New AP Top 25 Released: Miami Holds No. 1 as Unranked Chaos Topples Top-10 Giants in Week 8

Ralph Garcia Published: October 26, 2026 at 12:00 am | Updated: October 26, 2026 at 1:23 am 4 minutes read

Photo credit: ESPN

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — If Week 7 was a calm before the storm, Week 8 of the 2026 college football season was an absolute hurricane. The new Associated Press Top 25 poll released on Sunday afternoon reflects a seismic shakeup across the national landscape after three top-12 programs fell to unranked opponents on Saturday. Another weekend of big losses with huge CFP implications.

Despite the bedlam below them, the Miami Hurricanes handled their business to remain firmly cemented at No. 1, while fellow unbeatens Utah and UCLA continued their steady march toward the top spot. Meanwhile, tough losses knocked Iowa and USC completely out of the rankings, opening the door for Wisconsin and Oklahoma State to make their debuts in the Top 25.

The Unbeaten Vanguard: Miami Stays Supreme; Utah and UCLA Surge

Top-ranked Miami left no doubt about its national championship aspirations, dismantling Pittsburgh to preserve its flawless record and retain the No. 1 ranking. Quarterback Darian Mensah delivered another efficient performance, connecting with sophomore wideout Malachi Toney on two touchdown strikes while running back Mark Fletcher Jr. added a pair of rushing scores to put the Panthers away early.

Out West, No. 10 Utah survived a stiff Big 12 challenge against No. 14 Houston with a 21-13 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier sparked a fourth-quarter rally with his legs before directing two late scoring drives to keep the Utes unbeaten at 7-0.

UTAH MAN AM I‼️🔊

#GoUtes | #RSNB | @pepsi https://t.co/uYmY3sGoj0

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 25, 2026

Concurrently, UCLA continued its quiet ascent up the rankings. Under head coach Bob Chesney, the Bruins moved closer to top-five territory behind high-powered leadership from star quarterback Nico Iamaleava and transfer running back Wayne Knight. With their relentless rushing attack and opportunistic defense, UCLA stands firmly positioned as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender heading into November.

The Upset Brigade: BYU, Texas Tech, and Tennessee Toppled

The story of Week 8 was written by unranked underdogs taking down top-ranked titans:

UCF 39, No. 2 BYU 31 (2OT): The biggest shocker of the weekend unfolded in Orlando, where the Knights derailed No. 2 BYU’s perfect season. Despite 282 passing yards and a touchdown pass from BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier to Kyler Kasper, UCF wore down the Cougars in double overtime, stopping BYU on a game-ending 4th-and-goal to trigger a field storming at FBCB Mortgage Stadium.
Cincinnati 37, No. 8 Texas Tech 24: Cincinnati physically dominated No. 8 Texas Tech at Nippert Stadium. Bearcats quarterback JC French IV tossed four touchdown passes, while running back Cole Tabb exploded for a career-high 173 rushing yards and a touchdown against a Red Raiders front that had previously surrendered zero rushing touchdowns all year.
South Carolina 27, No. 11 Tennessee 24: In Columbia, South Carolina mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to hand the Volunteers their second SEC defeat, booting a game-winning field goal in the final seconds after holding Tennessee scoreless over the final 15 minutes.

Poll Shakeup: Iowa and USC Out, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State In

Saturday’s results forced significant turnover in the bottom half of the AP Poll:

Wisconsin 24, No. 16 USC 7: The Badgers earned their spot back in the Top 25 by suffocating USC at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin held Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava and the USC offense to minus-17 rushing yards. Offensively, Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph scored a rushing touchdown and running back Bryan Jackson II added 38 yards and a touchdown to seal the dominant win.
Minnesota 13, No. 15 Iowa 10: In the battle for Floyd of Rosedale, Minnesota kicker Luke Drzewiecki drilled a walk-off 46-yard field goal as time expired to stun No. 15 Iowa, dropping the Hawkeyes out of the national rankings.
Oklahoma State Enters: Benefiting from the chaos around them and securing another crucial Big 12 victory, Oklahoma State officially claimed a spot in the Top 25.

Week 9 Implications

With No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech taking heavy blows, the Big 12 championship race has been thrown into complete disarray, elevating Utah into sole driver’s seat status. In the SEC and Big Ten, Texas and Indiana’s overtime heroics—combined with Tennessee and USC’s stumbles—have narrowed the margin of error for at-large Playoff spots.

As teams prepare for Week 9, the takeaway is crystal clear: in 2026, survival is the only stat that truly matters.