Indiana makes historic leap in AP College Football Top 25 as chaos shakes up rankings

Jeff Hauser

Indiana makes historic leap in AP College Football Top 25 as chaos shakes up rankings image

Indiana's 30-20 win over Oregon was this story of the weekend in college football. The Hoosiers moved up to No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The highest ranking in program history after taking care of business on the road and staying perfect on the year. Curt Cignetti's team received three first-place votes, which is their most since 1945. 

This continues to be one of the sport’s most remarkable turnarounds in Cignetti's second season. Before Saturday, Indiana was 0-46 all time on the road against top-five teams. It was the nation’s longest winless streak against elite opponents. 

Ohio State (6-0) stayed at No. 1 with a convincing win at then-No. 17 Illinois, earning 50 first-place votes, 10 more than last week. Miami (5-0) stayed put at No. 2 after an idle week and received 13 first-place votes. Texas A&M rose one spot to No. 4, while Ole Miss slipped to No. 5 after both teams earned conference victories. Alabama moved up two spots to No. 6, followed by Texas Tech, Oregon, Georgia and LSU to round out the top 10.

A wave of upsets in Week 7 created significant turnover with eight ranked teams losing, including three previously unbeaten. It resulted in five new entrants to the poll, the most since October 2022. Among the newcomers are No. 20 USC, No. 21 Texas, No. 23 Utah, No. 24 Cincinnati, and No. 25 Nebraska.

Texas was the preseason No. 1 and dropped out after two losses. However, after a dominant 23-6 win over rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns surged right back in. On the other hand, the Sooners fell eight spots to No. 14. The Longhorns’ defense held a top-10 opponent without a touchdown for the first time since 1979.

Looking ahead, several top-15 matchups will shape the College Football Playoff picture this weekend. No. 5 Ole Miss visits No. 9 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama hosts No. 11 Tennessee, No. 13 Notre Dame faces No. 20 USC, and No. 15 BYU meets No. 23 Utah in a renewed Big 12 rivalry.

AP College Football Top 25 Week 8

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)

2. Miami (FL) Hurricanes (5-0)

3. Indiana Hoosiers (6-0)

4. Texas A&M Aggies (6-0) 

5. Ole Miss Rebels (6-0)

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1)

7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0)

8. Oregon Ducks (5-1)

9. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1)

10. LSU Tigers (5-1)

11. Tennessee Volunteers (5-1) 

12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-0)

13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2)

14. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1)

15. BYU Cougars (6-0)

16. Missouri Tigers (5-1)

17. Vanderbilt Commodores (5-1)

18. Virginia Cavaliers (5-1)

19. South Florida Bulls (5-1)

20. USC Trojans (5-1)

21. Texas Longhorns (4-2)

22. Memphis Tigers (6-0)

23. Utah Utes (5-1)

24. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1)

25. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1)

Others receiving votes: Illinois (113), Michigan (73), Washington (36), UNLV (30), Navy (11), Mississippi State (8), Tulane (2), San Diego State (2).

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.