--- title: "College Football Rankings Shaken by Week 8 Upsets" url: https://newscentral.site/college-football-rankings-shaken-by-week-8-upsets/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Sports" published: 2026-10-25T04:55:34.000Z updated: 2026-10-25T09:53:24.828Z id: 0f4d77af-0c29-4755-8e30-94c0eb177bfd source: "CBS Sports \n https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-winners-losers-week-8-scores-results/" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/college-football-rankings-shaken-by-week-8-upsets/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # College Football Rankings Shaken by Week 8 Upsets The college football season has reached a fever pitch, with Week 8 delivering its fair share of surprises and upsets, leading to changes in the College Football Playoff and conference championship races. The college football season has reached a fever pitch, with Week 8 delivering its fair share of surprises and upsets. A string of high-profile losses shook the rankings, as No. 2 BYU, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 8 Texas Tech, and No. 15 Iowa all fell victim to unexpected defeats. The losses were not limited to these top-ranked teams, however. No. 6 Indiana and No. 13 Alabama managed to eke out narrow victories, avoiding what could have been devastating upsets. The results of Week 8 have left the College Football Playoff and conference championship races in a state of flux. This season's unpredictable nature has also led to a rare occurrence: only three undefeated teams remain in major college football. No. 1 Miami, No. 9 UCLA, and No. 10 Utah are now the last remaining unbeaten teams, a feat that has not been achieved since 1977. On that occasion, Texas, Louisiana Tech, and Colgate all maintained perfect records through October 24. The Big 12 conference is facing significant challenges after Week 8's upsets, which have left its playoff aspirations hanging by a thread. The league had been hoping to send three teams to the College Football Playoff, but the losses suffered in Week 8 have diminished that possibility. Instead, the bottom half of the field will be determined on the field. No. 2 BYU's loss was particularly notable, as it struggled to maintain momentum after its stunning upset over Notre Dame a week prior. The Cougars ultimately fell 39-31 against UCF in double overtime. Meanwhile, No. 8 Texas Tech suffered a similar fate at the hands of Cincinnati, losing 37-24 and further muddying the waters in the Big 12 conference. The Big 12 conference's momentum is rapidly fading after a series of upsets in Week 8. With only two teams likely to make it into the top 12 rankings on Sunday, the league's early lead has been squandered. Meanwhile, Miami is capitalizing on the struggles of its top competitors. The Hurricanes have a relatively easy schedule in the ACC, but they continue to deliver impressive performances against overmatched opponents. Their dominance was evident once again this week as they defeated Pittsburgh 52-23. Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah threw for an impressive 387 yards and four touchdowns, while wide receiver Malachi Toney stole the show with 194 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 catches. Miami's strong performance earned them their first AP No. 1 ranking since 2002. The Trojans' high expectations have been officially derailed after a disappointing loss to Wisconsin. USC struggled to move the ball, managing a mere -17 yards in rushing while committing two early interceptions that set the tone for the game. The Texas offense struggled to find its footing for much of the game, but in a crucial stretch down the stretch, coach Steve Sarkisian made a conscious decision to focus on the running game. This shift in strategy paid off as Raleek Brown broke through for significant gains, ultimately setting up a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Arch Manning. The Texas running backs also benefited from Brown's efforts, finishing with a total of 200 yards. Brown's impressive performance was particularly notable given that Hollywood Smothers was not available to play. Despite this setback, the Texas running game managed to thrive, with Brown leading the way on 23 carries for 157 yards. This success on the ground provided a much-needed boost for the team, which had been struggling to move the ball throughout the contest. The loss of momentum in the Big 12 continued as Baylor fell to Kansas in a stunning upset. This defeat marked the end of a 14-game winning streak that the Bears had enjoyed over the Jayhawks dating back to 2007. Even during difficult seasons, Baylor had managed to emerge victorious against its rival from Kansas. The manner in which the game slipped away from Baylor was particularly galling for coach Dave Aranda's team. After building a 21-10 lead entering the fourth quarter, the Bears' offense collapsed, allowing Kansas to stage a remarkable comeback. The Jayhawks ultimately emerged victorious by a score of 25-24, with the Bears struggling to contain their opponents on both sides of the ball. Baylor allowed over 200 yards of combined passing and rushing yardage, which proved to be too much for the team to overcome. This loss will likely prove to be a decisive blow to Aranda's tenure as head coach, given that he had previously managed to beat Kansas despite his team's struggles in recent years. The Bears have not fired a coach mid-season since 2007. The Bears' inability to capitalize on their early lead and subsequent collapse has left many questioning the wisdom of sticking with Aranda at this juncture. With no clear path forward for the team, it remains unclear whether Baylor will opt to make a change in leadership or continue down the current path. The Arizona Wildcats have been quietly building momentum since their narrow loss to BYU in Week 2. Their 39-3 thrashing of Iowa State has propelled them onto the periphery of the Big 12 title race. Quarterback Noah Fifita is playing some of his best football this season, recording his fifth consecutive game with at least 275 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats' defense has also been impressive, limiting Iowa State's highly-regarded rushing attack to just 1.7 yards per carry. Arizona's performance has gone largely under the radar, but they deserve more recognition than their current ranking of No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll. A challenging road trip to No. 8 Texas Tech next week will likely put them firmly on the national stage. The Oregon Ducks have been a disappointment this season, plummeting from preseason No. 2 to a 4-3 record after a shocking 21-10 loss to Illinois. While losses to Oklahoma State and UCLA can be explained by their tough schedules, the defeat at the hands of the Illini is where things started to go seriously wrong. The Ducks' struggles continued in this game, with several receivers missing due to injury and an inability to generate any real passing offense - averaging just 6.0 yards per pass attempt. Meanwhile, Illinois was able to rush for 225 yards against Oregon's highly-touted rush defense. The collapse of Oregon's season has joined those of Penn State and LSU last year as some of the most disappointing in the College Football Playoff era, considering the significant investment made by the program. Meanwhile, Shane Beamer's South Carolina Gamecocks are enjoying a remarkable turnaround after starting the season poorly. They have now secured two consecutive ranked wins and could potentially claim three if not for their narrow one-point loss to Kentucky earlier this year. In a thrilling 27-24 upset against No. 11 Tennessee as time expired, South Carolina's quarterback LaNorris Sellers played a crucial role. He threw for 210 yards, rushed for 96 yards, and scored three touchdowns in total, while the defense came up big in critical moments, including a late sack from defensive end Dylan Stewart. The Gamecocks' resurgence has left them with only one remaining matchup against an AP Top 25 opponent, which is No. 5 Georgia on November 21. This presents an opportunity for South Carolina to secure eight wins or more this season. James Madison's bid to contend for the College Football Playoff spot from the Group of Six has been hindered by a historic Sun Belt power. The Dukes suffered a 34-31 overtime loss to Appalachian State, their arch-rivals, which dropped them to 7-1 and complicated their pursuit of the Sun Belt title game. The Dukes' struggles on the ground were evident in their game against Appalachian State, where they managed only 92 yards rushing on 30 carries. Despite potentially retaking control of the Sun Belt race, James Madison's schedule remains a concern compared to other Group of Six contenders. The Minnesota Golden Gophers' impressive victory over No. 15 Iowa has propelled them into the spotlight, with a game-winning field goal securing their 13-10 win. This significant triumph marks a notable achievement for the team, as it is only the second time since 2014 that they have beaten both Iowa and Michigan in the same season. The Gophers' current record of 5-2 places them among the top contenders, but their upcoming schedule poses a challenge with tough matchups against No. 6 Indiana and No. 9 UCLA on the horizon. Despite these daunting prospects, PJ Fleck's team is well-positioned for success, having navigated a demanding stretch so far this season. --- Source: [CBS Sports]( https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-winners-losers-week-8-scores-results/ ) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/college-football-rankings-shaken-by-week-8-upsets/