Oregon has reached the No. 2 spot in the Coaches Poll for the first time since 2014, following its historic victory over Ohio State, marking the program’s inaugural win against a top-two opponent. Meanwhile, Texas solidified its position at No. 1, securing 53 of the 55 first-place votes.
Penn State has also moved up, surpassing Georgia to claim the No. 3 ranking after the Bulldogs faced difficulties in a narrow 41-31 win against Mississippi State. Georgia remains at No. 4, while Ohio State slipped three places to No. 5 after its close loss to Oregon. Additionally, LSU and Clemson have both re-entered the top 10, moving ahead of Tennessee.
In other developments, Army has rejoined the poll for the first time since 2018, following a commanding 44-10 victory over UAB, which brings their record to 6-0. This is the Black Knights’ best start since 1945, the same year they won a national championship and produced Heisman Trophy winner Doc Blanchard. Nebraska has also returned to the rankings at No. 25.
The latest Coaches Poll for Week 8 shows the following changes:
Dropped out: No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 17 Utah
Also receiving votes: Oklahoma 81; Arizona State 49; Navy 37; Utah 31; Vanderbilt 26; Syracuse 13; UNLV 12; Iowa 12; Texas Tech 9; Liberty 9; Washington State 8; Memphis 4; Louisville 4; James Madison 3; Tulane 2.