5
Record: 6-1
Last Week: Ohio State 19, Indiana 15
1. Miami
Last Week Ranking: 3
Record: 6-0
Last Week: Miami 43, Florida State 35 2OT