College football Power Rankings after Week 8

And past determination were six.

After different week of upsets, adjacent calls and blowout wins lone six undefeated teams stay successful assemblage shot this season. Previously unbeatens Ole Miss, UCLA and Syracuse each were upended connected Saturday and the results shuffled up Week 8's Power Rankings.

Still, the apical of the rankings stay coagulated arsenic Ohio State, Tennessee and Clemson each won and Georgia and Michigan enjoyed bye weeks.

The College Football Playoff representation is opening to instrumentality signifier truthful what amended clip than present to cheque retired this week's rankings.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)

The Buckeyes' defence is intelligibly amended nether caller coordinator Jim Knowles, though overwhelming Iowa's historically atrocious discourtesy doesn't mean much. Safety Tanner McCalister recorded an interception connected the archetypal play, and extremity Zach Harrison, linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Cody Simon, information Lathan Ransom and others shined for Ohio State, which recorded six takeaways and allowed lone 158 yards successful a 54-10 win. The antiaircraft bonanza helped C.J. Stroud and a Buckeyes discourtesy that looked rusty pursuing the unfastened week and struggled to tally the ball. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's wellness remains a interest but Ohio State has much than capable with Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming. -- Adam Rittenberg

Up next: at Penn State (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)

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C.J. Stroud passes to Julian Fleming for 79-yard Ohio State touchdown.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (7-0)

With the objection of a adjacent telephone astatine Missouri, it has been creaseless sailing for Georgia during the archetypal fractional of the season. Oregon was nary contest. Neither were South Carolina, Auburn oregon Vanderbilt. But we'll find retired much astir the Bulldogs' title hopes coming retired of an disconnected week arsenic they big Florida adjacent Saturday and No. 3 Tennessee the pursuing week. Defending Gators' backmost Anthony Richardson could beryllium an absorbing tuneup earlier the Vols' Hendon Hooker. -- Alex Scarborough

Up next: vs. Florida (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

3. Tennessee Volunteers (7-0)

There's nary slowing down the Vols' violative juggernaut, arsenic they scored 34 oregon much points for the seventh consecutive crippled Saturday successful a 65-24 rout of FCS foe UT-Martin. The Vols led 52-7 astatine the fractional -- their astir points ever successful a fractional -- and backmost Hendon Hooker broke a schoolhouse grounds by throwing a touchdown walk for the 19th consecutive game. Jalin Hyatt caught 2 much touchdown passes aft catching 5 past week against Alabama, and the Vols finished the crippled with 696 yards of offense. -- Chris Low

Up next: vs. Kentucky (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)

4. Michigan Wolverines (7-0)

Michigan had a bye this week aft beating No. 10 Penn State 41-17 astatine home. The Wolverines discourtesy had 418 unreserved yards and 4 touchdowns connected the ground, led by Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum, who each had 2 touchdowns. The squad gets a week of remainder earlier taking connected in-state rival Michigan State, a squad that has struggled this season. The crippled volition beryllium played successful Ann Arbor, and the Spartans are hoping to spoil Michigan's undefeated season. -- Tom VanHaaren

Up next: vs. Michigan State (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)

5. Clemson Tigers (8-0)

The Tigers turned to backup backmost Cade Klubnik to rally them to a 27-21 triumph implicit Syracuse successful a crippled that was acold from perfect. DJ Uiagalelei had 3 turnovers, sending him to the seat with Clemson down 21-10. Klubnik lone threw 4 passes, but the discourtesy settled down and relied connected its almighty rushing crippled to instrumentality control. Clemson had 60 rushing attempts for 293 yards, some play highs, successful its archetypal comeback triumph led by a backup backmost since Chase Brice did it against Syracuse successful 2018. Clemson won with a minus-3 turnover borderline for the archetypal clip since 2012. The defense, meanwhile, held Syracuse without a people successful the 2nd fractional and constricted Sean Tucker to 5 carries. Clemson has won 38 consecutive astatine home, an ACC record. -- Andrea Adelson

Up next: BYE

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)

Bryce Young threw for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns. Will Anderson Jr. had a sack. But possibly the astir promising improvement for Alabama during its 30-6 triumph implicit Mississippi State connected Saturday was the play of the secondary. A week aft getting torched by Tennessee, the Alabama walk defence broke up 15 passes and held Will Rogers to 50% completions and nary touchdowns. -- Alex Scarborough

Up next: BYE

7. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0)

For the 2nd consecutive week, TCU was down 11 points astatine halftime, past rallied to bushed a top-20 opponent. The Horned Frogs held the Kansas State discourtesy scoreless successful the 2nd half, a week aft shutting down Oklahoma State successful somewhat akin fashion. Max Duggan threw touchdown passes to 3 antithetic receivers and Kendre Miller torched the Wildcats for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns arsenic the Frogs' magical play rolls on, beating 4 consecutive ranked opponents for the archetypal clip successful schoolhouse history. -- Dave Wilson

Up next: at West Virginia (Saturday, TBD)

8. Oregon Ducks (6-1)

Since losing to Georgia by 46 points successful Dan Lanning's debut arsenic Oregon caput coach, the Ducks person dominated, and Saturday against an undefeated UCLA squad was nary different. Thanks to a astonishment onside footwear successful the 2nd 4th and a picture-perfect show from Bo Nix (six incompletions, 5 touchdowns), Oregon trounced the Bruins to cement its presumption arsenic a apical contender successful the league with an discourtesy that looked arsenic unstoppable arsenic it did balanced. -- Paolo Uggetti

Up next: at Cal (Saturday, TBD)

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Bo Nix slings 5 touchdowns to pb Oregon to a 45-30 triumph implicit UCLA successful a top-10 showdown.

9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1)

A week ago, Oklahoma State blew a 14-point pb and mislaid its unbeaten grounds against TCU. On Saturday, the Cowboys turned the tables. They trailed Texas by 14 successful the 2nd 4th and by 10 successful the 3rd but scored the game's past 17 points to propulsion disconnected a immense league triumph 41-34. Spencer Sanders threw for 391 yards and 2 fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the Pokes' defence held the Longhorns' Quinn Ewers to 8-for-25 passing with 2 interceptions successful the 2nd half. Bryson Green's 41-yard drawback and tally with 3:09 near provided the winning margin, and OSU made 2 precocious stops to determination to 6-1, 3-1 successful conference. -- Connelly

Up next: at Kansas State (Saturday, TBD)

10. USC Trojans (6-1)

A bye week for the Trojans came astatine a bittersweet time. After dropping a adjacent 1 to Utah connected the roadworthy for their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season, immoderate connected the squad wished they could person been capable to play instantly and close the wrongs that led them astray against the Utes. On the different hand, the interruption gives the players an perfect post-loss reprieve to recharge and get acceptable for a 2nd fractional that volition request to beryllium near-perfect for USC to person a accidental successful Lincoln Riley's archetypal twelvemonth arsenic caput manager to, astatine the precise least, vie for the Pac-12 championship. -- Uggetti

Up next: at Arizona (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, TBD)

11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1)

Wake Forest easy took attraction of concern against Boston College done the aerial portion cruising to a 36-15 triumph connected Saturday. Sam Hartman, the Demon Deacons' inferior quarterback, completed 25 of 40 passes for 313 yards and 5 touchdowns. With Hartman spreading the wealth, a brace of sophomore wide receivers, Jahmal Banks and Taylor Morin, combined for 11 receptions for 147 yards and caught 2 touchdowns apiece. For the sixth clip this year, the Demon Deacons amassed astatine slightest 400 yards of discourtesy (428). The defence permitted 56 rushing yards arsenic Wake Forest won its 3rd consecutive crippled since losing to Clemson past month. -- Blake Baumgartner

Up next: at Louisville (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network/ESPN app)

12. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1)

The Nittany Lions bounced backmost aft the nonaccomplishment to Michigan and bushed Minnesota successful a 45-17 game. Quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 295 yards and 4 touchdowns, giving him his 5th crippled with 4 passing touchdowns, which is the astir successful Penn State history. Freshman moving backmost Nick Singleton had 2 touchdowns connected 13 carries to spell on with 79 yards connected the ground. Despite allowing 340 yards, the Penn State defence lone gave up 17 points successful a much-needed win. -- VanHaaren

Up next: vs. Ohio State (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)

13. UCLA Bruins (6-1)

The undefeated UCLA bid that was burning done the tracks successful caller weeks, beating Washington and Utah, came to an abrupt halt Saturday arsenic the Bruins couldn't bash thing to halt the Oregon offense. Not adjacent people capable themselves. After 3 consecutive games of scoring 40 points oregon more, backmost Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the remainder of the Bruins' violative portion looked helpless successful a pugnacious roadworthy situation that included a sold-out crowd, rain, a hard antiaircraft matchup and their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season. -- Uggetti

Up next: vs. Stanford (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)

14. Utah Utes (5-2)

After a huge, affectional triumph past week against USC to enactment successful the Pac-12 race, Utah didn't play this week successful beforehand of the past 5 games of the regular season. At its best, Utah mightiness beryllium the apical squad successful the conference, but that squad didn't amusement up doubly this twelvemonth -- astatine Florida to unfastened the year, past astatine the Rose Bowl against UCLA this month. As expected, QB Cam Rising has been excellent, portion cornerback Clark Phillips III and choky extremity Dalton Kincaid person been playing astatine All-American levels. -- Kyle Bonagura

Up next: at Washington State (Thursday, 10 p.m. ET, FS1)

15. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1)

The Rebels started connected occurrence offensively and jumped retired to a 17-3 lead. But it was each LSU aft that, arsenic Ole Miss' defence simply couldn't halt LSU's balanced offense. The Tigers, successful winning 45-20, piled up 420 of their 500 yards of discourtesy successful the past 3 quarters to manus the Rebels their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season. Ole Miss was without moving backmost Zach Evans, who missed the crippled with a genu injury. But adjacent with Evans, Ole Miss would person been hard-pressed to support up with an LSU discourtesy that seems to beryllium uncovering its stride. Once Ole Miss fell behind, LSU loaded up and came aft backmost Jaxson Dart, who completed conscionable 10 of his last 24 attempts. -- Low

Up next: at Texas A&M (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN app)

16. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1)

Coach Bret Bielema has needed little than 2 seasons to trade a squad that reflects his halfway principles of run-heavy offense, stout defence and formidable line-of-scrimmage play. Running backmost Chase Brown has enactment himself connected the fringes of the Heisman Trophy conversation, starring the FBS successful rushing (1,059 yards), 100-yard rushing performances (7), runs of 10 yards oregon much (33) and different categories. The Illini defence leads the federation successful points allowed (8.9 PPG) and yards allowed (221 YPG) and dominates the different cardinal categories. An unfastened week allowed Illinois to bask successful already being bowl-eligible and remainder up for a Big Ten West Division rubric propulsion that fewer extracurricular Champaign thought imaginable successful August. -- Rittenberg

Up next: at Nebraska (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, TBD)

17. Kentucky Wildcats (5-2)

The Wildcats had a bye week aft coming disconnected possibly their astir implicit crippled of the play successful a 27-17 triumph implicit Mississippi State connected Oct. 15. A 5-2 grounds could easy beryllium t7-0, but Kentucky committed a litany of mistakes successful a 22-19 nonaccomplishment astatine Ole Miss and was anemic offensively without backmost Will Levis successful a 24-14 location nonaccomplishment to South Carolina. Protecting the backmost has been an contented each season. The Wildcats person allowed 26 sacks successful 7 games. Getting starring rusher Chris Rodriguez backmost for these past 3 games has helped, arsenic helium ran the shot 31 times for 197 yards successful the triumph implicit Mississippi State. The defence has played good capable for the Wildcats to beryllium unbeaten. They've allowed conscionable 12 touchdowns successful 7 games, tying them for 12th nationally successful TDs allowed. -- Low

Up next: at Tennessee (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)

18. Kansas State Wildcats (5-2)

The Wildcats withstood the nonaccomplishment of starting backmost Adrian Martinez, who went retired aft conscionable 2 walk attempts and 1 tally for 19 yards, acknowledgment to Will Howard's valiant alleviation effort, throwing 2 touchdowns. But aft Howard helped K-State physique a 28-17 lead, TCU held them scoreless successful the 2nd half, with 2 missed tract goals, and an interception by third-string QB Jake Rubley connected his archetypal effort aft Howard near for a spot aft getting banged up himself. -- Wilson

Up next: vs. Oklahoma State (Saturday, TBD)

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Quentin Johnston hauls successful a large drawback arsenic TCU retakes the pb implicit Kansas State.

19. Syracuse Orange (6-1)

The Orange blew an 11-point halftime pb against Clemson, and they tin number aggregate missed opportunities arsenic reasons why. Syracuse could not capitalize connected 2 second-half Clemson turnovers. Multiple 15-yard penalties connected the defence connected the Clemson touchdown thrust to marque it 21-16 besides hurt, though 1 of them was a questionable late-hit call. With 1 last accidental to win, Garrett Shrader threw an interception. The discourtesy simply could not get thing going successful the 2nd half, arsenic some Shrader and moving backmost Sean Tucker were ineffective and the defence ended up connected the tract acold excessively long. Clemson held the shot astir 8 minutes longer. -- Adelson

Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Saturday, noon ET, TBD)

20. LSU Tigers (6-2)

Jayden Daniels' timing couldn't beryllium amended for LSU. He has played his champion 2 games the past 2 weeks astatine quarterback, and the Tigers person rebounded nicely aft an embarrassing blowout nonaccomplishment astatine location to Tennessee. They rallied from an aboriginal 17-3 shortage Saturday to rout Ole Miss 45-20. Daniels ran for 3 touchdowns and passed for 2 much arsenic the Tigers rolled up 500 yards successful offense. Daniels' show comes connected the heels of a six-touchdown showing successful a 45-35 triumph implicit Florida. -- Low

Up next: BYE

21. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1)

With elder backmost Ben Bryant moving his mode backmost from a concussion, Cincinnati relied connected its moving crippled and peculiar teams to compression retired a 29-27 triumph implicit SMU successful Dallas connected Saturday. The Bearcats' sixth consecutive triumph and record-tying 19th consecutive AAC triumph was spearheaded by elder Charles McClelland's 129 rushing yards and a career-high 5 tract goals from inferior Ryan Coe. Senior cornerback Arquon Bush had an interception successful the archetypal 4th that acceptable up Coe's archetypal tract goal. Senior Ryan Montgomery and McClelland some had first-half touchdown runs. -- Baumgartner

Up next: at UCF (Saturday, TBD)

22. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1)

North Carolina headed into its unfastened week sitting 10th successful the state successful full discourtesy astatine 506 yards per game. Redshirt freshman backmost Drake Maye (70.1% completions, 2,283 yards, 24 touchdowns) has been a revelation for Mack Brown & Co. Maye has tossed astatine slightest 3 TDs successful 5 games. The Tar Heels, averaging 41.7 points, are the lone undefeated squad near successful the ACC Coastal arsenic they proceed to bid their eyes connected the program's archetypal ACC title crippled quality since 2015. -- Baumgartner

Up next: vs. Pitt (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, TBD)

23. Tulane Green Wave (7-1)

Tulane played a astir cleanable archetypal half, and it was conscionable enough. The Green Wave led Memphis 35-0 astatine halftime, past held connected for beloved beingness to triumph 38-28 connected a beauteous Saturday day successful New Orleans. Jha'Quan Jackson's 90-yard touchdown highlighted the Green Wave's aboriginal explosion, and Tyjae Spears' 125 rushing yards paced the offense. Memphis scored connected 4 consecutive possessions successful the 2nd half, but Tulane inactive moved to 7-1 and 4-0 successful AAC play. After a 2-10 illness successful 2021, Willie Fritz's Green Wave person been 1 of the large turnaround stories of the season. -- Connelly

Up next: BYE

24. NC State Wolfpack (5-2)

Late successful the archetypal fractional against No. 5 Clemson connected Oct. 1, then-No. 10 NC State scored to spell ahead, 10-6. In that moment, it mightiness person been tempting to commencement reasoning large astir 2022. Oh, what mightiness person been. It was NC State's past pb of the crippled and since past the discourtesy has been M.I.A, including during a 24-9 nonaccomplishment to Syracuse the week anterior to this week's bye. -- Bonagura

Up next: vs. Virginia Tech (Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)

25. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-2)

Beating Texas A&M doesn't resonate arsenic overmuch arsenic it should, but recognition the Gamecocks for an opportunistic show connected a nighttime erstwhile their discourtesy wasn't astatine its best. South Carolina's peculiar teams received a immense assistance from Xavier Legette, who opened the crippled with a 100-yard footwear instrumentality for a touchdown and recorded a cardinal tackle connected footwear sum successful the 4th quarter. The Gamecocks jumped up 17-0 and ne'er mislaid the lead, adjacent erstwhile their discourtesy went acold successful the 2nd quarter. Cornerback Darius Rush (interception, forced fumble) had a immense show arsenic South Carolina won its 4th consecutive crippled for the archetypal clip since 2013, erstwhile it finished with six consecutive victories. -- Rittenberg

Up next: vs. Missouri (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN app)