College football rankings: Danny Kanell updates top 12 with change at No. 1 after Week 8

Following an exciting Week 8 in college football, Danny Kanell has overhauled his Top 12 rankings. Creeping closer to the postseason, these 12 teams have a legitimate shot to make the College Football Playoff potential through eight weeks.

This includes a new No. 1 overall team in Ohio State. Miami is the biggest loser in Kanell’s rankings, while Georgia Tech and BYU are soaring up his ratings.

Additionally, two new teams made the list in the fallout, and have been slotted at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively. Did your favorite team make Kanell’s list? You can find his full rankings below:

1. Ohio State (+1)

Ohio State continued its undefeated start to the season with a 34-0 win on the road at Wisconsin during Week 8. The Buckeyes out-gained the Badgers 491 yards to 144 during the matchup as QB Julian Sayin completed 36-42 passing attempts for 393 yards and four touchdowns.

They’ll play Penn State next week, which isn’t the big-time matchup it looked to be during the preseason. Instead, all signs point toward The Game vs. Michigan as the deciding factor in the Buckeyes having an undefeated regular season.

2. Indiana (-1)

Indiana was Kanell’s No. 1 team last week, but was pushed back a spot in favor of the Buckeyes’ Week 8 shutout. Still, the Hoosiers improved to 7-0 with a 38-13 win at home against Michigan State.

After its Week 7 win over Oregon on the road, Indiana solidified itself as one of the best teams in the country this season. They won’t play another ranked team for the rest of the regular season, so many expect to see a Buckeyes-Hoosiers Big Ten title game in December.

3. Texas A&M (+1)

Texas A&M improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1994 with its win 45-42 win over Arkansas on the road. They’re the last undefeated team in the SEC after Ole Miss’ loss during Week 8.

While they secured the win, allowing 42 points isn’t how Mike Elko’s squad drew it up. They held their first three SEC opponents to 17 points or less, and will look to get back to that next week on the road at LSU.

4. Georgia Tech (+5)

Georgia Tech is one of Kanell’s two biggest winners of Week 8, moving up five spots after improving to 7-0 last week. Defeating Duke 27-18, Georgia Tech sits alone atop the ACC rankings after eight weeks.

The victory puts this Yellow Jackets squad in uncharted waters in the modern era. The last time Georgia Tech was 7-0 was 1966. Seven wins also matches the win total for head coach Brent Key in each of his first two seasons as head coach.

5. BYU (+7)

BYU is the only team that moved up more spots than Georgia Tech. After cracking the list at No. 12 last week, the Cougars have found themselves as the last undefeated team standing in the Big 12 after Texas Tech lost this weekend.

However, the Red Raiders host BYU during Week 11 which could have seismic implications on not only the Big 12 race, but also the CFP. The Cougars will also play Cincinnati on Nov. 22, who is the only other undefeated in conference play.

6. Alabama (-)

Alabama’s four-straight wins over ranked teams may give the Crimson Tide the nod as the hottest team in college football. After defeating No. 11 Tennessee 37-20, Alabama has won its last six games.

However, its season-opening loss to Florida State doesn’t look amazing after the Seminoles lost their fourth-straight game during Week 8. Still, the Crimson Tide have more than proved their worth as a potential CFP contender ever since.

7. Oregon (+3)

Oregon bounced back from its loss to Indiana in a big way on Saturday, defeating Rutgers on the road 56-10 during Week 8. QB Dante Moore completed 15-20 passing for 290 yards, four touchdowns and an interception against the Scarlet Knights.

Moore has continued to garner hype as an NFL prospect, and proved it in a big way on Saturday. Oregon will look to win their seventh game against Wisconsin next weekend, and still has the likes of USC and Washington on their schedule, so it won’t be a complete cake walk.

8. Georgia (-)

The Bulldogs defeated No. 5 Ole Miss 43-35 behind a massive performance from QB Gunner Stockton. In the second half alone, he completed all 12 of his passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns during the contest.

Georgia has now won its last three games after suffering its lone loss against Alabama. Looking ahead, they have Florida and Mississippi State in consecutive games coming off their bye week.

9. Miami (-6)

Miami was stunned by Louisville on Friday night when they were upset 24-21 on their home turf. The loss is the Hurricanes’ first of the season, but is a massive blow for Miami’s ACC Championship aspirations.

In regard to the College Football Playoff, Miami will likely have to win out the rest of their regular season to keep in good standing with the playoff committee. They don’t play another ranked team for the rest of their schedule, so it’s not impossible to see them pull it off.

10. Ole Miss (-3)

Ole Miss tasted defeated for the first time on Saturday in its road loss to Georgia. Luckily for the Rebels, they have another opportunity against a ranked opponent next weekend.

The Rebels will travel to Oklahoma for Week 9 in a battle between two of the SEC’s top one-loss teams. Both squads appear on Kanell’s list, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the loser be left off the rankings entirely next week.

11. Oklahoma (NR)

Oklahoma relied on its rushing attack to help defeat South Carolina 26-7 on Saturday. Tory Blaylock ran for 101 yards while Xavier Robinson contributed 58 as both scored touchdowns en route to victory.

The Sooners will have their hands full for the rest of the season looking ahead. Each of Oklahoma’s last five games this season will be against ranked opponents as it stands. First up — they’ll host Ole Miss during Week 9.

12. Virginia (NR)

Virginia found itself ranked for the first time since 2019 to begin October, and haven’t slowed down since. The Cavaliers are 6-1 with their only loss coming to NC State during Week 2. They haven’t lost a game in over two months.

At the same time, Virginia is likely to be favored in each of its final five matchups against UNC, California, Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia Tech. That means Virginia could find itself playing for an ACC Championship if all goes right.