College Football Power Rankings: Week 8 (2019)
While each week of the NCAAF regular season moves the needle, Week 7 was one of the most consequential to date. A major upset has shaken up the College Football Playoff landscape. Voters in the major polls are splitting even further, with four teams receiving votes for the top spot. Let’s take a look at how all of that translates into this week’s power rankings.
Check out our PointsBet review and promo codes >>
25) Missouri Tigers, 5-1
The race for the SEC East has suddenly become even more interesting. The Tigers are now one of three one-loss teams in the division, but a tough three-game road trip starts this week.
24) Appalachian State Mountaineers, 5-0
The Mountaineers are undefeated and looking like the best squad in the Sun Belt. It’s conference play the rest of the way, outside of a trip to South Carolina in November.
23) Tulane Green Wave, 5-1
The American Athletic Conference looks wide open this year, and Tulane is among a handful of teams in the mix. Good defense and enough on offense have the Green Wave riding a four-game win streak.
22) Temple Owls, 5-1
As home underdogs to a ranked Memphis team, the Owls went out and pulled out one of the week’s top upsets. It’s not a fluke, as this club picked up a home upset over Maryland earlier this season too.
21) Cincinnati Bearcats, 5-1
The Bearcats are riding a four-game winning streak since being shellacked by Ohio State. The upcoming schedule isn’t too daunting until the last two games of the year, so we’ll see how far the streak goes.
20) Texas Longhorns, 4-2
Losses to LSU and Oklahoma leave a Longhorns team with big 2019 aspirations at 4-2. The team can still be in the mix for the Big 12, but everything needs to break just right.
19) Minnesota Golden Gophers, 6-0
The Golden Gophers are undefeated with a pair of winnable games up next. However, the remaining schedule is brutal as they face three currently ranked teams over the final four.
18) SMU Mustangs, 6-0
The Mustangs are undefeated and squarely in the mix for the AAC, but a tricky stretch is upcoming. They face Temple and Memphis for two of their next three games.
17) Baylor Bears, 6-0
Don’t look now, but the undefeated Bears are tied atop the Big 12 standings with Oklahoma. They won’t face off with the Sooners until November 16, but two of their next three are on the road.
16) Arizona State Sun Devils, 5-1
The Pac-12 is another conference that’s wide open this season. The stout defense of the Sun Devils gives them as good of a chance as any. A road date at Utah is up next.
15) Michigan Wolverines, 5-1
The winning streak stands at three for the Wolverines in the wake of an embarrassing loss to Wisconsin. The team has its hands full the next two weeks: at Penn State and home for Notre Dame.
14) Utah Utes, 5-1
The Utes have won two in a row by double digits since dropping a road tilt to USC. A Saturday showdown with Arizona State will provide us with further clarity on the Pac-12.
13) Boise State Broncos, 6-0
A home victory over Hawaii kept the Broncos perfect on the year. They take a trip to BYU this week, followed by a number of winnable games to close out the year.
12) Oregon Ducks, 5-1
The winning streak for the Ducks now stands at five after they hammered visiting Colorado to the tune of 45-3. A trip to Pac-12 North rival Washington is on tap for this week.
11) Georgia Bulldogs, 5-1
The Bulldogs were the victims of the week’s biggest upset as they fell to South Carolina at home. The team still has a shot at the SEC East, but Florida and Missouri will have something to say about that.
10) Auburn Tigers, 5-1
The Tigers had the week off after dropping a road decision to Florida. They get back in action this week with a trip to Arkansas, followed by a tough road date at LSU.
9) Florida Gators, 6-1
The Gators fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Saturday with a 42-28 road loss at LSU. The club travels to South Carolina next, followed by a showdown with Georgia.
8) Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 5-1
Notre Dame had a fight on its hands when USC came to town over the weekend, but they managed to walk away with a 30-27 win. The club returns to action on October 26 with a road date at Michigan.
7) Penn State Nittany Lions, 6-0
The Nittany Lions are undefeated after a road win over Iowa, and they’re lurking in the Big Ten East. They have a chance to bolster their case when Michigan comes to town this week.
6) Oklahoma Sooners, 6-0
The Sooners survived the Red River Showdown with a 7-point victory over Texas. A home date with West Virginia is up next, followed by a trip to Kansas State.
5) Wisconsin Badgers, 6-0
The Badgers delivered one of the most eye-opening victories of the week with a 38-0 domination over Michigan State. That’s four shutouts this season for a team that’s allowed a total of 29 points.
4) LSU Tigers, 6-0
The Tigers just keep on passing tests with flying colors. Their record remains perfect after a home victory over a tough Florida team. They’ll look to keep the streak alive at Mississippi State.
3) Ohio State Buckeyes, 6-0
The Buckeyes had last week off and will return to action with a road trip at Northwestern. The following week, it’s a showdown at home with a currently undefeated Wisconsin team.
2) Clemson Tigers, 6-0
The Tigers came out of the bye with one of their best performances of the season, a 45-14 home domination of Florida State. A trip to Louisville is up next.
1) Alabama Crimson Tide, 6-0
A tough road date at Texas A&M wasn’t too troublesome for the Crimson Tide, as they rolled to a 47-28 win. Home dates with Tennessee and Arkansas are up next, followed by a clash with LSU.
The Next 5
Iowa Hawkeyes, Washington Huskies, Iowa State Cyclones, Navy Midshipmen, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Hawkeyes, Huskies, and Cyclones all have two losses, but they remain tough matchups and could creep back up as the season moves along. Wake Forest is no longer undefeated after being upset by Louisville, while Navy is looking like the strongest of the service academies for 2019.
Check out our PointsBet review and promo codes >>
Christopher Feery is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Christopher, check out his archive and follow him @cmfeery.