Sloppy Saturday. That’s what it will be forever known as.
Yes, Week 8 was unkind to many. For Penn State, which lost in nine overtimes to Illinois, things were particularly bad. For winning teams such as Cincinnati and Oklahoma, it was more about optics than anything else.
As for Clemson, well, I’m not sure where exactly to begin. Needless to say, things are different now.
Ohio State, meanwhile, looks like a team reborn. Iowa State found new life by taking down formerly unbeaten Oklahoma State. And I think Wake Forest just scored another touchdown against Army.
Week 9, of course, is ripe with interesting games. But before we get there, here are the updated CFB Power Rankings after two months of football. Things are moving quickly.
New rankings, ahoy. All CFB championship odds and lines are current as of 9 AM EST on Monday, October 25.
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50. LSU (Last Week No. 38, Down 12)
It did not go well against Ole Miss, which was perhaps expected after the week that was. Now, it could and likely will get worse on the Ed Orgeron farewell tour. After a bye, LSU heads to Alabama. Oof.
49. Mississippi State (Last Week Unranked)
48. Utah State (Last Week Unranked)
47. Louisville (Last Week Unranked)
46. Northern Illinois (Last Week Unranked)
45. Air Force (Last Week No. 41, Down 4)
The loss to San Diego State was ugly, although it was not without opportunities. I still like this team heading into a bye week. Huge game against Army upcoming.
44. UTEP (Last Week No. 49, Up 5)
43. Nevada (Last Week No. 34, Down 9)
42. Clemson (Last Week No. 30, Down 12)
41. Wisconsin (Last Week Unranked)
40. Minnesota (Last Week Unranked)
What a rally. Despite dealing with major injuries throughout the season, the Gophers are 5-2. With games against Northwestern and Illinois on tap, 7-2 seems very possible, if not likely.
39. Utah (Last Week No. 37, Down 2)
38. Fresno State (Last Week No. 42, Up 4)
37. Purdue (Last Week No. 31, Up 6)
36. Louisiana (Last Week No. 43, Up 7)
35. Appalachian State (Last Week No. 50, Up 15)
What a win against Coastal Carolina. After being blown out the week prior, the Mountaineers delivered a massive blow to Coastal’s resume and improved their own. Feisty ULM coming up.
34. UCLA (Last Week No. 26, Down 8)
33. Texas (Last Week No. 33, Unchanged)
32. BYU (Last Week No. 36, Up 4)
31. Florida (Last Week No. 29, Down 2)
30. Virginia (Last Week No. 39, Up 9)
With a 48-40 win over Georgia Tech, Virginia has now won four straight. That streak will be tested next week and beyond as the Cavaliers play at BYU, Notre Dame and at Pitt in their next three games.
29. North Carolina State (Last Week No. 21, Down 8)
28. Oregon State (Last Week No. 35, Up 8)
27. Houston (Last Week No. 28, Up 1)
26. Arkansas (Last Week No. 27, Up 1)
25. Arizona State (Last Week No. 25, Unchanged)
The Sun Devils were idle after losing to Utah the week prior, although they’re still atop the Pac-12 South. Herm Edwards‘ team also has a pretty favorable schedule, with home games against Washington State, USC and Arizona on deck along with road trips to Washington and Oregon State.
24. Coastal Carolina (Last Week No. 13, Down 11)
One of the biggest drops of the week belongs to the Chanticleers, who lost to App State on the road. Their 18-game regular-season win streak had been the longest in college football. Tough one.
23. Iowa State (Last Week No. 32, Up 9)
It’s been a weird year for the Cyclones, although giving OK State its first loss of the year is a nice boost. When they’re on, the combo of Brock Purdy and Breece Hall can be overwhelming. Some interesting games still remain.
Brock Purdy and the Iowa State Cyclones kept their Big 12 Title hopes alive by handing the Oklahoma State Cowboys their first loss of the season on Saturday. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
22. Penn State (Last Week No. 8, Down 14)
Yikes. I could probably leave it at that. Losing to Illinois at home is bad, and doing it in nine grotesque overtimes makes it worse. That’s a season-altering loss, and now the Nittany Lions get Ohio State. One more yikes for good measure.
21. Auburn (Last Week No. 22, Up 1)
After beating Arkansas, the Tigers enjoyed a bye. And on Saturday, they’ll welcome Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss into town. Auburn’s schedule has some teeth down the stretch, and it starts on Saturday. Hosting the Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium is huge.
20. Baylor (Last Week No. 19, Up 1)
Somewhat quietly, Baylor has become a real threat in the Big 12. After spending last Saturday on the couch, the Bears will get Texas next week in the first of a series of significant tests down the stretch.
19. Pittsburgh (Last Week No. 23, Up 4)
Kenny Pickett has gone from Heisman dark horse to one of the frontrunners and his 300-yard passing day against Clemson was exactly what he and his team needed. The Panthers’ schedule is about as favorable as it could possibly be moving forward.
18. Texas A&M (Last Week No. 24, Up 6)
In truth, Texas A&M is jumping up six spots as part of a market correction. The Aggies clobbered South Carolina, which is what they were supposed to do. But it’s hard to ignore just how much progress has been made in College Station over the past month. After a bye, Jimbo Fisher‘s team plays Auburn and Ole Miss.
17. UTSA (Last Week No. 20, Up 3)
Meep Meep. The Roadrunners are now 8-0. I actually thought UTSA would struggle against Louisiana Tech, and goodness was I wrong. The early November game against UTEP could actually be massive.
16. SMU (Last Week No. 17, Up 1)
The Mustangs manhandled Tulane in Week 8, but their unbeaten mark is likely to be tested at Houston in Week 9. If you’re a fan of points, you’ll likely love the game that unfolds.
15. San Diego State (Last Week No. 17, Up 2)
Brady Hoke continues to impress. I thought San Diego State was going to lose to Air Force. Heck, the Aztecs were an underdog. But a hot start ultimately proved to be too much, and they stayed unbeaten. Solid competition coming up once again with Fresno State on deck.
14. Oklahoma State (Last Week No. 7, Down 7)
Well, the Pokes finally lost. However, I thought Oklahoma State played quite well and I could see this team being a difficult matchup through the end of the year. OK State has four very winnable games on tap, starting with Kansas, before a regular-season finale against rival Oklahoma.
13. Notre Dame (Last Week No. 14, Up 1)
The Irish had no problems with USC, which doesn’t exactly tell us much these days. Still, with just one loss to a really good team (Cincinnati), Notre Dame is in position to close the regular season with just the one defeat. Brian Kelly‘s group will almost certainly be favored in every game moving forward.
12. Oregon (Last Week No. 15, Up 3)
I bet UCLA against the Ducks last weekend, and that was not a good idea. Although Oregon nearly coughed up a lead, it managed to hang on. Biggest takeaway? Kayvon Thibodeaux is the best college football player in the country, and it’s not even close.
11. Wake Forest (Last Week No. 16, Up 5)
The Demon Deacons dropped 70 points on Army in a win, which has not been easy to do. Quarterback Sam Hartman was brilliant, showing off touch throughout the game. Wake Forest plays Duke and North Carolina in its next two games before a fascinating final stretch.
10. Kentucky (Last Week No. 12, Up 2)
National Championship Odds: (+30000) at Caesars
The Wildcats had the week off after losing to Georgia, and they slide up due to losses by teams ahead of them. There is not a remaining game on the schedule Kentucky can’t win, and it’ll travel to Mississippi State next weekend to begin the home stretch.
9. Iowa (Last Week No. 9, Unchanged)
National Championship Odds: (+6500) at Caesars
It was a weird resume week for Iowa, which had a bye. Purdue, which had just beat Iowa, lost to Wisconsin. Penn State, which pushed the Hawkeyes at home, also fell. But Iowa State’s win over previously unbeaten Oklahoma State lifts it up some, as Iowa defeated its in-state rival earlier this season. Next week’s game against Wisconsin should tell us plenty.
8. Ole Miss (Last Week No. 11, Up 3)
National Championship Odds: (+10000) at Caesars
Since struggling against Alabama, the Ole Miss defense has played very well. Last week, it completely neutralized an LSU offense that had exploded the week prior. In the next three weeks, the Rebels play Auburn and Texas A&M. Both games are massive.
7. Michigan State (Last Week No. 10, Up 3)
National Championship Odds: (+8000) at Caesars
Well, things escalate quickly now. After a bye, the Spartans will host rival Michigan this week. Both teams are unbeaten, and the stakes frankly couldn’t be much higher than they currently are.
6. Oklahoma (Last Week No. 4, Down 2)
National Championship Odds: (+1400) at Caesars
For about three quarters, it really felt like Oklahoma could lose to Kansas. The Sooners ultimately prevailed, although the concerns are real. Quarterback Caleb Williams has made some brilliant plays since taking over the starting job, but clearly there is still room for growth.
5. Michigan (Last Week No. 5, Unchanged)
National Championship Odds: (+4000) at Caesars
What I said about Michigan State above certainly applies to Michigan as well. Unlike the Spartans, however, Michigan was active in Week 8. The Wolverines struggled at first against Northwestern, although they eventually pulled away. The running game, which totaled 294 yards last week, continues to excel.
4. Cincinnati (Last Week No. 2, Down 2)
National Championship Odds: (+2500) at Caesars
To be clear, I still love this Cincinnati team. I slid the Bearcats down two spots after flirting with a loss against Navy, although that doesn’t mean I believe they’re bad or incapable of making the playoff. But if Cincinnati wants to crack the final four, it will need to do more than beat a one-win team by seven points. Simple as that.
3. Ohio State (Last Week No. 6, Up 3)
National Championship Odds: (+800) at Caesars
The Buckeyes look like a completely rebuilt team. It’s not just beating Indiana on the road, it’s destroying the Hoosiers in the first 18 minutes. C.J. Stroud looks like a force at quarterback and he is surrounded by star playmakers. Given Penn State’s recent performance, next week could get ugly.
2. Alabama (Last Week No. 3, Up 1)
National Championship Odds: (+225) at Caesars
It wasn’t a perfect first half against Tennessee, but the last 30 minutes were explosive. Bryce Young is becoming more electric by the week. After a bye, Alabama gets LSU. Good luck, Tigers.
1. Georgia (Last Week No. 1, Unchanged)
National Championship Odds: (+125) at Caesars
The Bulldogs were off last week, and now Florida is up next. The gap between Georgia and every team in college football seems to widen each week, even during a bye. I don’t expect anything different come Saturday.
