Greg McElroy hits refresh on Top-25 rankings after major upsets in Week 8

Week 8 saw nine teams in the AP Top-25 lose, four of those to unranked opponents, on Saturday, including five just in the Top-12. Seven of those were ranked in the Top-25 of Greg McElroy in Week 8, six of those seven being in his Top-15, which has led to a shakeup of his rankings going into Week 9.

On ‘Always College Football’ on Tuesday morning, McElroy released his updated edition of a Top-25. After the same top-two, it includes three new teams in the top-five, movement throughout the rest of the top-ten, and some sizable shifts throughout the remainder of his ranking.

Here is that new Top-25 by McElroy going into Week 9:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State (7-0, 4-0) remained at No. 1, in every poll and ranking like this one, with another convincing win in a 34-0 shutout at Wisconsin, with the Buckeyes having held six of their seven opponents to single digits on defense while their own offense keeps improving week over week. Now, entering a bye in Columbus, McElroy thinks they might actually face a test, going against each other, before closing the regular season with their final five games in November.

“Unchanged. Nothing changes with Ohio State on a week-to-week basis,” said McElroy. “Four wins against teams that are 5-2 or better. They have a bye this week – not that they need it. I’m not sure what they’re going to work on. Probably the internal scrimmage might be actually more difficult than anything they’ll play the rest of the way, potentially.”

2. Indiana Hoosiers

Similarly, Indiana (7-0, 4-0) also remained in second as well as undefeated with a 38-13 win over Michigan State. And, with that win on the road in Eugene, and with each of their respective schedules the rest of the way, it feels very much like we have a collision course set for the Buckeyes and Hoosiers to meet for the Big Ten Championship on December 6th.

“Nothing changes at the top. They are also 7-0, with a big win on the road at Oregon. They also beat Illinois convincingly by a million…and they won at Iowa, who has been pretty good, quietly good this year,” McElroy said. “They’ll get UCLA this week before two tough road trips at Maryland, at Penn State. Let’s be real. There’s not a lot that concerns me right now with what we’ve seen from Indiana. They should be in great shape.”

3. Texas A&M Aggies (+1)

The first move into the top-five for McElroy was Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0), who remained undefeated as well with a 45-42 victory at Arkansas. That’s with the Aggies having decent wins in conference as well as a very quality win in South Bend, and with A&M having a chance to add to that resumé with three ranked games in league play left starting this weekend against the Tigers in Death Valley.

“The win on the road at Notre Dame continues to strengthen,” said McElroy. “They will go to Baton Rouge to take on a desperate LSU team this week.”

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (+3)

After falling immediately with what’s now an odd season-opening loss, almost no team has played as well as Alabama (6-1, 4-0) since the start of September. The Tide have rolled over the last six, winning their first four in conference play all against ranked opponents, as those victories since now matter more to McElroy than the defeat in Tallahassee.

“They’ve won six in a row. They have beaten three teams that’s only loss came against the Crimson Tide – at Georgia, Vanderbilt at home, at Missouri. All of those teams sit at 6-1. They also have a win at home against Tennessee,” McElroy said. “The loss to Florida State is puzzling, and continues to get even more puzzling given the unraveling of the Seminoles. But, I always, and have forever? People say bad losses, this, that. I’ve always kind of counted losses similar. Now, you get blown out by 100? Yes, that is a massive indictment on what you’re capable of. But, I’ve always leaned towards who you beat more so than who you lost to. Your best day, who can you beat? Alabama has proven to be able to beat top-quality competition, two of the three on the road. I think Alabama is rightfully ranked in the top-four in college football right now.”

5. Georgia Bulldogs (+3)

The final shift into the top-five was done by Georgia (6-1, 4-1), with the Bulldogs again surviving to win one of their biggest games of the season yet between the hedges against the Rebels. The ‘Dawgs will now have a week off before opening November’s schedule with The World’s Biggest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

“Great win against Ole Miss. They also went to Tennessee. Their loss came to ‘Bama at home,” said McEloy. “They’ll get a bye this week before they have to go and play against the Florida Gators in Jacksonville there on November 1st.”

6. Miami Hurricanes (-3)

Miami (5-1, 1-1) fell from third to sixth this week in this ranking after taking their first loss in a three-point upset at home to Louisville on Friday night. However, with the strength of their resumé, highlighted by two playoff-caliber teams in Notre Dame and USF, McElroy didn’t drop them further than just outside his top-five, although noting the importance now for the Hurricanes to likely win out if they want to avoid a similar fall from consideration for the CFP.

“Not a significant free fall right now. You’ll understand why in just a minute. Probably the biggest reason is the resurgence of what we’ve now seen from Notre Dame. That’s a great win – one of the better wins of the college football season…That win against Notre Dame? Pretty great moment. Yes, to lose to Louisville the way they did? Not great. But, they also have another win against another playoff contender in South Florida,” McElroy said. “That SMU road trip? Massive. Might have to have it if Miami wants to get to the ACC Championship.”

7. Oregon Ducks (+2)

Oregon (6-1, 3-1) did move up two spots in his ranking this week, responding to their lone defeat with a 56-10 blowout at Rutgers. That said, McElroy, while knowing they have a five games left to go to change this, still questioned the legitimacy of the Ducks’ resumé to this point with no quality wins, namely with the victory at Penn State in the Whiteout having obviously lost a lot of its value, and a loss at home against the best team they’ve played so far in IU.

“They have one win against a team with a winning record. That is Northwestern. So, that’s probably why you’re asking, ‘Why is Oregon at number seven, and Miami is at number six? But Oregon had a good loss?’. There are no good losses. There’s losses, and then there’s embarrassing losses – embarrassing losses are losses that in which you get beat badly. Oregon lost a game at home? Not a good loss. It’s a loss. However, they don’t have a great win right now,” said McElroy. “They still have plenty of meat on the bone…So, Oregon, in a great spot right now, but it’s hard to rank them past seven because they just don’t have that statement win just yet.”

8. Ole Miss Rebels (-3)

Ole Miss also fell three spots after taking their first loss of the season, taking a 43-35 defeat in a shootout against Georgia in Athens. That, to McElroy, puts this next game for them this weekend as almost a must-win, as Rebels play on the road against another one of his top-ten teams in Oklahoma.

“LSU is their best win, and (the Tigers) took a loss last week, and then Tulane, also a win for Ole Miss. At Oklahoma this week, and they have just one road game left. And they should be a heavy favorite in every game except this Oklahoma matchup,” McElroy said. “So, this is a massive one for Ole Miss. If they get this win against Oklahoma, they might very well find their way in to the College Football Playoff regardless of what happens down the road.”

9. Texas Tech Red Raiders (-3)

The last of the three-spot sliders who suffered their first loss of the season was Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1), who dropped one by four against Arizona State in Tempe. But, considering all things, McElroy isn’t fully out yet on the Red Raiders, with one opportunity left for them to prove themselves when BYU, the other top contender out of the Big 12, comes to Lubbock on November 8th.

“I’m not really in a position right now to evaluate Texas Tech based on recency. They were without their quarterback – that can be factored in. I don’t think it should be factored in too much, though. That was a bad performance against Arizona State. There’s no spinning it,” said McElroy. “The big one for Texas Tech is BYU on November 8th. We’ll keep an eye on that one here in the weeks to come.”

10. Oklahoma Sooners (+1)

Oklahoma is back in the top-ten as they responded to their loss at Red River with a 26-7 win at South Carolina. The Sooners, though, still have a lot ahead of them, for better or for worse, with their final five games all against ranked opponents, with all of them also being in the Top-25 for McElroy.

“They have really tough stretch coming up. They’ll get Ole Miss this week, they’re at Tennessee on November 1st, they’ll get a bye, and then they’ll go to Alabama,” McElroy said. “So, a lot of very difficult games remaining on the schedule for the Sooners, but still right now in the Top-10.”

11. Virginia Cavaliers (+4)
12. Vanderbilt Commodores (+9)
13. BYU Cougars (+3)
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
15. Louisville Cardinals (+9)
16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+3)
17. Missouri Tigers (+3)
18. Cincinnati Bearcats (+5)
19. Texas Longhorns (-2)
20. Arizona State Sun Devils (NR)
21. Michigan Wolverines (-3)
22. Tennessee Volunteers (-10)
23. LSU Tigers (-10)
24. USC Trojans (-14)
25. USF Bulls (NR)
In Consideration: Washington Huskies (Prev. 25th), Illinois Fighting Illini, Utah Utes, TCU Horned Frogs