D Poll: Week 8 (2024)
Ranking the top 25 in college football, one wacky result at a time.
The D Poll values winning. That's the number one criterion it considers when ranking college football teams. Everything else pales in comparison.
You'd think this would be the standard in every ranking, but you'd be surprised. The Associated Press usually does fine work with its weekly Top 25, but even the voters for that poll often misconstrue what qualifies certain teams to be ranked higher than others. Quality losses are a prevalent expression used when voters explain their choices. The highly-cited "eye test" also makes many appearances. In my opinion, none of that trumps winning. If anything means more than winning, why do we even play the games?
Alright, I'll step off my soapbox now.
While it may not top the surprises of last week's action, the past several days of college football featured many wonderful games that made every fan of the sport smile (or cry depending on your rooting and/or gambling interests). So many things make college football great, and a lot of it was on display this past week. Here's the D Poll for Week 8.
1. Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC)
Week 7 game: 34-3 win vs. Oklahoma
Nothing is better than the Cotton Bowl during the Red River Rivalry. Half the stadium is dressed in maroon, the other side burnt orange. It's truly a beautiful sight to behold.
Unfortunately for the neutral observer, half of that spectacle had decided to leave once the fourth quarter had commenced (they probably were going to get a corn dog, which is fair).
In my preview of the game, I talked about how Oklahoma's best shot at pulling off the upset was to muck up the game and drag Texas into the mud. For the first 15 or so minutes, they were able to do exactly that. Quinn Ewers threw an interception on the Longhorns' first drive of the afternoon, and Texas was held without a point throughout the entirety of the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Sooners, they were unable to capitalize on any of their opponent's mistakes, and eventually the Longhorns, with their better talent and deeper roster, took control of the game for good.
So far Texas' schedule hasn't proved to be quite as difficult as we all thought it would be heading into the season. Michigan is nowhere near the level it was last year, and Oklahoma is a sputtering operation that looks like it's on the verge of collapse. Even next week's opponent, Georgia, has looked vulnerable at times. Georgia will still be the Longhorns' biggest test to date, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle it.
2. Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Week 7 game: 32-31 win vs. Ohio State
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining college football game this season than what Oregon and Ohio State displayed at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night. It was a glorious affair, with multitudes of lead changes and momentum shifts. And at the end of the day, it was the Oregon Ducks who stood victorious.
For the first time all year, Oregon looked like the well-oiled machine we believed we'd see right out of the gate. The debilitating red zone turnovers were gone. The wide receiver room was suddenly unlocked, with Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart catching seven passes for 149 yards. Jordan James ran for 115 yards, and Dillon Gabriel eclipsed 300 yards passing for just the second time this season.
Dan Lanning's short tenure at Oregon has been impressive, but this is his first marquee win. After continuously losing in big spots in previous years, Lanning's Ducks proved they belong with the big boys.
Oregon's schedule, especially compared to other top Big Ten teams, is manageable. The toughest game left is a road trip to Michigan on November 2, and who knows what Michigan will even look like at that point.
3. Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Week 7 game: 33-30 win at USC
For a lengthy moment on Saturday afternoon, it appeared Penn State was going to be tumbling down the D Poll. The Nittany Lions were down 20-6 at halftime, and it looked like the pregame discussion about how Big Ten teams had struggled traveling multiple time zones was based on some truth.
But Penn State opened the second half with two touchdown drives to tie the game. USC took a 30-23 lead late, but Drew Allar drove the team down the field and tied it up, setting Penn State to win with a field goal in overtime. It was the biggest moment of Allar's collegiate career and proved to me that the Nittany Lions have some serious juice. This is anecdotal, but based on everything I've seen from Penn State in previous seasons, this would be the type of game in which it'd fall short. Good for them for not letting that happen this time.
James Franklin has been criticized heavily throughout his tenure with the Nittany Lions, but even his biggest haters can't deny the fact that his teams have always been, at the very least, in the top tier of the Big Ten. It looks like that is once again the case.
4. Ohio State (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Week 7 game: 32-31 loss at Oregon
It'd be easy to focus on Will Howard's bogus decision to slide with no time left on the clock or Ryan Day's atrocious management of the clock late in the game, but there are a multitude of other reasons why Ohio State lost another big game.
The defense was anything but stout, allowing Oregon to gain 496 total yards, including 155 on the ground. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' unit was considered to be one of, if not the top strength for this Buckeyes' unit, and it failed to live up to expectations on Saturday night.
Autzen Stadium might be the most underrated environment in college football. It was funny hearing Buckeyes fans talk about how the noise wouldn't be that bad in the lead-up to the game, only to be caught wearing earplugs while in the bleachers.
Ultimately, it was just another game where Ohio State failed to live up to the moment. Day is now 61-9 in his Ohio State career, which is undoubtedly impressive. But he's now 2-6 against AP Top-5 opponents. His teams seem to falter when the lights are the brightest.
Ohio State is very good. It might have the most talented roster in the country. All of that doesn't matter if it can't execute and win.
5. Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC)
Week 7 game: BYE
With no game this week for Miami, there isn't much to say about their placement here at five. I still believe that the Hurricanes are the team to beat in the ACC despite their recent struggles against Virginia Tech and California. That being said, they are on some thin ice. One more poor performance and they'll probably drop down in my rankings.
6. BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)
Week 7 game: 41-19 win vs. Arizona
If you paid attention to last week's D Poll, then you're probably thinking, "Hey wait, wasn't BYU at 12?" Those astute observers would be correct.
The reason BYU has made such a big climb is that I remembered what the D Poll was all about: winning. I didn't drop that disclaimer at the beginning for no reason. BYU has continued to win, and in my opinion, has a resumé that is actually quite impressive. In fact, if BYU was in the Big Ten or SEC and it had the same exact wins it did right now, I think it'd be perceived a lot differently.
BYU is coming off a dominating performance against Arizona and also has wins over Kansas State (No. 17 in the D Poll) and SMU (No. 19). Coming into last week, Arizona would've been ranked in the high 30s if I extended the poll that far down.
The Cougars, in my opinion, should be considered the favorite in the Big 12. That is always subject to change, of course. The Big 12 is the most chaotic league in the nation after all and anybody can beat anybody on any given game day.
7. Iowa State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)
Week 7 game: 28-16 win at West Virginia
Iowa State's win over West Virginia will be perceived by many as a lot of nothing. The Cyclones went on the road, took care of business, and then went on about their day. Well, stop thinking that! Going to Morgantown to play the Mountaineers, especially at night, is a death trap. Oh, the things that have happened to visiting teams in Morgantown at night would haunt the mind and snare the senses. To come out of it unscathed, let alone with a win, is somewhat heroic.
OK, that's probably a little overdramatic. But still, beating West Virginia on the road is difficult, and Iowa State was able to do it fairly comfortably. After going down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Cyclones rallied back in the second quarter and took a 14-10 lead heading into the locker rooms. Two Carson Hansen touchdown runs in the fourth quarter later, and Iowa State was 6-0 for the first time since the Great Depression.
The only reason I have Iowa State one spot lower than their conference-mate BYU is that when comparing the resumés side-by-side, it's clear that Iowa State's path to 6-0 has been a lot less challenging. The Cyclones probably have the best win of the two teams with their 20-19 road win against arch-rival Iowa, but the rest of their wins don't stack up with what BYU has to offer.
The two teams don't play each other in the regular season so it'll be interesting to see how they're perceived as the season moves further along.
8. Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC)
Week 7 game: 41-31 win vs. Mississippi State
I'm not going to lie to you; I didn't watch a single second of Georgia's game against Mississippi State live this past week. The only thing I saw from it was Kirby Smart shoving Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren (Smart has since apologized, despite saying, "I don't really remember it").
From the highlights I've been able to watch, Georgia never felt like it was about to get upset, but Mississippi State wasn't going down without a fight either. The 31 points that Mississippi State scored against Georgia are the most it's scored all season. To drive home the point about how surprising that is, I'll just say this: Mississippi State is terrible. It's easily the worst team in the SEC, and there's an argument to be made that it's the worst team in the Power 4.
For Georgia and Smart's vaunted defense to give up that many points to that team cannot be excused. It is just for that reason that Georgia has dropped in the rankings. I am also petty, and anytime I have an opportunity to penalize Georgia for anything, I'll take advantage of it.
In all seriousness, Georgia plays Texas on Saturday and it has a lot to clean up if it wants to win.
9. Clemson (5-1, 4-0 ACC)
Week 7 game: 49-14 win at Wake Forest
When Clemson doesn't play Georgia, it looks like one of the best teams in the nation.
After going down 7-0, the Tigers scored 21 unanswered points en route to their pantsing of Wake Forest. Cade Klubnik continues to show a lot of growth, throwing for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Phil Mafah is one of my favorite players to watch every week; he ran for 108 yards and two scores.
That Georgia loss is obviously a blemish, but Clemson should not be discredited for what it has done since. All of the wins on its schedule have been by two or more scores. That's nothing to scoff at, even with an easy slate.
With Miami's recent struggles, Clemson can take pole position in the ACC moving forward.
10. LSU (5-1, 2-0 SEC)
Week 7 game: 29-26 win vs. Ole Miss
Just like Clemson, LSU is a prime example of why it is important to not overreact to results early in the season. After its loss to USC in the opening week, a lot of people (myself included) began to write off LSU as a good, but not great team. While I don't think they're on the same level as the teams at the top of this list, I do think that the Tigers have the potential to get there if things break their way.
A lot of people rag on Brian Kelly for his fake accents and just overall terrible aura, but you can't deny that he's always been a solid football coach. He's taken this roster, which I don't believe to be the best that LSU has ever constructed, and weathered the storm with it. The Tigers survived a Week 3 scare against South Carolina and then mounted a comeback against Ole Miss.
More weathering of storms will be required soon, however, as LSU goes into some hostile environments the next two weeks against Arkansas and Texas A&M. Both those contests will be difficult, and I don't know if LSU will win both. But if it does, then you can count on them being quick risers in the D Poll.
Alright, that's the top 10. Here are the remaining 15:
11. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
Week 7 game: 23-17 win vs. Florida
12. Alabama (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
Week 7 game: 27-25 win vs. South Carolina
13. Notre Dame (5-1)
Week 7 game: 49-7 win vs. Stanford
14. Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC)
Week 7 game: BYE
15. Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Week 7 game: BYE
16. Boise State (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West)
Week 7 game: 28-7 win at Hawai'i
17. Kansas State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12)
Week 7 game: 31-28 win at Colorado
18. Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0 ACC)
Week 7 game: 17-15 win vs. California
19. SMU (5-1, 2-1 ACC)
Week 7 game: BYE
20. Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC)
Week 7 game: 29-26 loss at LSU
21. Navy (5-0, 3-0 American)
Week 7 game: BYE
22. Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Week 7 game: BYE
23. Army (6-0, 5-0 American)
Week 7 game: 44-10 win vs. UAB
24. Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1 SEC)
Week 7 game: 20-13 win at Kentucky
25. UNLV (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West)
Week 7 game: 50-34 win at Utah State
Tennessee and Alabama are two teams that both won this past week, but fell out of the top 10. That's partially because both teams struggled against middling opponents on Saturday, but it's also because teams above them like Clemson and LSU put up much more impressive performances.
Vanderbilt and UNLV enter the D Poll for the first time this season. Had Vanderbilt not lost to Georgia State back in Week 3, it'd be much higher in the ranking. UNLV has been one of my favorite teams to watch, and I wish it'd been able to pull off that win against Syracuse two weeks ago. It didn't, but it bounced back nicely against Utah State.
Utah (No. 16 last week) and Rutgers (No. 23) are the two teams to fall out of the D Poll this week. Cam Rising looked like he was 70 years old (he might actually be given how long he's been in college), and led Utah to a loss against Arizona State on Friday night. It's not often that people say a player "led their team to a loss," but that's exactly what Rising did with his play. It's going to take a lot for me to insert Utah back into this poll, and beating a terrible TCU team this next Saturday definitely will not do it.
Rutgers was one of the darlings of the D Poll, but after getting crushed 42-7 by Wisconsin at home, I inevitably had to drop them out. Just like Utah, it’s going to take a lot for me to put Rutgers back into the poll.
There are some other teams in consideration for the D Poll. Here are the next-in-line candidates (in alphabetical order): Arizona State, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Liberty, Missouri, and Texas Tech.
That's the D Poll for Week 8. So far, this season has been an absolute delight. I hope that there are many changes in this poll as we progress through this exciting college football campaign because that means that some crazy scenarios are coming to fruition. As I said last week, bring on the chaos!