AP top 25 poll: Week 8 college football games most likely to shake up the rankings

There are very few weeks that the SEC schedule doesn't deliver a doozy of a matchup or two, and Week 8 of the college football season is no exception.

In fact, there are three prime SEC showdowns highlighting the Saturday slate, but that's only part of a loaded lineup of marquee matchups.

Here are the six that will have the biggest impact on the AP top 25 poll this weekend.

(All times Eastern; all game spreads via ESPN Bet.)

No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 9 Georgia (5-1, 3-1)

This is the week the college football world finds out if Ole Miss is for real. Then again, the same could be said for this Georgia team.

Lane Kiffin's Rebels are one of the fun stories in the sport this season as they look to upset the power structure in the SEC. Ole Miss is one of five SEC programs never to reach the conference's championship game since it was created in 1992 -- more to the point, one of three programs, along with Kentucky and Vanderbilt, that have been part of the league that whole time and not made it to the title game.

The Rebels have one top-10 win already over LSU, but the jury is still out as to how good the Tigers actually are this season. Ole Miss also barely got past a bad Washington State team at home last week, 24-21. A win at Georgia would be an irrefutable statement that the Rebels are indeed a true top national contender.

Meanwhile, Georgia has looked more vulnerable than usual this year despite its 5-1 start. The Bulldogs needed overtime to escape Tennessee, lost at home to Alabama and were down 10-0 late in the second quarter last week at Auburn before a controversial Tigers fumble at the goal line swung the momentum to the Bulldogs.

Kirby Smart's team needs this win just as much as Ole Miss, especially with one conference loss already in a loaded SEC race where two losses may be too much to overcome.

Starting safety Kyron Jones is out for Georgia with a foot injury as the Bulldogs face the tough task of slowing Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss -- the Division II transfer stuffing the box score each week with 1,227 passing yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT, 260 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs in four starts.

Georgia is a 7.5-point favorite at home.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Vols — Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws for a touchdown to Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) against Vanderbilt at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0)

Alabama has won three straight games over ranked opponents -- at Georgia, vs. Vanderbilt and at Missouri -- to reassert itself as arguably the favorite in the stacked SEC championship race. Can the Crimson Tide make it four straight?

Alabama is a 7.5-point favorite at home against a Tennessee team that has been consistently entertaining all season.

The Vols were good enough to take Georgia to overtime but also vulnerable enough to get pushed for four quarters by Mississippi State and Arkansas. Tennessee was a playoff team a year ago and will need a signature win at some point if it hopes to remain in the CFP conversation again this year.

Alabama, meanwhile, is expected to have star running back Jam Miller back from the concussion he sustained in the win at Missouri last week, while quarterback Ty Simpson (1,678 passing yards, 16 TDs and 1 INT) looks to further strengthen his Heisman Trophy campaign.

No. 20 USC (5-1) at No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2)

One of college football's most storied rivalries hits primetime Saturday night with USC and Notre Dame, perhaps both battling to stay alive in the CFP hunt.

The Fighting Irish made it all the way to the national championship game last year and were expected to be elite again in 2025, but it has lost both of their big games so far -- to Miami and Texas A&M -- while yet to defeat a ranked opponent.

The AP voters have given the Irish a lot of leeway and credit for competitive losses so far, but a third defeat might be enough to knock Notre Dame out of the top 25 entirely and greatly jeopardize its path back to the playoffs.

USC, meanwhile, is coming off a 31-13 win over a then-No. 15 Michigan team. It was the most impressive victory for Lincoln Riley since his first season with the Trojans back in 2022. Whether it's truly a sign that USC is back on the ascent to national contention will be better revealed Saturday night.

If the Trojans collect a second win over a ranked opponent -- and on the road in South Bend -- they will deserve serious consideration for a top 10 ranking depending on what else plays out around college football. That's a big if, of course. USC has lost by 15 and 28 points in its last two trips to Notre Dame.

A strong performance and USC win could also move Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (1,852 passing yards, 13 TDs, 2 INTs, 4 rushing TDs) more into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Adding more weight to the matchup, this is the last USC-Notre Dame game officially on the books, with the future of the storied rivalry series in question.

Notre Dame will be without starting center Ashton Craig and key defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio, while USC is without its top two running backs, Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders (for the season), with walk-on King Miller taking over in the backfield after rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown vs. Michigan.

Notre Dame is a 9.5-point favorite.

Vanderbilt vs. LSU football. — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) signs to a receiver at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

No. 10 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 17 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1)

Vanderbilt is favored against LSU for the first time since 1948, with the line between 1.5 and 2.5 points, depending on the source.

That not only speaks to the respect Vanderbilt has earned this season, with its only loss coming at Alabama and a 24-point road win at South Carolina, but also the skepticism toward LSU despite its top-10 ranking.

The Tigers have yet to score more than 20 points against a Power 4 opponent and lost 24-19 at Ole Miss in their only other game against a currently-ranked team. Another loss might take them out of the SEC title hunt.

Can QB Diego Pavia (1,409 passing yards, 14 TDs, 4 INTs; 352 rushing yards, 2 TDs) add to his Vandy lore?

BYU vs. Utah football — Brigham Young Cougars safety Tanner Wall (28) reacts to an interception against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the third quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

No. 23 Utah (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at No. 15 BYU (6-0, 3-0)

The "Holy War" rivalry gets the Big Noon Kickoff treatment and a Saturday night spotlight with both Utah and BYU ranked and in the thick of the Big 12 championship chase.

BYU has continued to climb the AP poll after opening the season unranked, but the Cougars really haven't faced a lot of challenge on their way to 6-0. Their best win came last week in double overtime at Arizona.

Utah will be by far the best team BYU has faced yet, and a much better gauge as to where both teams belong in the national picture.

The Utes' lone loss came against No. 7 Texas Tech, which has blown out everybody so far, while a 42-10 win at then-No. 21 Arizona State last week (albeit with the Sun Devils missing starting QB Sam Leavitt) put Utah back in the rankings and CFP conversation.

Neither team has much of a passing game, so this should be a physical battle. BYU freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has thrown for just 1,220 yards, 8 TDs and 3 INTs, but he has 295 yards and 7 TDs on the ground while LJ Martin leads the rushing attack with 652 yards and 4 TDs on 6.5 yards per carry.

Utah is led by dual-threat QB Devon Dampier, a New Mexico transfer who leads the team in rushing with 378 yards and 5 TDs to go with 1,131 passing yards, 11 TDs and 3 INTs. He rushed for 120 yards and 3 scores last week vs. Arizona State.

Utah is a 3.5-point road favorite in Provo.

Duke football quarterback Darian Mensah. — Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0 ACC) at Duke (4-2, 3-0)

Georgia Tech is off to its best start since 2011 and one of 11 remaining undefeated FBS teams, but the Yellow Jackets are officially on upset watch this week.

Duke got off to a slow start with early losses to Illinois and Tulane, but the Blue Devils have been rolling since with three straight wins by double-digits -- over NC State and on the road at Syracuse (38-3) and Cal (45-21).

Duke invested big NIL money to bring QB transfer Darian Mensah over from Tulane, and he's found his stride with 1,838 passing yards, 15 TDs and 2 INTs.

Georgia Tech's ranking is weighted on a Week 3 win over a then-ranked Clemson team, but the Tigers have since fallen out of the polls, and the Yellow Jackets' other wins are against Colorado, FCS-level Gardner-Webb, Temple, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

Duke is a 2.5-point favorite.