College Football AP Top 25: Week 8

There are certain charms emphasized in college football that truly make it the special game that it is: small towns, proud communities, boisterous university bands and of course, the AP Top 25.

Dating back to the 1930s, the AP poll is a timeless American tradition that typically releases every Sunday afternoon during the season. Ranking best FBS schools in the nation, respected college football broadcasters and writers collectively assemble the list, keeping in mind whole bodies of work.

In some seasons (or entire epochs, even), the AP Top 25 does not offer much parody. Still, 2023 has already shown to be a year where the competition feels a little closer together.

Entering this Saturday's slate (Week 8), let's have a look at the current college football AP poll, along with which universities stand out at their spots.

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*Denotes team unranked in previous week

Notably, the top-four teams from last week remained unchanged in the rankings. In order, FBS is led by the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida State Seminoles. However, after outlasting the rival Oregon Ducks, the Washington Huskies have reached a season-high of No. 5 on the poll.

Elsewhere in CFB, a couple undefeateds went down. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolled over the USC Trojans, 48-20. That sent USC plummeting eight spots down to No. 18, while the Irish jumped up six places to No. 15. Additionally, the Louisville Cardinals were knocked off by the Pittsburgh Panthers, 38-21, sending the Cards seven slots south to No. 21.

Oh, and keep an eye on the No. 12 Oregon State Beavers. After besting the No. 25 UCLA Bruins last Saturday, ORST is on the verge of cracking the top 10 for the first time since 2001, when their current head coach Jonathan Smith was the starting quarterback in Corvallis.

Underrated

(#7) Penn State Nittany Lions

Off to a 6-0 start, the Penn State Nittany Lions are looking for their fifth 11-win season under head coach James Franklin. In his 10th season with Penn State, he has already brought back four bowl victories for State College throughout his tenure. But, of course, the Big Ten is among the toughest CFB conferences.

With PSU currently ranked No. 7 on the AP poll, they'll have an opportunity to catapult into the top four after this week; their next game shows a trip to Columbus to take on the No. 3 Buckeyes at The 'Shoe. Undoubtedly, it will be Penn State's toughest test to this point, but the Nittany Lions have their advantages. On Monday, PSU is a +152 moneyline versus Ohio State at using FanDuel Sportsbook's college football odds.

On ESPN's College Football Power Index, Penn State shows an FPI rating of 25.2, which is third-highest in the nation at the moment. However, the Lions find their strength on defense, showing as the second-best unit in FBS in the latest SP+ rankings.

Considering PSU is allowing just 8.0 PPG on the year, their defensive prowess -- led by junior linebacker Curtis Jacobs -- is tough to dispute.

Overrated

(#2) Michigan Wolverines

The No. 2 Wolverines have been back with head coach Jim Harbaugh for a few weeks now, and the team did not seem to miss a beat through his suspension. Fast forward to the present, and Michigan is an undefeated 7-0 entering Week 8, including 4-0 in Big Ten play.

Undeniably, signal-caller J.J. McCarthy (top QBR in FBS at 92.6) and the Wolverine offensive line have been playing lights-out football. Additionally, the defense in Ann Arbor has been up to snuff, surrendering only 6.7 PPG (best clip in Division I) in the current campaign. However, Michigan has not competed against a single ranked football team in 2023.

The Wolverines will next embark on a rivalry game against the Michigan State Spartans before taking on the Purdue Boilermakers. Then, after an idle week, the Block M will finally see their first ranked opponent on November 11th in Happy Valley versus No. 7 Penn State. Get your popcorn ready for that one; it is unlikely Michigan will lose before then.

The Baby Bear's Porridge

(#5) Washington Huskies

Like Goldilocks eventually discovered, the baby bear's porridge was just right -- and so is this team's ranking, in my opinion.

The Huskies and star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. are receiving their flowers this week, and rightfully so. Washington just beat one of their fiercest rivals -- a very talented Oregon team -- for the second consecutive season, winning 36-33 behind 302 passing yards and 4 scores from Penix. That performance has put UDub fourth overall (23.3) on the SP+ scale, and they sit atop the Pac-12.

As it is now, the No. 5 Huskies have their highest ranking since 2017 -- another campaign that produced a 6-0 start. Also, the lefty-flamethrower Penix has surged to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds board at FanDuel Sportsbook. He is now the odds-on favorite in the market at -140. Given that Penix is yielding the nation's second-best QBR (91.7) right now, and the quality of Husky receivers Rome Odunze and Ja'lynn Polk (both over 550 rec. yards in 2023), I do not see Washington slowing down.

UDub has a couple softer games on the schedule ahead. This weekend, the Arizona State Sun Devils will travel to Seattle to play the Huskies. From there, Washington will head to the Golden State for consecutive games (at the Stanford Cardinal, then No. 18 USC). However, their final test of the regular season will come in Week 12 at Oregon State.

Keep in mind: over the past three years, the Beavers have lost just once in Corvallis.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.