NCAA Top 25 - Week 8

Last week may have been called "Upset Saturday", but it turned out to be merely a precursor to this week!  Four more unbeaten teams fell, as did several one-loss teams.  Many of the Top 25 teams lost to lower ranked or unranked teams, and others had to come from behind or hold off late rallies in order to win.  Three unbeaten teams in the Top Ten lost, and the upper 4/5ths of the Top 25 had more shake-ups than usual at this time of year.  We are down to ten unbeaten, seven of those in the Top Ten.  We still have games scheduled where two teams currently unbeaten will play each other, so that number will continue to dwindle.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : In a period where many unbeatens lost or struggled, Alabama continues to blow away their opponents, this week a 52-point shut-out.

2.  Oregon Ducks (7-0) [2] : Another impressive offensive performance, but the defense showed some cracks.

3.  Florida State Seminoles (6-0) [3] : Their battle against Clemson wasn't even close!  Both offense and defense were working strongly in this game.  This team, more than Oregon, might be the greatest challenge to Alabama.

4.  Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0) [4] : Not a pretty win, but they extended the nation's longest winning streak and remained unbeaten, a feat other teans have not matched in the last couple of weeks.

5.  Baylor Bears (6-0) [10] : Scoring a record-setting 71 points is worth noting, as is a 64-point margin of victory.  Baylor looks ready to compete against the big boys.

6.  Louisville Cardinals (6-1) [5] : They lose and only drop one place?  A strange result of upset week.  Teddy Bridgewater actually looked pretty good in this game, despite two interceptions and a fumble.  The Cardinals defense couldn't stop UCF.

7.  Miami Hurricanes (6-0) [9] : It wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win.  An unbeaten held on to remain so -- quite a feat recently.

8.  Stanford Cardinal (6-1) [12] : They responded to last week's upset to Utah by dismantling the UCLA Bruins.

9.  Missouri Tigers (7-0) [16] : Impressive performance by the BACKUP quarterback!  Maty Mauk proved that this offense is incredible, and that Missouri won't miss a beat when James Franklin leaves. After struggling through the SEC season last year, Missouri just gets better each week.

10. LSU Tigers (6-2) [8] : The Tigers nearly came back to win against Ole Miss.  Don't count this team out, although two conference losses makes their conference title hopes almost disappear.

11. Michigan Wolverines (6-1) [13] : Indiana gave them fits through three quarters, but the Wolverines offense accumulated the most yards in school history.  The tact that they had to do that in order to win marks their defense as a sorry squad.

12.  UCLA Bruins (5-1) [6] : Stanford demolished them, yet they still are the favorite to win the South division.

13. Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) [14] : It wasn't a huge win against Kansas, but they'll savor the victory after the punishment they took last week.

14. Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) [17] : They could practically score at will against the Illini.  This offense is potent, but a good defense can slow them down.

15. Clemson Tigers (6-1) [7] : A mistake-filled game and sloppy defensive play led to their worst loss in two years.

16. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) [11] : Another atrocious defensive performance for the Aggies.  You would not expect Auburn to score over 40 points in a game (although Coach Malzahn did predict that it would take more than 40 points to beat A&M), but they did it with seeming ease.

17. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-2) [NR] : They just crushed Washington and slowed the Huskies' offensive machine.

18. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-0) [20] : They had to come back in the fourth quarter against West Virginia, but they avoided the same fate of eight former unbeaten teams.

19. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-2) [15] : South Carolina looked undisciplined in this game, an oddity among Steve Spurrier squads.  Too many mistakes, both penalties and blown coverages, cost the Gamecocks this game.  They need to get their heads into it.

20. UCF Golden Knights (5-1) [27] : After weeks of skulking below the ranks, the Golden Knights return to the Top 25 with an impressive offensive performance to drive past Louisvile.

21. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) [21]
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) [22] : Nice win over TCU

23. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-0) [23] : Fresno State becomes the only Bulldogs team in the Top 25, and a huge win over UNLV will help to keep them there.

24. Michigan State Spartans (6-1) [24] : They shut out Purdue, but where was their own offense?  They need more consistent play if they want to rise in the rankings.

25. Northern Illinois Huskies (7-0) [25] : When your quarterback is your leading rusher, you have to worry about your offensive backfield.

Dropped out:  Washington Huskies [#18], Georgia Bulldogs [#19]

On the Edge:  Oregon State Beavers (6-1), Auburn Tigers (6-1), BYU Cougars (5-2), Boise State Broncos (5-2), Houston Cougars (5-1), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-3), East Carolina Pirates (5-2), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2), Iowa Hawkeyes (4-3)