College Football: Week 8 Upsets Reshape Playoff Race
Top-10 teams suffered 11 losses in three weeks, a regular season record last seen in 2007, as upsets and narrow wins reshaped the rankings.
By Olga Kaur ·
College football fans saw the top of the standings shift again on Saturday. Eleven top-10 teams lost games during the past three weeks. ESPN Research notes this is the most in any three-week span in the regular season since 2007. The chaos continued in Week 8 with upsets and close finishes across the country.
South Carolina stopped Tennessee’s momentum with a come-from-behind victory. The win was driven by LaNorris Sellers. Cincinnati also beat Texas Tech in a charged matchup. Wisconsin defeated USC, holding the Trojans to just seven points despite a bye week. These results forced teams to reassess their playoff positions immediately.
BYU fell in a double-overtime road loss to UCF. The Cougars had risen to No. 2 in the AP Poll after beating Notre Dame the previous week. That spot lasted only seven days. Star running back LJ Martin remained out with a lower-body injury. BYU averaged 3.2 yards per carry in the loss. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 16 of 32 passes.
Indiana survived at Michigan to win 13-6 in overtime. The Hoosiers defense limited Michigan to 54 rushing yards on 39 carries. Michigan had not lost to an AP top-10 opponent while allowing 13 or fewer points since 1985. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover threw his first interception of the season but made two plays in overtime to secure the win.
Alabama beat Texas A&M in the fourth quarter to end a two-game losing streak. The Crimson Tide ran for only 68 yards on 28 carries. Coach Kalen DeBoer said he hopes a lot of injured players return for the trip to LSU on Nov. 7. Star wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and center Racin Delgatty have been missing due to injuries.
Utah came back from a 10-0 halftime deficit to beat Houston 21-13. The Utes are 7-0 and hold the nation's longest winning streak. However, they have shown inconsistency over the past two weeks. With Texas Tech and BYU losing, Utah is now considered the favorite in the Big 12 for a playoff spot.
LSU dominated Auburn, contributing to a combined score of 69-17 in its last two games. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Trey'Dez Green returned to the lineup. The Tigers get a bye week before facing Alabama on Nov. 7. The team will also play Texas and Tennessee later in the season.
Source: ESPN
