College Football Rankings Week 8: Tennessee Volunteers grab No. 1 spot, Penn State and USC collapse

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Oct 15, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans tear down the goal posts after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Week 7 of the 2022 college football season is in the books and it surpassed sky-high expectations. Clashes between Alabama vs Tennessee, Oklahoma State vs TCU, USC vs Utah and Penn State vs Michigan all dramatically shook up the Week 8 college football rankings.

There are so many different games that could be focused on. Just take a look at the college football scores, Utah stunned USC, the Michigan Wolverines tore up James Franklin’s Nittany Lions and the Horned Frogs provided the home crowd with a comeback to remember to knock down the Cowboys. Of course, the biggest game-changer from Week 7 was the Volunteers snapping their 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. As you might suspect, the rankings of the best teams in college football are changing.

Let’s dive into our Week 8 college football rankings.

Dropped from Top 25 Rankings: Kansas Jayhawks (19), James Madison Dukes (23), Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (24)

Just Missed: Tulane Green Wave, North Carolina Tar Heels

Both the Tulane Green Wave and North Carolina Tar Heels narrowly missed out on the top 25 rankings. It’s a close race between both programs along with the Liberty Flames and UCF Knights. However, the Tar Heels will climb into the Week 9 college football rankings if they beat Pitt in Week 8 and the same can be said for Tulsa if they knock off Memphis.

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25. Liberty Flames (UR)

Gardner-Webb provided the Liberty Flames with a far tougher fight than anyone expected but Dae Dae Hunter’s fourth-quarter touchdown and some clutch defense pushed Liberty to 6-1. The only stain on the Flames’ record is a 37-36 loss to Wake Forest, a program you’ll find a lot higher in our top 25 rankings. Liberty might reclaim national recognition if it takes down BYU in Week 8.

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24. UCF Knights (UR)

Let’s take you through an absurd UCF vs Temple game. The Owls (2-4) only trailed 14-13 midway through the second quarter, hanging punch-for-punch with Central Florida. Things changed quite dramatically after that. UCF responded with 56 unanswered points, scoring eight consecutive touchdowns from 6 minutes left in the second quarter until 7 minutes remained in the fourth quarter. Pair that with the 5-1 record, we’ll give UCF a place to stay in the rankings.
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23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (17)

This is fitting for a team coached by Mike Leach. Mississippi State pulls off a few marquee wins and then, just like so many other teams in Leach’s history, the offense falls flat and it proves costly. The 5-2 record is impressive but the Bulldogs could have big issues in Week 8 facing an angry Alabama defense.

22. Texas Longhorns (25)

The Texas Longhorns survived a scare from Iowa State. It was a bad afternoon for the defense (403 total yards allowed), but Quinn Ewers (3 TDs) and Bijan Robinson (135 rushing yards) came through with the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Texas must bring its A-game in Week 8 against Oklahoma State or Spencer Sanders won’t sweat creating havoc against this group.

21. Cincinnati Bearcats (22)

It’s always nice when you can enjoy a week of rest and two weeks of preparation for your opponent all while moving up in the college football rankings. Looking back on that season-opening loss to Arkansas, it’s fair to blame it on an early road trip for a team that lost a lot of its impact players and leaders. Cincinnati is 5-0 since that loss and the streak should continue in Week 8 against SMU.

20. NC State Wolfpack (15)

After overcoming the injury to Devin Leary last week, the NC State Wolfpack just didn’t have enough on the road against Syracuse. Senior Jack Chambers certainly deserves credit for keeping it close until the fourth quarter, but NC State gravely missed its leader on Saturday. The Week 8 bye comes at an ideal time, allowing Leary several weeks to rest and rehab before potentially returning on Oct. 27.

19. Illinois Fighting Illini (UR)

We held off on putting Illinois into the top 25 rankings until they secured a signature win. Taking down the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a game that the Fighting Illini controlled throughout will do it. Junior Chase Brown became the first 1,000-yard rusher in the country and Tommy DeVito delivered the game-deciding touchdowns. It’s the perfect way for Illinois to enter the Week 8 bye.

18. Kentucky Wildcats (21)

That’s how you recover from two consecutive losses. The Kentucky Wildcats took on Mississippi State, who entered this contest filled with confidence. All Kentucky did is keep a Mike Leach offense out of the end zone until midway into the third quarter. Holding a 13-10 lead in the fourth, Chris Rodriguez Jr’s two touchdown runs powered the Wildcats to 5-2 and helped them recoup some ground in the top 25 rankings.

17. Penn State Nittany Lions (10)

The Penn State Nittany Lions are now 3-7 coming out of the bye week under James Franklin and their head coach is 2-14 all-time against the top 10 teams in the college football rankings. That should tell you everything you need to know about why the Nittany Lions, especially with quarterback Sean Clifford, aren’t anything close to one of the best teams in college football.

16. Utah Utes (20)

On a night when they honored fallen teammates Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, the Utah Utes made their former brothers proud. In front of an intense crowd, quarterback Cameron Rising led the Utes’ offense in a fourth-quarter comeback and then ran in the two-point conversion to take the 43-42 lead. This still isn’t the Utah defense we expected coming into the season, but the team is more reminiscent of the one we had among our top 10.

15. Kansas State Wildcats (16)

Returning from the bye week, Adrian Martinez and the Kansas State Wildcats now face a daunting stretch in their schedule. It starts on the road against the TCU Horned Frogs, with a top spot in the Big 12 standings up for grabs. It’s followed in Week 9 with a return home to host Oklahoma State. If the Wildcats come out of this stretch unscathed, they’ll sneak into the top 10 of our college football rankings.

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7)

Oklahoma State led by 14 points late in the fourth quarter, on the doorstep of its biggest win of the season. Instead, the TCU Horned Frogs responded and Mike Gundy’s squad was left to fight for its life before falling short in overtime. With Quinn Ewers and Bijan Robinson coming to town, Oklahoma State’s hopes of a Big 12 conference title are dwindling.

13. Syracuse Orange (18)

Sean Tucker delivered the nail in NC State’s coffin, carrying the Syracuse Orange to their first 6-0 start since 1987. Dino Babers entered the 2022 season squarely on the hot seat, responsible for six total wins in the last two years. Now, thanks to Tucker and the Orange defense, Syracuse grabs its highest spot in the top 25 rankings since 2018.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13)

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons essentially received consecutive bye weeks. Wake Forest put Army (1-4) away early and then enjoyed its actual rest period in Week 7. With a few top-15 teams dropping in the college football rankings, Wake Forest moves up a spot before facing a Boston College Eagles squad that has really struggled to put up a fight against quality opponents this season.

11. Oregon Ducks (12)

The Oregon Ducks have done a nice job putting that blowout Week 1 loss to Georgia behind them. Returning from the bye, the Ducks now have an opportunity to prove they are still one of the best teams in the country. Bo Nix is playing better than expected and we can’t wait to see how Dan Lanning schemes up his defense against a Bruins’ offense averaging 41.5 PPG.

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10. USC Trojans (8)

All of that money invested into Lincoln Riley and the offense doesn’t matter. Riley and Caleb Williams have run into the same problem that held them back with the Oklahoma Sooners – defense. USC allowed 562 total yards to Utah on Saturday night, really getting destroyed after the first quarter. It’s the Achilles heel that could bite the Trojans once again in November against UCLA.

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9. UCLA Bruins (11)

The UCLA Bruins last appeared in the top 10 of the AP college football rankings in 2015 and that ended with an 8-5 season. Things feel a bit different this year, especially based on the level of play from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Already staking claim to the No. 10 spot in the nation, Chip Kelly’s program would vault ahead of Ole Miss and Oklahoma State with a victory in Week 8.

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8. Ole Miss Rebels (9)

The Auburn Tigers provided Ole Miss with a scare on Saturday, scoring 34 points with 441 total yards. Fortunately, three takeaways and a historic performance from the Rebels’ rushing attack (448 rushing yards) paved the way to a win. Up next, a tough battle in Week 8 in front of LSU’s hostile and raucous crowd.

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7. Clemson Tigers (5)

Florida State hung around with the Clemson Tigers in the first quarter then D.J. Uiagalelei took over. In one of his best performances of the season, the third-year quarterback delivered five unanswered scoring drives to turn a 14-7 deficit into a 34-14 lead. It’s exactly what you want to see from the Clemson offense heading into an unexpectedly great Week 8 matchup vs Syracuse.

6. TCU Horned Frogs (13)

Fans had reason to worry late in the fourth quarter when TCU faced its two-touchdown deficit. With a slim shot at the CFP Semifinal and so much more at stake for this team, Max Duggan and Kendre Miller rose to the occasion with a comeback football fans at Amon G. Carter Stadium will remember. Things don’t get any easier next Saturday with Kansas State coming to town.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (2)

The good news, quarterback Bryce Young returned and he looked better than ever. Through hits and plenty of pressure, he racked up 455 yards with two touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs put on a show. However, Alabama’s defense never had an answer for the speed and explosiveness of the Volunteers’ offense. Nick Saban will have a lot to address this week and Mike Leach’s offense is going to pay for it.

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4. Ohio State Buckeyes (3)

The bye week forces Ohio State to drop in the top 25 rankings, but that might only be temporary. We haven’t seen this team play down to its competition this season and that bodes well for the Week 8 clash at home against a lifeless Iowa offense. Assuming the Buckeyes take care of business, they’ll make a trip to Penn State looking to do exactly what the Wolverines did at home.

3. Michigan Wolverines (5)

Blake Corum isn’t a sleeper in the Heisman Trophy race anymore. The Michigan Wolverines running back got things going early, serving as the opener for a 1-2 punch with sophomore Donovan Edwards that resulted in 339 rushing yards and four touchdowns. It’s the signature win Michigan needed to vault over Ohio State in the Week 8 college football rankings. Up next, a well-earned bye for the Wolverines.

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2. Georgia Bulldogs (1)

The Georgia Bulldogs slip from the top spot with Tennessee’s resume giving them the edge. It’s splitting hairs between these two teams, which are on a collision course for a matchup on Nov. 5 that could determine who holds the No. 1 seed in the CFB Playoffs.

1. Tennessee Volunteers (4)

Hendon Hooker will go down as one of the most important football players in the Tennessee Volunteers’ history. Already in the thick of the Heisman race, Hooker delivered his best performance of the season against a rival the Vols couldn’t beat for 15 consecutive years. Saturday’s win doesn’t just make Tennessee a favorite for the CFB Playoff, it’s a program-changing moment that could have ripple effects for years to come. Tennessee is the best team in college football, a sentence not uttered in two decades.

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