The College Football Playoff rankings are assured to see one in all their largest shake-ups of the season after a Week 8 that threw all the AP Prime 25 ballot right into a blender.
A few of it was inevitable, as each AP Prime 25 workforce was in motion this weekend, and the groups that completed No. 26 (Michigan) and No. 27 (Washington) confronted one another. In complete, Week 8 featured 5 ranked-on-ranked matchups and 9 complete losses by ranked groups. So when the brand new AP Prime 25 is launched on Sunday, count on loads of motion within the rankings.
As for the headliners, it is arduous to get previous what Clark Lea has finished at Vanderbilt — and what the Commodores are set to do on Sunday — following their win over LSU. In accordance with our analysis, Vanderbilt has by no means been ranked greater than No. 10 within the AP Prime 25 ballot, and our projection is that they’re going to land greater than that as one of many prime one-loss groups within the ballot.
Bowl projections: Miami, Texas Tech lose grip in Faculty Soccer Playoff image, Georgia Tech thrives
Brad Crawford
Here is how we count on the brand new AP Prime 25 to look on Sunday after Week 8:
1. Ohio State (Final week — 1): If the Buckeyes wish to boast that they’ve the perfect protection within the nation, there’s actually extra proof for it in Saturday’s 34-0 win at Wisconsin. Ohio State is permitting 5.9 factors per sport this season and has but to surrender 17 in a single sport, serving to stability what it already a hyper-talented offense that appears to be getting extra comfy every week with Julian Sayin at quarterback.
2. Indiana (3): We’re beginning to see some critically award-winning work from Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who threw for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 25-point win in opposition to Michigan State the week after successful on the street at Oregon. It is arduous to win over first-place votes from a convention rival, however the transfer to No. 2 alone will make extra program historical past because the highest-ever AP Prime 25 rating for Indiana soccer.
3. Texas A&M (4): Some critically inclement climate circumstances preceded a high-scoring back-and-forth at Arkansas, however the Aggies held sturdy with solutions at each flip to enhance to 7-0 on the yr.
4. Alabama (6): It is only a slight bump within the rankings however it’s an enormous hurdle to cross for an Alabama workforce that’s clearly within the combine for title competition right here in 2025. The Crimson Tide dealt with enterprise in opposition to rival Tennessee and now prepares for its residence stretch of the season seeking to safe the Faculty Soccer Playoff bid that eluded Kalen DeBoer a yr in the past.
5. Oregon (8): It is a nice response from the Geese after final week’s loss to Indiana, as Oregon needed to bounce again and journey throughout the nation to New Jersey for a fast turnaround in opposition to Rutgers. The 56-10 consequence speaks to the main target of an Oregon workforce that is not going to let one loss affect the remainder of the season, and it’ll maintain them safely inside the highest 10 heading into Week 9.
6. Georgia (9): The 2025 version of Kirby Good’s Bulldogs aren’t successful video games the way in which we’re accustomed to seeing from his title-contending program. Shootout victories in opposition to Ole Miss on Saturday and Tennessee earlier this season present that the Dawgs can win a number of methods and that may very well be a profit to attaining their final objective within the 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff period.
7. Vanderbilt (17): As we talked about earlier, historical past is about to be made as Vanderbilt will nearly actually set a brand new college file for highest-ever AP Prime 25 ballot rating. The ceiling for Vanderbilt’s rise might be Alabama, the one workforce that it is misplaced to this season, however the ground is LSU’s earlier rating simply on the skin of the highest 10.
8. Ole Miss (5): Dropping a detailed back-and-forth sport on the street to Georgia is not going to come back with an excessive amount of punishment from the voters, however there might be a downgrade for the Rebels.
9. Georgia Tech (12): Brent Key’s group is about to interrupt into the highest 10 after holding by a sluggish begin in Durham and pulling away for a powerful win in opposition to Duke.
10. Miami (2): We’re projecting that Miami hangs on inside the highest 10 partly due to the head-to-head win in opposition to Notre Dame, which continues to carry worth because the Combating Irish surge continues.
11. Notre Dame (13): Marcus Freeman’s workforce was prepared for the weather on Saturday night time and the Combating Irish battled by the wind and rain for a hard-fought win in opposition to USC to enhance to 5-2 on the yr.
12. Oklahoma (14): The Sooners wanted a robust bounce again after the Pink River Rivalry loss to Texas they usually acquired it with a 26-7 victory at South Carolina. It was a win that affirmed, if nothing else, that this years Oklahoma workforce might be led and pushed by its protection as they utilized relentless stress to assist maintain South Carolina from ever threatening for an upset at residence.
13. BYU (15): The Cougars are set to maneuver up after an enormous rivalry win in opposition to Utah.
14. Missouri (16): The Tigers held on in double time beyond regulation and escaped with a win at Auburn to enhance to 6-1 on the season.
15. Tennessee (11): The Volunteers boast one other high quality loss resume that voters must contemplate after a 37-20 loss at Alabama. There aren’t any wins in opposition to groups which can be near being within the prime 25 however it’s additionally a workforce that solely has misplaced in opposition to Georgia, by three, and the Tide, on the street.
16. Virginia (18): Contemplate this an averted catastrophe for Virginia, which escaped with a 22-20 win in opposition to Washington State due to a game-winning security. The Wahoos have been popping out of an off week hoping to be more healthy and prepared for a run on the ACC Championship, however Washington State continued its current run of placing a scare in energy convention opponents and pushed UVA to the brink. As it’s, Virginia improves to 6-1 total holds on to its spot within the prime 25.
17. South Florida (19): The Bulls confirmed no indicators of a hangover from final week’s key win in Denton, throttling FAU 48-13 to enhance to 6-1 total and stay undefeated in convention play.
18. Texas Tech (7): There’s clearly going to be a drop for Texas Tech following the street loss to Arizona State, however the injury might restricted by the truth that it was simply the primary lack of the season for the Pink Raiders. A head-to-head win in opposition to Utah gives some cushion by way of the place they land on the autumn, as does the arrogance that voters had when placing them firmly within the combine for a top-five spot one week in the past.
19. Texas (21): Voters did not get a lot by way of causes to consider in Texas as a prime 25 workforce from their Week 8 efficiency, as a result of a 13-10 time beyond regulation win at Kentucky doesn’t line up with the standard win the Longhorns logged in opposition to Oklahoma final week. There may very well be some shuffling on the ballots as all positions are up for grabs, however within the consensus we’ll guess not a lot change within the pecking order amongst two-loss groups.
20. Cincinnati (24): The Bearcats backed up their current success with no indicators of a letdown, handing Oklahoma State a 32-point defeat in Stillwater.
21. Louisville (NR): There is just one loss on Louisville’s resume and it is in opposition to Virginia, so the Playing cards are going to interrupt into the rankings and be set by the Wahoos standing after taking down Miami on Friday night time.
22. Illinois (NR): The Combating Illini have been off in Week 8 however after being No. 26 in final week’s balloting ought to have a transparent path into the highest 25 as one of many prime two loss groups within the nation.
23. Michigan (NR): The Wolverines bounced again from final week’s loss to USC with a win in opposition to Washington, which was beforehand the No. 28 workforce in voting factors in final week’s rating.
24. Arizona State (NR): On one hand, the Solar Devils are 5-2 with losses to 2 groups, Utah and Mississippi State, who each misplaced on Saturday. However on the opposite, that is additionally a bunch that simply handed Texas Tech its first lack of the season. So whereas all the head-to-head matchups do not line up precisely, there’s sufficient high quality to the profile to get Arizona State again into the highest 25 after taking down the Pink Raiders.
25. LSU (10): It is a complicated resume for voters to parse, as a result of whereas LSU has misplaced shut video games to a few ranked groups (Ole Miss and Vanderbilt) on the street, it additionally does not have a bevy of high quality wins to justify a prime 25 rating. Finally our projection is that the standard losses do sufficient work to keep away from falling all the way in which out of the rankings however it is a workforce that might be on the chopping block for a lot of voters’ ballots.
Projected to drop out: No. 20 USC, No. 22 Memphis, No. 23 Utah, No. 25 Nebraska
