If you look at the logos on the helmets or the names in the rankings it can be difficult to describe what we have in college football this season as “parity,” but with another changing of the guard at No. 1 there is definitely more uncertainty than usual regarding the very best teams in the sport.
As we prepare to enter Week 9 the latest update of the CBS Sports 134 — our comprehensive ranking of every FBS team as voted on by experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports — shows not only another change at No. 1 but a new team taking over that top spot. With Texas’ loss to Georgia on Saturday night in Austin comes a shake-up for the entire top five, and the result is Oregon taking over at No. 1 for the first time this season.
Our voters have reacted to eight weeks of college football and in doing so have collectively switched out the No. 1 team four times. And while no one should be surprised the likes of Georgia, Texas, Alabama or Oregon are competing for those top spots, the fact that all have made such a strong impression early in the year sets up well for the title race that’s in our future. When you add in Ohio State, Penn State, Miami and others — all teams that have been near the top of the rankings for weeks just not in the No. 1 spot — and what we have is a robust set of contenders for the sport’s top prizes in 2024. Again, it’s not parity as much as it is intrigue, since we know the stakes are higher and the field is larger in this new playoff era.
In terms of the rest of this week’s rankings beyond the top spot, the Big Ten is shining with not just Oregon at No. 1 but Ohio State and Penn State joining the Ducks in the top three. Georgia and Indiana also also made moves up inside the top 10 following big Week 8 victories, and BYU joined the top 10 after late-game heroics pushed the Cougars over Oklahoma State Friday night in Provo, Utah.
The biggest adjustment within the top 25 was Alabama’s 10-spot drop from No. 7 to No. 17 after losing at Tennessee, but that was far from the biggest or most notable changes within the top 60. For much more on the notable week-to-week changes in the CBS Sports 134 after Week 8, check out the Mover’s Report below the top 25 table.
College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-134 on our rankings page.
Biggest movers
- No. 35 Cincinnati (+19): The Bearcats haven’t logged enough top-end wins to really build a case for the top 25, but keep your eye on this group in the weeks ahead. Cincinnati is 5-2 on the year and the only losses have been to Pitt by one point and at Texas Tech by three points. Up next is a great test case for the team’s newly-acquired top 40 status, as they’ll be facing Colorado late Saturday night in Boulder.
- No. 34 Wisconsin (+12): After losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to a season-ending injury and blowing a halftime lead at USC, things looked bleak for the Badgers. But Wisconsin has strung together three consecutive wins in conference play by margins of 46, 35 and 20 points and in Week 9 have a huge opportunity to throw their hat into the ring for Big Ten title contention if they can take down Penn State in Madison.
- No. 38 South Carolina (+12): Things can get pretty fluid between No. 30 and No. 60 and South Carolina has been moving up and down this section of the rankings for much of the season. The Gamecocks have been rewarded for their quality and competitiveness even in losses to LSU and Alabama, but it takes a strong win like going on the road to Norman and winning handily to generate a real spike in the rankings.
- No. 32 Colorado (+10): Two times this season Colorado has gone on the road in conference play as an underdog and brought the hammer in a statement win. First it was a 48-21 win at UCF and on Saturday it was a 34-7 trouncing of Arizona that keeps the Buffs right in the thick of the Big 12 title race.
- No. 42 Texas Tech (-13): A four-game winning streak was snapped over the weekend by Baylor, and so now the Red Raiders team that had just moved up seven spots gets yanked back down outside the top 40. At 5-2 overall with a 3-1 conference record many of Texas Tech’s goals are still in play, but getting thumped 59-35 by the Bears (at home, no less) is going to require an adjustment in the rankings.
- No. 51 Oklahoma (-15): The Sooners have already begun the process of addressing their biggest issues with a Sunday firing of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Now comes the issues of trying to get this team to the postseason as the South Carolina loss puts Oklahoma at 4-3 on the year with four top 25 teams left on the schedule.
- No. 55 Utah (-17): A home loss to TCU has really put the nail in the coffin for Utah’s Big 12 title and College Football Playoff hopes. The Utes are not only 1-3 in conference play but look so offensively inept (prompting Sunday’s resignation of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig) it seems unlikely even the strongest defensive performances could spark a miracle run in the back half of the season.
- No. 43 Michigan (-17): At the risk of editorializing too much, it was telling that Illinois did not make a big move up after its massive win against Michigan on Saturday to improve to 6-1. That’s because our voters clearly thought the result had more to do with the Wolverines, who made one of the biggest moves down of any team within the top 50.
Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 134: Teams ranked 26-134
