It didn’t take long for things to get interesting in the Associated Press college football poll this week.
No. 2 Miami was shocked at home by unranked Louisville, which entered the game as a 13½-point underdog. Not long after that, Minnesota finished off No. 25 Nebraska 24-6.
All that came before the college football spotlight turned to the SEC, which is where three of the five Top 25 matchups were set Saturday.
No. 9 Georgia came out on top in the only head-to-head meeting between top 10 teams this week, handing No. 5 Mississippi a 43-35 loss. It’s the first loss of the season for Ole Miss and a big win for the Bulldogs, who improved to 6-1.
Expect them to rise
- No. 17 Vanderbilt improved to 6-1 on Saturday with a 31-24 victory over LSU. Diego Pavia accounted for three touchdowns, running two in for the score and finding tight end Cole Spence for a third touchdown.
- No. 12 Georgia Tech remained undefeated on Saturday with a 27-18 thriller against ACC foe Duke. The Yellow Jackets are 7-0 for the first time since 1966 and could crack the top 10 as a result.
- No. 3 Indiana’s success carried into Week 8 as the Hoosiers beat Michigan State 38-13. Another convincing win added to the resume paired with Miami’s loss could be enough to give Indiana its highest ranking of the season.
- No. 9 Georgia rallied in the fourth quarter to get past previously unbeaten No. 5 Ole Miss. Gunner Stockton threw for four touchdowns, finding tight end Lawson Luckie for three of them.
- No. 6 Alabama delivered its fourth straight win against a ranked SEC opponent, beating No. 11 Tennessee 37-20. The Crimson Tide improved to 6-1 and could see their first top-five ranking of the season.
Expect them to fall
- No. 10 LSU’s future in the top 10 is murky after falling to Vanderbilt on Saturday. It’s LSU’s second loss of the season, with its first being three weeks ago against Ole Miss.
- No. 2 Miami was left stunned on Friday night, losing 24-21 to Louisville. It was a rough night for quarterback Carson Beck, who was picked off four times. Beck, a Heisman front-runner to this point, had thrown just three interceptions in five games before the Week 8 loss.
- No. 25 Nebraska fell 24-6 to an unranked Minnesota team Friday night. Minnesota sacked quarterback Dylan Raiola nine times, a program record. The Cornhuskers entered the rankings last week after a 34-31 win over Maryland.
- Ole Miss could fall out of the top five after losing to Georgia on the road. The Rebels pulled ahead in the third quarter with a 35-26 lead. The Bulldogs responded in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns and a field goal.
- No. 7 Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling 26-22 to Arizona State. The Red Raiders scored twice in the final four minutes, taking a 22-19 lead with two minutes on the clock. Arizona State responded with an efficient 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard rushing touchdown to win the game.
Knocking on the door
- Louisville could crack the rankings for the first time this season after upsetting No. 2 Miami on the road. The Cardinals controlled the game from start to finish, starting with an early lead and culminating with two fourth-quarter interceptions.
- Tulane has been knocking on the door all season, and its resume became stronger on Saturday. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw for two touchdowns in the final two minutes, leading the Green Wave to a 24-17 victory over Army. With a 6-1 record, the Green Wave could earn their first ranking of the season.
Wild card
- A 16-13 overtime win against Kentucky wasn’t what No. 21 Texas needed to work its way up the rankings. A last-minute win against an unranked team with a losing record could help or harm the Longhorns’ Top 25 status.