Week 8 NCAA Football Top 25

The biggest gainer of the week was Rutgers, who made a five-spot jump after a shutout win over Navy. Nebraska and Wisconsin were also on their way up, as both schools moved up four positions.

The biggest loser of the week was Florida. The Gators fell from No. 2 all the way down to No. 9 after losing to Auburn. Another notable drop was Missouri. The Tigers were upset by Texas A&M and it cost them five spots.

Three new teams entered the rankings this week. Boston College returned after a one-week exodus, while Texas A&M and Wake Forest made their season debuts in the Top 25.

Exiting the rankings to make way for the new trio were Iowa, Georgia and Virginia Tech. All three teams suffered upset losses last week.

1. Ohio State (1) 7-0 – The Buckeyes got past Michigan State 38-7 last week to hold on to the No. 1 spot. Ohio State should have no trouble with 4-3 Indiana at home this week.

2. Michigan (4) 7-0 – The Wolverines moved up to No. 2 after knocking off Penn State 17-10 last week. Michigan stays in the Big Ten this week with a home game versus 5-2 Iowa. Wolverines’ leading receiver Mario Manningham is expected to miss his second straight game after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee last week.

3. USC (3) 6-0 – The Trojans held on to the No. 3 spot after defeating Arizona State 28-21 last week. USC gets a break this week before heading to 3-3 Oregon State on October 28.

4. West Virginia (5) 6-0 – The Mountaineers climbed up to No. 4 after pounding Syracuse 41-17 last week. West Virginia has a Friday night game against 3-3 Connecticut this week.

5. Texas (6) 6-1 – The Longhorns entered the Top 5 after routing Baylor 63-31 last week. Texas is in tough this week versus No. 17 Nebraska on the road.

6. Louisville (7) 6-0 – The Cardinals clipped Cincinnati 23-17 last week. Louisville heads to 3-4 Syracuse this week.

7. Tennessee (8) 5-1 – The Volunteers were off last week after upsetting Georgia 51-33 back on October 7. Tennessee returns to the field this week against 5-2 Alabama.

8. Auburn (11) 6-1 – The Tigers started back up the rankings after dropping Florida 27-17 last week. Auburn should have a cakewalk this week versus 2-4 Tulane.

9. Florida (2) 6-1 – The Gators plummeted down the rankings after a 27-17 loss to Auburn last week. Florida gets a week to regroup before taking on 5-2 Georgia on October 28.

10. Notre Dame (9) 5-1 – The Fighting Irish were on their bye last week after getting past Stanford 31-10 on October 7. Notre Dame gets 4-2 UCLA at home this week.

11. California (10) 6-1 – The Golden Bears rolled past Washington State 21-3 last week, but still fell out of the Top 10. California hosts 4-3 Washington this week.

12. Clemson (12) 6-1 – The Tigers blasted Temple 63-9 last week. Clemson gets a much tougher test this week in No. 13 Georgia Tech.

13. Georgia Tech (13) 5-1 – The Yellow Jackets were off last week after defeating Maryland 27-23 on October 7. Georgia Tech needs a win at No. 12 Clemson this week.

14. LSU (14) 5-2 – The Tigers shut out Kentucky 49-0 last week, but couldn’t get out of the No. 14 spot. LSU has an out-of-conference game this week versus 1-5 Fresno State.

15. Arkansas (17) 5-1 – The Razorbacks completely destroyed Southeast Missouri State 63-7 last week. Arkansas takes on 2-5 Mississippi at home this week.

16. Oregon (18) 5-1 – The Ducks started back up the rankings after beating UCLA 30-20 last week. Oregon hits the road with a game at 4-3 Washington State this week. Ducks’ running back Jonathan Stewart is expected to start despite an ankle injury.

17. Nebraska (21) 6-1 – The Cornhuskers shredded Kansas State 21-3 last week. Nebraska gets a tough Big 12 matchup versus No. 5 Texas this week.

18. Boise State (20) 7-0 – The Broncos stayed undefeated after downing New Mexico State 40-28 last week. Boise State visits 4-3 Idaho this week.

19. Rutgers (24) 6-0 – The Scarlet Knights blanked Navy 34-0 last week. Rutgers takes on 6-1 Pittsburgh in a Big East showdown this week.

20. Oklahoma (23) 4-2 – The Sooners cracked Iowa State 34-9 last week. Oklahoma takes on pushovers 1-6 Colorado this week. The Oklahoma offense took a big hit last week after running back Adrian Peterson was lost for the rest of the season due to a broken collarbone.

21. Wisconsin (25) 6-1 – The Badgers moved out of the Top 25 basement after hammering Minnesota 48-12 last week. Wisconsin heads to 5-2 Purdue this week.

22. Boston College (-) 5-1 – The Eagles flew back into the Top 25 after coasting past Virginia Tech 22-3 last week. Boston College heads south to 4-2 Florida State this week. Eagles’ starting quarterback Matt Ryan is listed as questionable this week with a foot injury.

23. Texas A&M (-) 6-1 – The Aggies got into the rankings after upsetting Missouri 25-19 last week. Texas A&M gets a trip to 4-2 Oklahoma State in their first ranked week.

24. Missouri (19) 6-1 – The Tigers took a five-position hit after losing to Texas A&M 25-19 last week. Missouri needs to rebound this week versus 4-3 Kansas State.

25. Wake Forest (-) 6-1 – The Demon Deacons made their season debut in the rankings after edging N.C. State 25-23 last week. Wake Forest is off this week and takes on North Carolina on October 28.

Out:
Iowa (15)
Georgia (16)
Virginia Tech (22)

TOP PHOTO: Freshman quarterback Tim Tebow is the new sports car in Florida. (AP Photo)

Note: All NCAA football lines subject to change.

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