AP top 25 poll: Tennessee moves up, USC plummets in Week 8 college football rankings
Week 7 of the college football season is in the books and now it's time to get our first look at the updated AP top 25 rankings.
There was definitely a shake-up this week after an epic slate of games that saw eight teams in the polls taking the L over the weekend, including four in the top 10.
If ever there's a "quality loss" of the kind the College Football Playoff selectors like, it's to Alabama. And that's what Tennessee earned with a statement victory on Rocky Top, the first in the series since 2006, and putting Big Orange face-to-face with CFP champion Georgia in the division race.
Here's your first look at the latest AP top 25 rankings for Week 8.
College football rankings: AP top 25 poll for Week 8 announced
The new AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 8
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- Georgia (31 1st-place votes)
- Ohio State (17)
- Tennessee (15)
- Michigan
- Clemson
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- TCU
- UCLA
- Oregon
- Oklahoma State
- USC
- Wake Forest
- Syracuse
- Utah
- Penn State
- Kansas State
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Texas
- Cincinnati
- North Carolina
- NC State
- Mississippi State
- Tulane
AP top 25 notes: Georgia led the way with 1,530 total votes, with Ohio State placing second with 1,509. Tennessee collected 1,474 total votes, ahead of Michigan (1,384) and Clemson (1,336).
Others receiving votes
Purdue 95, LSU 87, UCF 13, South Carolina 13, Kansas 12, James Madison 6, Oregon State 6, Maryland 5, South Alabama 4, Liberty 2, Arkansas 1, Minnesota 1, Florida State 1
AP top 25 biggest movers
Tennessee (Up 3). Big Orange made the statement of the weekend by defeating Alabama behind what remains college football's top offense.
TCU (Up 5). A statement win over Oklahoma State keeps the Horned Frogs undefeated and moving up the rankings.
USC (Down 5). The Trojans' first loss of the Lincoln Riley era with questions on the defensive side of the ball.
Illinois (Up 6). The class of the Big Ten West now after a win over the Gophers and a rushing attack that can take this team places.
NC State (Down 8). Losing at Syracuse and with news that Devin Leary is out for the year.
Mississippi State (Down 8). That three-game win streak is over after a loss to Kentucky
One team that was unranked: Tulane, which jumped into the rankings, moving to 6-1 on the year and in first place in the AAC.
And two that dropped out: Including former No. 19 Kansas and one-time No. 25 James Madison.
College football top 25 losers
Rankings reflect last week's AP poll
No. 3 Alabama. After a few close calls, at Texas and at home to Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide finally succumbed to a superior team. For the first time since 2006, and the first time with Nick Saban at the helm, that team was Tennessee, which picked apart the Tide secondary with worrying ease while Bama stacked up a Saban-record 17 penalties. The good news? This team still piled on 49 points and ran the ball well.
No. 7 USC. A troubling injury to wide receiver Jordan Addison, who was on crutches in the second half, and another very questionable defensive performance, doomed the Trojans to their first loss of the year. on the road to Utah. It was expected this game would be the litmus test for where USC is in Year 1 of the Lincoln Riley era. What did we learn? Southern Cal can move the ball almost at will, but have increasing trouble stopping teams from doing the same in response.
No. 8 Oklahoma State. A subpar outing from quarterback Spencer Sanders stumped the Cowboys' offense in the second half, scoring just 6 points after the break, and falling to undefeated TCU in the huge Big 12 matchup. Now come three games against teams that came into last week in the top 25 rankings.
No. 10 Penn State. Coming into this past weekend, the Nittany Lions had one of the premier rush defenses in college football. Maybe it still is one, but it got cut in half by Michigan's elite ground attack. The ugly 41-17 loss can't help but raise the question again of whether James Franklin's teams have the physicality to really contend in the Big Ten, and if another second-half season downturn is around the corner again.
No. 15 NC State. Safe to say this offense will have to find another strategy after losing quarterback Devin Leary for the year and grinding to a halt on the road in a loss to Syracuse, dropping to 5-2.
No. 16 Mississippi State. The Air Raid had trouble getting off the ground against Kentucky, rushing for just 22 total yards and putting an abrupt end to that three-game win streak. Alabama is up next.
No. 19 Kansas. That's two straight losses now for the resurgent Jayhawks, who let Oklahoma stack up 52 points. KU's offense fared well enough, scoring 42 of its own, but the team is losing momentum heading into the tougher second half of the schedule.
No. 25 James Madison. The Dukes won their first five games in FBS and cracked the rankings last weekend, but a loss to Georgia Southern dropped them right back out.
Undefeated college football teams remaining
SEC: Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss
Big Ten: Ohio State, Michigan
Big 12: TCU
ACC: Clemson, Syracuse
Pac-12: UCLA