College football rankings from 1 to 134 for Week 8: Revisiting preseason rankings, and why that matters

We will never say polls are meaningless. We can prove otherwise.

Even in the 12-team College Football Playoff era, we believe in the power of the polls. Why else would we rank 134 college football teams every week? Are they 100% accurate? Of course not. Are they fun to look at every week? Of course!

They are even more fun to look back at. Here is a look at what our 1-134 looked like in Week 1 and what it looks like now. Accountability matters. Keep in mind this was after Florida State lost to Georgia Tech in Week 0.

MORE: College Football Playoff projections after Week 7

Does this matter? Well, a total of 11 teams we ranked in Week 1 are no longer in the top 25. A look at those teams, and where they rank now:

Six of those teams are still in the top 50 – and USC would be in the AP Top 25 if not for heart-breaking losses to Michigan and Penn State. If you want to say the polls don't matter because we missed by a wide margin on a five-loss Kansas team, that's fine.

Now, what about the 11 teams that have moved into the Top 25? Where were they to start the season? A closer look:

Navy and Army are both unbeaten, and BYU and Indiana have been the most pleasant surprises in the Power 4.These are the overachievers of the season to this point, and that's great for the sport.

Still, if you look at both sets of rankings, the top eight teams in Week 8 were in that first poll, and we still had 14 of those 25 teams. Who are those 14 teams? It's interesting that Clemson and LSU – which both lost in Week 1 – have actually improved the most.

When we check back again in seven weeks, the teams that are still on those polls will be in the CFP. So yeah, we believe the polls matter.

You just have to look past the first 25 teams once in a while.  Here is our 1-134 rankings heading into Week 8:

College football rankings 2024

Top 25 for Week 8

1. Texas (6-0)

Texas is the best team in the FBS heading into the second half of the season. The Longhorns average 43.2 points per game, and Quinn Ewers made a successful return in a 34-3 blowout against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns also lead the FBS in scoring defense (6.3 ppg.). Steve Sarkisian created a monster, and it will be put to the test against Georgia in Week 8.

BENDER: Blowout of Oklahoma sets up SEC blockbuster for Texas

2. Oregon (6-0)

The Ducks moved up after beating Ohio State 32-31 in a game where Dillon Gabriel finished 23 of 34 for 341 yards and two TDs. He added 32 rushing yards and a TD and did not take a sack. That was a signature top-five victory for coach Dan Lanning – and it gives the Ducks the lead in the Big Ten race at the midway point. There is a quick-turnaround for the Friday matchup at Purdue. Will the cross-country travel work against the Ducks this time?

MORE: Dillon Gabriel delivers in upset of Ohio State

3. Penn State (6-0)

Give Penn State coach James Franklin credit here. The Nittany Lions rallied from a two-TD deficit to pull out a 33-30 victory at USC – a rare victory on the West Coast for the traditional Big Ten schools. Tight end Tyler Warren – a 6-foot-6, 257-pound mismatch – had 17 catches for 224 yards and a TD. Drew Allar passed for 391 yards and shook off three interceptions, and the defense came up with stops in clutch situations. Penn State gets a bye week before a road trip to Wisconsin.

4. Georgia (5-1)

Kirby Smart can use the underdog card this week heading into the matchup against the Longhorns. Georgia beat Mississippi State 41-31, and Carson Beck (1,818 yards, 15 TDs, 5 INTs) can engage in a shootout with Texas. The Bulldogs rank 13th in the SEC in rushing offense (134.0 ypg.) and 10th in rushing defense (120.2). Those trends will be put to the test on the road against a complete Texas team. Will the Bulldogs rise up on the road?

MORE: Picks against the spread for Week 8 Top 25 matchups

5. Ohio State (5-1)

The loss against Oregon is a reality check for the Buckeyes, but it is hardly a deal-breaker. Will Howard passed for 326 yards and two TDs. Freshman Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 100 yards and a TD, and the rushing attack is putting up 4.3 yards per carry. The defense allowed 10 yards per pass. Losses always hit harder in Columbus, and the Buckeyes have lost three straight games against ranked opponents. The next two games against Nebraska and at Penn State could offer two opportunities to alter that trend.

6. Miami, Fla. (6-0)

The Hurricanes had a bye week. Miami is at the top of the ACC at the midpoint with an offense that leads the FBS with 583.8 yards per game. Cam Ward (2,119 yards, 20 TDs, 5 INTs) is among the Heisman Trophy favorites, and the Hurricanes survived scares against Virginia Tech and Cal. Road tests against Louisville (Oct. 19), Georgia Tech (Nov. 9) and Syracuse (Nov. 30) await as ACC play heats up, but there are no ranked teams on the Miami schedule.

7. Clemson (5-1)

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley have found a rhythm, and it showed in a 49-14 blowout at Wake Forest. Cade Klubnik (31 of 41, 309 yards, 3 TDs) was on target, and Phil Mafah (20-118, 2 TDs) has four 100-yard games in five weeks. The Tigers have four home games left, starting with an improved Virginia team in Week 8. Is this the team to beat in the ACC?

8. Alabama (5-1)

The Crimson Tide escaped a near-disaster against South Carolina in a 27-25 victory that included several mistakes at the end of the first half – and nearly again in the second half. Jalen Milroe (16 of 23, 209 yards, TD, 2 INTs) shook off a pair of interceptions with a pair of rushing TDs, and the defense held after the Gamecocks recovered an onside kick in the final minute. Kalen Deboer avoided two disasters in two weeks, but a trip to Tennessee in Week 8 will not be easy.

9. Iowa State (6-0)

The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in scoring defense (11.0 ppg.) and total defense (285.3 ypg.), and Rocco Becht (1,438 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs) continues to manage an effective offense. Iowa State scored an impressive 28-16 victory at West Virginia, and four of their last six games are at home starting with UCF this week. Will the Nov. 30 matchup with Kansas State be the first of two?

10. BYU (6-0)

Not if BYU has something to say about it. The Cougars have forced nine turnovers in three conference games, and Kalani Sitake has a reliable team led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff (1,426 yards, 14 TDs, 5 INTs). The non-conference victory against SMU looks good, too. A Friday night matchup against a desperate Oklahoma State team in the next test.

11. LSU (5-1)

The Tigers have made the move back into playoff contention with the help of a thrilling 26-23 victory against Ole Miss. Garrett Nussmeier – who passed for 337 yards, three TDs and two interceptions – made the plays in the clutch with a 23-yard TD to Aaron Anderson with 27 seconds left in regulation and a 25-yard TD pass to Kyren Lacy in overtime. The Tigers are now 13-0 in night games at Tiger Stadium under Brian Kelly, and Alabama, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma visit Death Valley this season. The Tigers travel to Arkansas in Week 8.

12. Tennessee (5-1)

Our rankings don't mesh with the AP Poll, and that's because the Vols' struggles on offense the last three weeks are going to catch up. Tennessee has 131 rushing attempts in their last three games, but that has amounted to 3.5 yards per carry. Nico Iamaleava averages 173.7 passing yards per game with one TD and no interceptions in SEC play. The defense is No. 2 in the FBS in yards allowed (249.8), but Alabama poses a different challenge.

13. Notre Dame (5-1)

Notre Dame continues to move up the rankings with each victory – the latest a 49-7 blowout against Stanford – one in which the Cardinal managed just 200 total yards. The Irish rank eighth in the FBS in scoring defense (11.7 ppg.), and the offense continues to mature around quarterback Riley Leonard – who has a 70% completion percentage, six TDs and no interceptions in his last three starts. The Irish play Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 8.

14. Texas A&M (5-1)

The Aggies have been impressive through the first half of the season under Mike Elko. Texas A&M has allowed 20 points or less in every game since the 23-13 loss to Notre Dame in Week 1, and Conner Weigman has returned at quarterback. Le'Veon Moss (609 yards, 6 TDs) averages 6.9 yards per carry. There is substance with the Aggies, and that should continue in Week 8 against Mississippi State.

15. Indiana (6-0)

Curt Cignetti is a Coach of the Year contender after leading the Hoosiers to their best start since 1967. Indiana averages 47.5 points and 515.5 yards per game heading into a Week 8 matchup against Nebraska. Kurtis Rourke (1,752 yards, 14 TDs, 2 INTs) owns a 192.1 passer efficiency rating, and the tandem of Justice Ellison (409 yards, 6 TDs) and Ty Son Lawson (329 yards, 7 TDs) averages 5.6 yards per carry. Indiana is 1-2 against Nebraska since the Huskers joined the Big Ten.

16. Pitt (6-0)

Here is another surprise ACC team that continues to move up the rankings. Pitt beat Cal 17-15 in Week 6 with the help of a late missed field goal. The Panthers have won four games against Power 4 opponents by a combined total of 19 points. Running back Desmond Reid has 494 rushing yards, 341 receiving yards and seven TDs. The Panthers have an off week before a home matchup on Oct. 24 against Syracuse.

17. Kansas State (5-1)

The Wildcats avoided an upset with a 31-28 victory against Colorado. Kansas State rolled up 185 rushing yards and limited the Buffaloes to -29 yards on the ground. That run-the-ball, stop-the-run formula makes them a dangerous team in the Big 12 race, especially if Avery Johnson can limit the turnovers. DJ Giddens has 40 carries for 369 yards in Kansas State's last two victories. Kansas State travels to West Virginia in Week 8.

18. SMU (5-1)

It's quite a start for the Mustangs in Year 1 in the ACC. SMU is averaging 40.8 points per game, and they shook off a non-conference loss to BYU on Sept. 6. Kevin Jennings has a 74% completion percentage with 5 TDs and no interceptions since taking over as the starter, and he averages 5.7 yards per carry. That should continue in a road trip to Stanford in Week 8.

19. Illinois (5-1)

The Illini flirted with disaster in a 50-49 victory against Purdue – one in which the Boilermakers scored 40 points in the second and missed the potential game-winning two-point conversion in overtime. Luke Altmyer (20 of 34, 379 yards, 3 TDs) added 60 rushing yards and a TD in his best performance of the season, but Purdue had 239 yards on 7.5 yards per carry. That is a concern against Michigan in Week 8.

20. Missouri (5-1)

The Tigers took care of an odd non-conference road trip in a 45-3 victory against UMass. Missouri was missing running back Nate Noel (back), but Marcus Carroll (15-91, 3 TDs) filled in and the Tigers took care of business against the Minutemen. Luther Burden added 127 total yards and a TD. The Tigers have less margin for error in the SEC heading into a home matchup against Auburn.

21. Boise State (5-1)

The Broncos pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 28-7 victory against Hawaii. Running back Ashton Jeanty had 31 carries for 217 yards and a TD – and he has 1,248 yards and 17 TDs at the halfway point. The Broncos' 37-34 loss to Oregon in Week 2 does not look bad. Boise State remains the highest-ranked Group of 5 with a bye week to prepare for an Oct. 25 matchup at UNLV.

22. Ole Miss (5-2)

It's been a brutal three-week stretch for the Rebels under Lane Kiffin. The 26-23 loss at LSU was the second three-point loss in SEC play, and that is going to make the College Football Playoff an uphill climb for a team that opened at No. 6 in the AP Preseason Poll. The Rebels had 12 penalties for 110 yards against the Tigers. A bye week should provide a necessary reset.

23. Navy (5-0)

Navy averages 295.6 rushing yards per game, and the Midshipmen had a bye week to prepare for Charlotte in the next step in the American Athletic Conference race. The 49ers are 2-0 in conference play, so Navy cannot peek ahead to Notre Dame (Oct. 26) in a game that will have the most visibility this season.

24. Arizona State (5-1)

Say hello to the Sun Devils – the fourth Big 12 team on the list. Arizona State pulled a 27-19 upset against Utah on Friday that vaulted second-year coach Kenny Dillingham's team into the Top 25. Cam Skattebo had 158 yards and two TDs against the Utes and is emerging as a cult hero this season with his 5-11, 215-pound build. The Sun Devils travel to Cincinnati in Week 8.

25. Army (6-0)

The Black Knights are off to their best start since 1996 after a 44-10 victory against UAB. Army leads the FBS with 369.8 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Bryson Daily leads the team in rushing (739 yards, 14 TDs), and he has 482 passing yards, six TDs and no interceptions. The Black Knights are home against East Carolina in Week 8.

College football 1-134 rankings: (1-25)

A look at the top 25 teams in the FBS heading into Week 8:

Rest of FBS (26-134)

Here is a look at the rest of the FBS heading into Week 8: