Week 8 of the college football season delivered significant chaos, according to a report published October 24. Top-five teams BYU and Texas Tech both suffered road losses to unranked opponents, damaging their College Football Playoff aspirations. Meanwhile, Utah remains undefeated and one of only three unbeaten teams left nationally, alongside Miami and UCLA.
In Austin, Texas quarterback Arch Manning helped the Longhorns survive a 34-27 victory over No. 7 Ole Miss. Despite committing three turnovers, Manning delivered a winning touchdown to keep Texas' season alive. In Ann Arbor, Indiana secured its first win at Michigan since 1967 with a 13-6 overtime victory. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti opted to take risks in overtime to secure the win after relying on an elite defense throughout the afternoon.
The Big 12 saw significant shifts as No. 3 BYU lost 39-31 in double overtime to UCF. The loss follows a victory over Notre Dame that had previously positioned the Cougars as a national championship contender. Additionally, No. 5 Texas Tech fell 37-24 to Cincinnati. Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire described the performance, which included three turnovers and 12 penalties, as being about as bad as the team could play.
Other notable results included:
South Carolina defeated No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 after a failed fourth-and-1 and a late fumble by George MacIntyre.
No. 12 Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 34-17, improving to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC.
Alabama defeated Texas A&M 31-20, led by Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, who completed his final seven passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Minnesota upset No. 14 Iowa 13-10 after Luke Drzewiecki hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
Wisconsin defeated No. 15 USC 24-7, a loss that analysts suggest increases pressure on USC coach Lincoln Riley.
LSU defeated Auburn 38-17, fueled by Sam Leavitt's 387 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
Illinois upset No. 25 Oregon 21-10, leaving the Ducks with a 4-3 record.
Utah's undefeated streak has reached 13 consecutive victories under coach Morgan Scalley. The Utes face a difficult upcoming stretch against Cincinnati, BYU, and Arizona to validate their standing in the College Football Playoff race.
