Robert Griffin III ranks top 5 college football teams on the rise entering Week 9

Former Heisman Trophy winner and college football analyst Robert Griffin III spotlighted his five college football teams on the rise again, entering Week 9.

Only one team repeated from his list last week -- that being the ever-surging UCLA Bruins, who went from looking like one of the worst Power Four teams in college football the first month to now riding a three-game winning streak.

Griffin's full list of top risers is BYU, UCLA, Cincinnati, Houston and Louisiana. Let's take a closer look at each.

Top 5 Teams on the Rise after Week 8

1. BYU
2. UCLA
3. Cincinnati
4. Houston
5. Louisiana pic.twitter.com/s1IGJWwTEd
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 24, 2025

BYU is an obvious choice for the top spot as the Cougars legitimized their strong start to the season with a 24-21 win over then-No. 23 Utah last week, improving to 7-0 as one of only six unbeaten teams remaining in college football.

The Cougars started the season unranked and are all the way up to No. 11 entering a road game at Iowa State on Saturday.

Longtime BYU coach has put his traditional stamp on this team with its physical, hard-nosed identity, led by its multifaceted rushing attack. Running back LJ Martin is sixth nationally with 774 rushing yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, while true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has rushed for 359 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Back to UCLA, which fired head coach DeShaun Foster just three games into his second season. Since starting 0-4, the Bruins have reeled off consecutive wins over Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland, though the momentum may come to a halt this week against No. 2 Indiana.

Nonetheless, interim head coach Tim Skipper has given Bruins fans something to invest in again while showing the program may be a quicker fix than initially feared.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the high-profile Tennessee transfer, was off his game last week while tossing 2 interceptions in the win over Maryland, but he's settled in nicely overall at UCLA with 1,355 passing yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs and 360 rushing yards with 4 TDs.

The third team on Griffin's list, Cincinnati, has emerged as a real Big 12 contender at 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference in a nice bounce-back season after finishing last year 5-7 and on a five-game losing streak.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been as efficient as any in the country, passing for 1,732 yards, 18 TDs and 1 INT and rushing for 340 yards and 6 TDs. The Bearcats face a tough test at home Saturday vs. Baylor.

Houston, meanwhile, is another team that has turned the page from a dismal 2024 in a big way. After going 4-8 last year, the Cougars are 6-1 with their only loss coming to Big 12 favorite Texas Tech. That's not a surprise, as second-year coach Willie Fritz has been a proven winner everywhere he's been (Tulane, Georgia Southern, Sam Houston State).

That said, Houston also hasn't faced a ranked opponent yet. That will change Saturday vs. No. 24 Arizona State, the reigning Big 12 champion.

And Griffin concludes his list with another obvious pick in No. 19-ranked Louisville, which pulled off the biggest upset of Week 8 in stunning then-No. 2 Miami. The Cardinals are 5-1 and right in the thick of the ACC race, led by USC transfer QB Miller Moss and star wide receiver Chris Bell (third nationally at 106.3 receiving yards per game).

Louisville doesn't face another ranked opponent the rest of the way and should continue building momentum this week against a reeling Boston College team.