One week after a historic number of upsets, there were even more in Week 8. Two Top-10 teams suffered losses on Saturday, leading to another shakeup in the USA Today coaches poll Top 25.
After fighting off Notre Dame to stay undefeated, BYU fell to UCF in double overtime at the Bounce House for its first loss of the season. A few hours after that, Ole Miss came up short against Texas despite recovering the onside kick to gain one final possession.
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The No. 1 team in the USA Today coaches poll stayed put, though, after a resounding victory on Saturday afternoon. Here is the full Top 25 rankings heading into the final weekend in October.
1. Miami (-)
After jumping up to the No. 1 spot in Week 8, Miami held strong with Saturday’s victory over Pitt. The Hurricanes didn’t leave any room for doubt in the 52-23 win at home to stay undefeated on the season.
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Malachi Toney showed out once again, hauling in 16 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead the charge. Darian Mensah also had a big game as he completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
2. Ohio State (-)
Following a victory over Indiana last week, Ohio State was on its bye in Week 8. The Buckeyes will now get ready for the home stretch of the Big Ten schedule, though they will be without quarterback Julian Sayin for some time.
Ryan Day confirmed Sayin is out indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 7. It will be next man up for Ohio State as the Buckeyes get ready for a Halloween showdown against USC at The Coliseum.
3. Georgia (+1)
Also on a bye in Week 7, Georgia is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the year against Auburn in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Now, UGA has another rivalry affair coming up in Week 8 after the week off.
The annual matchup against Florida awaits on Saturday, although it’s in Atlanta instead of Jacksonville this time around. It will also be the first of three straight games against ranked opponents for Georgia heading into November.
4. Indiana (+2)
For the first time in 57 years, Indiana got a victory in Ann Arbor. IU held on to defeat Michigan in overtime at the Big House on Saturday to bounce back from the home loss to Ohio State a week prior.
It wasn’t easy, but the Hoosiers came away with the 13-6 win to get back in the win column. Curt Cignetti’s group heads into the Week 8 game against Minnesota with a 7-1 record with the bye week looming in Week 9.
5. Utah (+4)
In a late-night affair, Utah put together a strong second half to eventually fight off Houston at home on Saturday. The Utes scored 21 points in the second half and forced a turnover on downs near the red zone to help seal the victory.
The Morgan Scalley era continued its undefeated start as Utah improved to 7-0 on the year and 4-0 in Big 12 play. Conference play continues this week as the Utes make the trip to Cincinnati for a Halloween matchup.
6. Notre Dame (+2)
Notre Dame had its bye in Week 8 after the loss to BYU. The Fighting Irish fell to 6-1 with the Week 7 defeat, but remain in the conversation for the College Football Playoff with the final five games coming up.
Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame will take on Navy at Gillette Stadium in its first game out of the bye. From there, a monster matchup looms in Week 10 as the Irish welcome Miami for a primetime affair.
7. UCLA (+3)
UCLA entered Week 8 as the only unbeaten team left in the Big Ten and that’s still the case. The Bruins got the 28-10 victory over Michigan State to improve to 7-0 under new head coach Bob Chesney and continue their climb in the rankings.
Saturday afternoon, UCLA will take a break from conference action with a matchup against Nevada. It’s been quite the start to Chesney’s tenure as head coach as the Bruins continue their winning ways, even with a backup quarterback after Nico Iamaleava’s injury.
8. Kentucky (+4)
Saturday marked Kentucky’s sixth straight victory in SEC play as UK now sits alone atop the SEC standings. Will Stein’s group defeated Vanderbilt 34-17 to continue its winning ways and keep moving up the college football rankings.
It’s been a huge year for the Wildcats, who are now 7-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play with Saturday’s win. They have become one of the stories of the 2026 season as they get ready for their bye in Week 9.
9. BYU (-6)
Fresh off last week’s win over Notre Dame, BYU found itself on the other end of an upset. In a double-overtime thriller at the Bounce House, UCF got the victory over the Cougars to further shake up the college football rankings.
BYU got one more chance to tie it in double overtime, but Bear Bachmeier’s pass fell incomplete. That meant UCF held on for the win and the Cougars dropped from the No. 3 spot in the USA Today coaches poll, as well.
10. Alabama (+3)
Alabama got a bounce-back win on Saturday as the Crimson Tide took down Texas A&M at Bryant-Denny Stadium. That snapped a two-game losing streak for Kalen DeBoer and Co. and created some momentum entering the Halloween bye.
The Tide remain squarely in the SEC race with four games left on the schedule. A big-time matchup awaits after the bye, though, as Alabama makes the trip to Baton Rouge to take on Lane Kiffin and LSU.
11. Texas (+7)
After back-to-back losses, Texas got a crucial victory on Saturday. It wasn’t easy, but the Longhorns eventually took down Ole Miss at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in a primetime matchup.
Arch Manning put together a solid bounce-back effort, going 18-for-30 for 212 yards and a touchdown, along with two rushing touchdowns, to two interceptions. Texas now at 5-2 overall on the season entering this week’s game against Mississippi State at home.
12. Ole Miss (-5)
Although Ole Miss made a late push, the Rebels came up short against Texas. Trinidad Chambliss’ final pass attempt fell incomplete as they suffered the 34-27 loss in Austin on Saturday night.
It marked the second loss in four games for Ole Miss, which is now 5-2 overall. The Rebels will get ready to welcome Auburn in Week 9 before Georgia comes to town for a high-stakes affair to kick off the month of November.
13. LSU (+4)
Although it looked dicey early, LSU was able to right the ship and get the 38-17 victory over Auburn on Saturday. That took the Tigers to 6-2 on the year, including 3-2 in SEC play, as they enter their bye in Week 9.
The next few games could loom large for Lane Kiffin and Co. after the week off. Each of the next three opponents are ranked, including Alabama, which will make the trip to Death Valley in Week 9.
14. Texas Tech (-9)
Texas Tech struggled mightily in Saturday’s game at Cincinnati. Will Hammond threw an interception and the Red Raiders lost two fumbles in the 37-24 loss on the road – their first of the season.
The defeat meant the Big 12 race got even more interesting, given some of the other results of the day. Texas Tech also found itself dropping in the rankings after moving to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play this season.
15. Wake Forest (+4)
Wake Forest was idle in Week 8 before the final stretch of the schedule heats up. It’s been a strong start to Jake Dickert’s second season at the helm as the Demon Deacons look to stay in the thick of the ACC race.
A showdown against Virginia awaits on Saturday after Wake Forest improved to 6-1 prior to the bye. With five games left, including four against ACC opponents, the Demon Deacons will look to continue their surge this year.
16. SMU (+4)
SMU picked up its fourth straight victory on Saturday with a home victory over Cal. Rhett Lashlee’s group is rolling as ACC play heats up, and they will hit the road in Week 9 as they make the trip to Syracuse.
Saturday’s victory marked the Mustangs’ fourth straight after they fell to Louisville in Week 3. They now sit at 6-1 overall heading into the matchup at Syracuse and remain squarely in the USA Today coaches poll.
17. Tennessee (-6)
In a hotly contested matchup at Williams-Brice Stadium, Tennessee could not pull away from South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers tied things up at 24-24 in the fourth quarter and Malik Orsan drilled the game-winning field goal as time expired to seal the Gamecocks’ victory.
A Tennessee fumble loomed large to help set up the walk-off field goal attempt. The Vols find themselves at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play with the bye week coming up in Week 9, and they will welcome Kentucky next time out.
18. Northwestern (+5)
Northwestern didn’t leave any room for doubt in Week 8 in a resounding win over Rutgers. Aidan Chiles had five total touchdowns to lead the charge en route to the 42-14 victory at New Ryan Field.
The Wildcats have won four straight games since their lone loss to Indiana and will now enter a key part of the schedule. This week, they will head to Eugene for a matchup against Oregon, which fell to Illinois on Saturday.
19. Houston (-3)
Houston did all it could to pull off the road upset at Utah on Saturday and the Cougars got the ball back with a chance to tie. But Conner Weigman’s pass fell incomplete as UH suffered its second loss of the season, 21-13, against the Utes.
Saturday’s game had plenty of implications for both the College Football Playoff and the Top 25 rankings. Houston now sits at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play with the bye week coming up on Halloween.
20. Florida (+4)
Florida was on its bye week in Week 8, but its rankings still shifted amid more craziness in college football. The Gators took momentum into the week off with their win over Texas and they have a rivalry matchup against Georgia looming.
UF is 5-2 under new head coach Jon Sumrall as the program now gets ready for the back half of the schedule. The Gators have their final four SEC games coming up as part of the back stretch before the season finale at Florida State.
21. Arizona (+5)
After jumping into the college football rankings last week, Arizona left little room for doubt against Iowa State. The offense was on full display as the Wildcats cruised to the 39-3 victory at home.
That marked Arizona’s fifth straight win as the Wildcats improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play. They have another big test looming in Week 9 as they visit Texas Tech, which struggled against Cincinnati on Saturday.
22. Boise State (-)
With Saturday’s win over Washington State, Boise State continues to pace the new-look Pac-12. It marked the fifth straight win for the Broncos, who sit tied with Oregon State atop the conference standings.
They are also the highest-ranked Group of 6 team in the latest USA Today coaches poll after Week 8. Boise State has won six straight games following a close loss to Oregon in the season opener as a home matchup against Texas State awaits in Week 9.
23. Missouri (-2)
Following a resounding loss to Ole Miss, Missouri entered its bye in Week 9. The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday night as they make the trip to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas in primetime.
Missouri will look to rebound from the 31-3 loss at Ole Miss in Week 7 when the offense struggled mightily. Eli Drinkwitz’s group sits at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play out of the bye, putting them squarely in a very tight SEC race.
24. Iowa (-10)
Iowa and Minnesota engaged in a hard-nosed Big Ten matchup on Saturday, and it came down to the final minutes. But Luke Drzewiecki drilled the walk-off field goal to seal the Gophers’ victory over the Hawkeyes.
It marked the second loss of the season for Iowa, which made a quarterback change during the game. Jeremy Hecklinski got the start before Hank Brown entered, but the Hawkeyes could not pull away from Minnesota in the rivalry tilt.
25. USC (-10)
Saturday night, USC’s offense struggled in a major way at Wisconsin. The Trojans’ seven points marked the fewest for a Lincoln Riley-coached team during his decade as a head coach as they suffered a road loss in Madison.
USC now finds itself at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play with a key matchup against Ohio State looming next week. That will be another pivotal game for the Trojans, who round out the USA Today coaches poll.
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 120; Wisconsin 114; Cincinnati 49; New Mexico 43; Minnesota 35; UTSA 34; Nebraska 27; Virginia Tech 16; Oregon State 15; South Carolina 12; Duke 12; Oregon 5; Auburn 4; North Texas 2; Michigan 2; UCF 1; Oklahoma 1; James Madison 1.
