Week 8 JP Poll: Top 20 college football power rankings see shakeup, Penn State still included

Week 8 is upon us, and the national championship picture is slowly starting to come into focus. There were plenty of changes in the JP Poll, as well, as Josh Pate updated the power ratings with a major shakeup.

This week’s JP Poll power ratings – remember, they’re not rankings – saw the top team stay the same. But a Top-3 team fell, and the team that won took its place. Indiana now finds itself in the Top 5 of the JP Poll as Oregon dropped after last week’s game.

There were plenty more changes, as well, after a jam-packed slate. Here is the full Week 8 JP Poll, as revealed on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

1. Ohio State (-)

After cruising past Illinois last week, Ohio State maintained its spot atop the JP Poll. The Buckeyes got the job done on both offense and defense as they took down the Fighting Illini in Champaign in Week 7.

Julian Sayin threw for two touchdowns and CJ Donaldson ran in two scores on the ground in the 34-16 victory. Ohio State will now turn its attention to a matchup with Wisconsin in Madison this week.

2. Miami (+1)

Up a spot to No. 2, Miami had a Week 7 bye after a victory over Florida State in Tallahassee. But with the results of the week, the Hurricanes moved up one spot in the JP Poll.

The Hurricanes have a short week this week, though, with a high-profile primetime game awaiting. Louisville is coming to Hard Rock Stadium for a Friday night showdown.

3. Indiana (+8)

The biggest riser from Week 7, Indiana made quite the statement with a victory over Oregon at Autzen Stadium. As a result, the Hoosiers jumped up eight spots to No. 3 in the latest JP Poll power ratings.

IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza continues to impress, emerging as a name not only in the Heisman Trophy race, but also in NFL Draft circles. The Hoosiers will welcome Michigan State to Bloomington this week as they try to continue charting a course for the Big Ten title game.

4. Alabama (-)

Staying put at No. 4 in the JP Poll, Alabama got another key victory in SEC play. The Crimson Tide went into CoMo and took down Missouri to extend the winning streak to five games.

Ty Simpson was impressive once again, throwing for three touchdowns in the effort. Alabama has a huge rivalry matchup awaiting this week, though, as Tennessee comes to town for the Third Saturday in October showdown.

5. Georgia (-)

Also staying put in the Week 8 JP Poll, Georgia managed to come away with a win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Bulldogs held strong at No. 5 after the victory, which improved their record to 5-1 on the year.

UGA got touchdowns from Gunner Stockton and Chauncey Bowens en route to the 20-10 win in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Now, Georgia will return home for a matchup with Ole Miss that will have ESPN College GameDay in attendance.

6. Notre Dame (-)

Despite a sluggish start against NC State, Notre Dame turned on the jets in the second half to get a home victory over the Wolfpack. That win kept the Fighting Irish at No. 6 in the Week 7 JP Poll.

CJ Carr had another big day, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns, while Jeremiyah Love ran for 86 yards and two scores on the ground. A big-time showdown awaits this week, though, as USC makes the trip to South Bend for the Battle for the Bejeweled Shillelagh.

7. Oregon (-5)

Down five spots following its first loss of the year, Oregon checks in at No. 7 in the JP Poll. The Ducks battled it out against Indiana last week in Eugene, but the Hoosiers did just enough to pull off the victory at Autzen Stadium.

Dante Moore continues to impress for Oregon and is generating some early NFL Draft chatter, as well. The Ducks will look to rebound from the loss when they make the cross-country trip to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers.

8. Texas (-)

The golden hat is staying in Austin after Texas defeated Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry in Week 7. That victory kept the Longhorns at No. 8 in the latest JP Poll.

The Texas defense showed out, holding OU to six points, while Tre Wisner led the rushing attack with 94 yards. The Longhorns now find themselves 4-2 on the year and 1-1 in SEC play heading into Week 8’s game against Kentucky.

9. Texas A&M (+1)

Up a spot to No. 9, Texas A&M went back and forth with Florida in the first quarter at Kyle Field. The Aggies eventually got the 34-17 victory, though, and improved to 6-0 on the season.

Marcel Reed threw for 234 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score, as well, to help lead Texas A&M to the win. The Aggies will now turn their attention to a matchup at Arkansas this week, though they’ll likely do so without Le’Veon Moss due to injury.

10. Ole Miss (-3)

It wasn’t easy for Ole Miss in last week’s game against Washington State. The Rebels went back and forth with the Cougars before holding on for the 24-21 win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Ole Miss improved to 6-0 on the year, but dropped three spots in the JP Poll as a result of the close non-conference victory. The Rebels have a huge matchup this week, though, as they head to Athens to take on Georgia.

Week 8 JP Poll: 11-20

11. Texas Tech (-5)
12. Oklahoma (-)
13. Missouri (+3)
14. Utah (+4)
15. Tennessee (-2)
16. LSU (-1)
17. USC (NR)
18. Clemson (+2)
19. Penn State (-5)
20. Vanderbilt (NR)

With October off and running, the stakes are getting higher around college football. That also means the JP Poll is going to continue shifting as teams begin to create separation.