AP top 25 poll: Three most underrated college football teams in Week 8

A whopping eight ranked teams lost over the weekend, causing a significant shakeup once again to the AP top 25 poll.

But the top 10 is as inarguable as it's been all season -- there simply aren't many qualms to have at the top of the rankings.

Nonetheless, here are the three most underrated teams in the AP poll for Week 8.

No. 7 Texas Tech (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)

Again, we're picking nits here, but it does seem that if Texas Tech and No. 5 Ole Miss flipped conferences the Red Raiders might be the higher ranked 6-0 team.

Texas Tech has been dominant this season, winning every game by at least 24 points. The Red Raiders stayed perfect this week with a 42-17 win over Kansas, and they were just as dominant when they rolled over a ranked Utah team, 34-10 on the road, which stands as the No. 23 Utes' only loss.

It does bear monitoring what happens with starting quarterback Behren Morton, who left the game in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury and did not return. But it didn't faze the Red Raiders on Saturday as they rushed for 372 yards, led by Cameron Dickey's career-high 263 yards and 2 TDs.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, has a big win over ranked LSU, but the Rebels got pushed to the brink Saturday in a 24-21 home win over a Washington State team that hasn't beaten a Power Four opponent and that lost by 49 points to North Texas and 35 to Washington. Ole Miss also played tightly in a 41-35 home win over Arkansas last month.

For the record, we're fine with a one-loss Alabama team being ahead of Texas Tech at No. 6, as the Crimson Tide has three wins over ranked opponents.

Regardless, Texas Tech and its fans surely aren't fretting this as the program is in the AP top 10 for the first time since 2013.

USC Trojans football. — USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (wearing white visor) celebrates along with defensive end coach Shaun Nua after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

No. 20 USC (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten)

We've been beating the drum on the Trojans being undervalued all season, and their 31-13 win over then-No. 15 Michigan on Saturday made that case compellingly.

The Trojans piled up 490 yards against a Wolverines defense that had allowed only one other team to even top 360 yards (Oklahoma with 408). Michigan also came into the day holding opponents to 77 rushing yards per game before the Trojans rumbled for 225, led by its walk-on third-string running back King Miller (158 rushing yards and a TD).

USC's only loss came by a 34-32 margin on the road at Illinois on a field goal in the final seconds in a game in which the Trojans were missing two starting offensive linemen and their best defensive back due to injury.

Otherwise, the Trojans have won their other three Big Ten games by at least two touchdowns (and their two non-conference games by 60 and 39 points). They rank second nationally in total offense (552.3 yards per game) and third in scoring (45.5 points per game).

So No. 20 seems too low. There's no reason USC should be ranked behind No. 19 South Florida (best wins over 2-4 Florida and North Texas, lost 49-12 to Miami), No. 18 Virginia (best wins over 3-3 Florida State and unranked Louisville, lost to 4-3 NC State), No. 17 Vanderbilt (only notable win over 3-3 South Carolina, lost by 16 to Alabama), No. 15 BYU (undefeated, sure, but best win is over unranked Arizona) or No. 14 Oklahoma (best win is also over Michigan by a lesser 24-13 margin, got humbled by Texas 23-6 on Saturday).

No. 16 Missouri could also be in the discussion with its best win over South Carolina, though the Tigers looked good in a competitive 27-24 loss to Alabama on Saturday.

Nebraska Cornhuskers football. — Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (13) reacts after getting a first down during the fourth quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

No. 25 Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)

This is a very specific qualm -- Nebraska should not be ranked behind No. 24 Cincinnati when the teams have the same record and the Cornhuskers beat the Bearcats head-to-head (20-17 in Week 1).

It's that simple.

Nebraska's only loss came 30-27 to Michigan, and the Huskers picked up a 34-31 win on the road Saturday against a Maryland team that came into the game with one loss.

Cincinnati's best win is over a formerly-ranked Iowa State team that has now dropped two straight. That's not enough to ignore a head-to-head result.