<
>

Washington moves up in Week 8 Power Rankings

With Ohio State's loss to Penn State, the door was opened in the Power Rankings' top four. Check out which team now occupies that spot and how the rest of the top 25 shakes out.

Power Rankings voters: Edward Aschoff, Butch Davis, Heather Dinich, Brad Edwards, Chris Fallica, Rod Gilmore, Danny Kanell, Chris Low, Ivan Maisel, Ryan McGee, Adam Rittenberg, Mark Schlabach | How they voted

Previous rankings: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 1
Week 8 result: defeated Texas A&M 33-14

The Crimson Tide advanced to 8-0, but in the process they lost Eddie Jackson for the season to a broken leg. Saturday was the Tide's 20th consecutive win -- the longest active FBS winning streak and the longest win streak for the Tide under coach Nick Saban.


2. Clemson Tigers (7-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 3
Week 8 result: bye

The Tigers were home on bye this week before heading to Tallahassee next weekend for their second Top 25 matchup of the season and their biggest remaining challenge. Florida State also had a bye, so this will be a matchup between two very fresh teams.


3. Michigan Wolverines (7-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 4
Week 8 result: defeated Illinois 41-8

The Wolverines rolled to a big win in the Big House. This was the 10th time under coach Jim Harbaugh that Michigan has held an opponent to fewer than 10 points. Quarterback Wilton Speight completed 69.6 percent of his passes, his highest completion percentage since the Wolverines' season opener against Hawaii.


4. Washington Huskies (7-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 5
Week 8 result: defeated Oregon State 41-17

Jake Browning threw for three touchdowns and 291 yards, bringing his season totals to 1,709 yards, 26 touchdowns and two interceptions. He and the Huskies face their biggest test next weekend on the road at Utah. The Utes have picked off opponents a Pac-12-leading 14 times this season.


5. Louisville Cardinals (6-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 7
Week 8 result: defeated NC State 54-13

Lamar Jackson's four-touchdown performance put him No. 1 in the Louisville record book in the most touchdowns responsible for, and he's ahead of pace to set the FBS record. Louisville's defense showed up, too, keeping NC State to its second-lowest season totals in yardage and points scored.


6. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 2
Week 8 result: lost to Penn State 24-21

The Buckeyes lost a shocker in Happy Valley. Ohio State outgained the Nittany Lions (413-276) and held them to just two conversions on 13 third-down attempts. But it was Penn State's special teams that came up big, blocking a punt and a field goal. The Buckeyes now have no margin for error and must win out if they want to have a shot at the College Football Playoff.


7. Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 8
Week 8 result: defeated Purdue 27-14

The Cornhuskers started slowly against Purdue. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. accounted for 303 yards of offense and two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing), while senior linebacker Josh Banderas recorded a game-high 13 tackles. Nebraska now faces a tough two-week stretch with road games at Wisconsin and Ohio State.


8. West Virginia Mountaineers (6-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 13
Week 8 result: defeated TCU 34-10

West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard threw for four touchdowns and 231 yards against TCU, garnering the highest passer efficiency rating of his career. The Mountaineers forced TCU into three turnovers and allowed the Horned Frogs to convert only two of their 11 third-down attempts. Undefeated West Virginia will face a tough challenge on the road against Oklahoma State next weekend.


9. Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 9
Week 8 result: defeated Iowa 17-9

Running back Corey Clement set a career high in rushes (35) against Iowa and became the third Wisconsin back in five years to rush for at least 100 yards and one touchdown at Iowa, which has been done just six times total over that span. But, it was the Badgers' third-down defense that really impressed, holding Iowa to just 2-of-13 on third-down attempts.


10. Texas A&M Aggies (6-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 6
Week 8 result: lost to Alabama 33-14

The Aggies posted offensive season lows in several categories against Alabama. Their points, passing yards, rushing yards and first downs were all season worsts, and it was the first time this season that Texas A&M failed to register a rushing touchdown.


11. Baylor Bears (6-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 10
Week 8 result: bye

With a 6-0 record, the Bears travel to a dejected Texas next week after spending this weekend at home. The Longhorns gave up 234 rushing yards to Kansas State on Saturday, so look for Baylor to get the ground game going early.


12. Florida State Seminoles (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 11
Week 8 result: bye

Florida State will attempt to play spoiler to Clemson and its playoff hopes next weekend at home. The Seminoles are coming off a bye and could welcome back safety Derwin James, which would be a huge boost to their secondary against Deshaun Watson & Co.


13. Boise State Broncos (7-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 15
Week 8 result: defeated BYU 28-27

The Broncos' win over BYU was impressive, and if they can win out, they'll likely be the Group of 5 favorite for a New Year's Six bowl. Brett Rypien threw for 442 yards on Thursday, which was the second-most passing yards the Cougars have given up this season. Jeremy McNichols registered his fifth 100-yard-rushing game of the season.


14. Auburn Tigers (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 20
Week 8 result: defeated Arkansas 56-3

Auburn rushed for 543 yards against Arkansas, setting an SEC record for rushing yards in a regular-season game. The Tigers are now 2-2 against Associated Press Top 25 opponents as they head to Ole Miss next weekend to avenge their eight-point loss from last season.


15. Utah Utes (7-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 16
Week 8 result: defeated UCLA 52-45

Running back Joe Williams rushed for four touchdowns and 332 yards against UCLA, breaking Utah's single-game rushing record. Williams is one of just six running backs in the past 10 seasons to rush for at least 325 yards and four touchdowns. Next weekend he'll face one of the toughest front sevens in the Pac-12: Washington's.


16. Oklahoma Sooners (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 14
Week 8 result: defeated Texas Tech 66-59

In a video-game-like numbers game, Oklahoma and Texas Tech combined for more than 1,700 yards. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for seven touchdowns and 545 yards in his return to Lubbock. Mayfield's arm will likely get a rest as the Sooners host Kansas next weekend, and FPI gives Oklahoma a 98.3 percent chance to win.


17. Florida Gators (5-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 17
Week 8 result: bye

Coming off a bye, Florida next faces Georgia. The Gators' offense hopes to take a step forward with a healthier Luke Del Rio and a stronger efficiency and presence in the red zone. Georgia will be hungry, though: The Bulldogs are licking their wounds and eager to make a statement after a loss to Vanderbilt two weeks ago.


18. Tennessee Volunteers (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 18
Week 8 result: bye

The Vols head into game week at South Carolina eager to win after losing two in a row. In their loss against Alabama, they dressed fewer than 70 players, so the bye week gave them a chance to get healthy. They're hoping to prove that with some explosive plays and strength at the line of scrimmage against the Gamecocks.


19. LSU Tigers (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: NR
Week 8 result: defeated Ole Miss 38-21

In his first game since Sept. 24, running back Leonard Fournette rushed for 284 yards, a single-game school rushing record. More impressive was that he did that and accounted for three touchdowns on just 16 carries (17.8 yards per carry). The Tigers are now 3-0 under interim head coach Ed Orgeron as they move into their well-placed bye week, which comes right before their SEC West matchup with Alabama.


20. Colorado Buffaloes (6-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 25
Week 8 result: defeated Stanford 10-5

The Buffs became bowl-eligible with their win over Stanford, and with four games to go in the regular season, they are in the middle of the race for the Pac-12 South title. With the pass game stagnant, Colorado relied on its run game (224 yards) and defense, which finished with three sacks and three interceptions.


21. Western Michigan Broncos (8-0)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 21
Week 8 result: defeated Eastern Michigan 45-31

After the Broncos' win over Eastern Michigan, their chances to win out improved from 60 to 67 percent. Even with his first interception of the season, Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell threw for a career-high 398 passing yards. The Broncos racked up 561 offensive yards, averaging 11.4 yards per pass attempt and 4.3 yards per rush.


22. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 24
Week 8 result: defeated Virginia 35-14

North Carolina's defense stepped up in a big way against Virginia, tallying seven tackles for loss. The Tar Heels held UVa to just three conversions on 19 third-down attempts and 3.2 yards per pass attempt. This weekend UNC welcomes Georgia Tech to Chapel Hill in an important ACC Coastal matchup.


23. Washington State Cougars (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: 23
Week 8 result: defeated Arizona State 37-32

The Cougars survived some potential #Pac12AfterDark drama to remain undefeated in conference play. Luke Falk threw for three touchdowns and 398 yards as the run game didn't produce quite as much as it has of late for Washington State. The Cougs travel to Oregon State next weekend to face an improved Beavers team.


24. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: NR
Week 8 result: defeated Ohio State 24-21

The Nittany Lions jump into the rankings after their upset win over Ohio State. Although Penn State's offense nearly stalled -- it converted only two third downs, and quarterback Trace McSorley completed only eight passes -- it did the most important thing: found a way to win down the stretch. Penn State travels to Purdue next weekend for a Big Ten East-West showdown.


T25. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: NR
Week 8 result: defeated Miami 37-16

The Hokies took care of business on Thursday against Miami and now prepare to head to Pitt on Thursday. (The Panthers, unlike the Hurricanes, have a short week after their Saturday game.) Virginia Tech had a balanced offensive attack against Miami -- 272 passing yards, 251 passing yards -- while its defense tallied 12 tackles for loss, including eight sacks.


T25. Navy Midshipmen (5-1)

Trending:

Week 7 ranking: NR
Week 8 result: defeated Memphis 42-28

Quarterback Will Worth accounted for five touchdowns (two passing, three rushing) and 286 yards against Memphis as the Midshipmen advanced to 4-0 in conference play. Navy turns around for a short week, as it travels to USF for a Friday night matchup.


Fell out of the rankings: Houston, Arkansas, Ole Miss

Others receiving votes: USC, Houston, San Diego State