Texas Climbs as Big Ten Surges in Reshuffled AP Top 25; BYU Falls

WHO:

ESPN - Miami, Ohio State, Utah, UCLA, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas were among the teams in the AP Top 25.

ESPN - Iowa, USC, Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin were also discussed in connection with the poll.

Daily Mail Sports - Georgia, Indiana, and Notre Dame were among the teams in the AP Top 25.

Fox News - BYU, UCF, and Texas were involved in the reported ranking changes.

NCAA Football - Seven ranked college football teams lost in Week 8.

WHAT:

CNN - BYU’s athletic department revenue increased from $47 million to $153 million in three years after joining the Big 12.

CNN - BYU spent an estimated $20 million on its football roster, compared with about $50 million at Ohio State and Texas, according to The Athletic.

CNN - A partnership between BYU and PV3 was described by the school as the largest philanthropic donation to BYU athletics in its history; the donation’s terms were not disclosed.

CNN - BYU’s “College GameDay” broadcast drew its third-best rating in the show’s history, and the Cougars’ game against Notre Dame peaked at 9.2 million viewers, the highest audience for a Big 12 team since 2022.

CNN - BYU lost 13 players to the transfer portal after the prior season; none were projected starters for the following season.

ESPN - Texas’s 5-2 record placed it at No. 11, while Texas Tech was No. 13 at 6-1; BYU was No. 8 at 6-1.

ESPN - The Big Ten had five ranked teams, fewer than the Big 12’s six; the Big 12 had not had more ranked teams than the Big Ten since 2023.

ESPN - Miami routed Pitt 52-23 in its first game as the No. 1 team since 2002.

ESPN - Three teams ranked No. 1 or No. 2 lost to unranked opponents over the three-week span.

ESPN - Miami remained No. 1 at 7-0, receiving 59 of 70 first-place votes; Ohio State rose to No. 2 at 6-1, receiving 10 first-place votes.

ESPN - Utah ranked No. 6 at 7-0, UCLA No. 7 at 7-0, Kentucky No. 9 at 7-1, and Alabama No. 10 at 6-2.

ESPN - Texas ranked No. 11 at 5-2; Ole Miss was No. 12, Texas Tech No. 13, Wake Forest No. 14, LSU No. 15, Tennessee No. 16, Florida No. 17, Houston No. 18, SMU No. 19, Northwestern and Boise State tied at No. 20, Arizona No. 22, Missouri No. 23, Oklahoma State No. 24, and Wisconsin No. 25.

ESPN - Miami beat Pitt 52-23 at home; Oklahoma State defeated Colorado 57-24, and Wisconsin beat USC 24-7.

ESPN - Three more top-10 teams lost, bringing the total to 10 top-10 losses in three weeks, tying 2007 and 1959 for the most over that span in AP poll history.

ESPN - Miami, Utah, and UCLA were the only remaining unbeaten FBS teams, the fewest at that point in a season since 1977, according to Sportradar.

ESPN - The Big 12 matched its record with six ranked teams; the Big Ten had five.

ESPN - UCLA had climbed 19 spots over the past five polls, and Kentucky had risen 17 spots in the past three.

ESPN - The SEC had nine ranked teams, the Big 12 six, the Big Ten five, the ACC three, and the Pac-12 and independents one each.

Daily Mail Sports - Georgia moved up one spot to No. 3, Indiana moved up two spots to No. 4, and Notre Dame slipped one spot to No. 5.

Fox News - BYU dropped six spots after losing to UCF in double overtime; Texas rose eight places in the latest AP Top 25.

NCAA Football - Five of the seven ranked teams that lost were defeated by unranked opponents.

WHERE:

ESPN - Utah took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 by beating Houston.

ESPN - Florida was scheduled to play Georgia in Atlanta; Arizona was set to visit Texas Tech in Lubbock.

Daily Mail Sports - Indiana won at Michigan in overtime.

WHY:

CNN - BYU’s athletic department and institution are expected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to remain debt-free; the church does not provide NIL funds to the school.

CNN - BYU President C. Shane Reese said the school’s priority was not “losing sight of who we are as an institution,” adding, “Our strength is our distinctiveness.”

ESPN - USC recorded its fewest yards and points under coach Lincoln Riley in a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin; the seven points were the lowest of Riley’s coaching career.

ESPN - Texas rose from No. 19 to No. 11; Ole Miss fell from No. 7 to No. 12; Texas Tech fell from No. 8 to No. 13; and Houston fell from No. 14 to No. 18.

ESPN - Ohio State moved up while idle; Utah and UCLA rose after their recent performances, while Kentucky’s six-game winning streak put it in the top 10 for the first time since 2022.

ESPN - Alabama returned to the top 10 after beating Texas A&M, avoiding its first three-game losing streak since 2007.

ESPN - Oklahoma State returned to the poll after a one-week absence, while Iowa fell out after losing 13-10 at Minnesota.

Daily Mail Sports - Georgia’s ranking rose after its open date; Indiana’s rise followed its overtime win at Michigan.

Fox News - BYU’s ranking fell after its double-overtime loss to UCF.

HOW:

CNN - BYU’s current roster includes 66 players who have served religious missions.

CNN - Ryan Smith contributed an additional $1 million to increase the student kicker’s prize on “GameDay.”

ESPN - Utah received one first-place vote, while Ohio State received 10 and Miami received 59 of 70.

ESPN - Miami received 19 more first-place votes than it had the previous week.

ESPN - Wisconsin’s win over USC was its second ranked win of the season and its first AP poll appearance since 2023.

Daily Mail Sports - Indiana’s game at Michigan was decided in overtime.

Fox News - BYU’s game against UCF was decided in double overtime.

Miami remains No. 1 in the AP Top 25, with Ohio State rising to No. 2, Georgia at No. 3, Indiana at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 5. Seven ranked teams lost in Week 8, including five to unranked opponents, and three top-10 teams fell. Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only unbeaten FBS teams left. The Big 12 has six ranked teams, more than any other conference, while the SEC has nine. BYU dropped six places after losing to UCF in double overtime, as Texas climbed to No. 11. BYU’s athletic revenue has grown from $47 million to $153 million in three years since joining the Big 12. The school says a partnership with PV3 brought its largest-ever athletic donation, though it has not disclosed the terms. BYU says it aims to stay debt-free and preserve its institutional identity.