Week 8 Top 25

Here is the top 25 for week 8.  Again, there was a lot of shuffling at the top, and given how many SEC and Big 12 teams are up there, we aren't even close to done yet.

Week 8
1. SEC	Nothing to see here.  Move along.
2. Oregon	Nothing new here either.  Keep going.
3. Collin Klein	Collin Klein is moving into territory even RG3 couldn't reach.  Of course, he's supported by a better defense, but Klein should be squarely in the Heisman discussion.  Bill Snyder just knows how to win and after all these years may have his best chance yet to win a title at Kansas State.
4. SEC	The Gayta just keeps rising as others fall.  Jeff Driskel is making just enough plays on offense while Mike Gillislee is having a very good year.  The defense is still what makes this team go, and we'll see what this team is really made of with South Carolina and Georgia up next.
5. Notre Dame	Sometimes they win ugly, and sometimes they win big, but they've won every game this year.  Despite the QB struggles, what is really impressive about the Irish is that they have yet to allow a rushing touchdown this year, or at least the refs haven't.  It looks like another ugly physical game coming up this week against BYU.  We get to see what Notre Dame really has in them in two weeks at Oklahoma.
6. SEC	Lester still has some of the magic and came up with a novel idea to win on Saturday: Don't let Zach Mettenberger decide the game.  Without the ball in the Offendor's hands to lose the game, freshman Jeremy Hill had a breakout game on the ground as the Tigers pounded it right at Clowney & Co while the defense held on.
7. SEC	Connor Shaw finally came back down to Earth and got knocked around in Baton Rouge.  If he doesn't overthrow a wideopen receiver only to hit Eric Reid right in the numbers, the Gamecocks may have won.  He did however lead the team to 21 points, which could have been enough had the defensive line- which just dominated UGA- not been bowled over in the second half.
8. Oregon State	I don't feel the least bit authoritative on Oregon State.  That's probably because I've barely seen highlights of them this season.  They did, however, put up 42 points on a previously dominant BYU defense, which has to count for something.  That was also 42 points without starting QB Sean Mannion.  Interestingly, the Beavers have rescheduled their original game with Nicholls State for Dec. 1.  The Pac 12 championship game is on Nov. 30.  I guess they expect to lose to Oregon again this year.
9. Oklahoma	Big Game Bob gave Texas a big game beatdown in the Cotton Bowl.  This could be the Sooners' surge back to the top if others keep falling.  With about 10 minutes to go in the second quarter, OU was already outgaining Texas by over 300 yards.  They get an offweek against Kansas before Notre Dame comes to town for a game that will be so hyped up you would think Tim Tebow was playing.
10. SEC	The Bulldogs still haven't done anything terribly impressive this year except go 6-0.  The defense had a bit of a lapse against the Vols but has otherwise been stellar, while the offense is doing everything it  needs to do.  If they can get by powerhouse MTSU, they will be 7-0 going to Tuscaloosa in two weeks.
11. Florida State	FSU rebounded by blowing out BC.  That is, of course, to be expected because BC is one of the worst teams in the country.  The Noles travel down to South Florida this week for blockbuster rivalry formerly known as FSU/Miami.  FSU has had little trouble winning at Miami their last few trips.
12. Clemson	Clemson got a week off to rest, which they surely needed after putting up 1,200 yards on Georgia Tech.  VPISU comes to town this week, which gives a Clemson a chance to show off against a supposedly good defense.  It also gives the Tigers a chance to lose a game they shouldn't in the second half of the season.
13. USC	USC had another rather uninspiring win this week over Washington.  The Trojans built up a 24-7 lead in the first half and then just held on waiting for the Dawgs to come from behind, which fizzled out anticlimactically after just one score.
14. SEC	The dogs had a week off to lick their wounds, which were plenty after the beating they took in Columbia.  They get a chance to take out some frustration on Kentucky before their annual showdown in Jacksonville, which suddenly looks much less appealing again.
15. Rutgers	Rutgers continues to do what they do: score just enough and play shutdown defense.  It has worked well enough to get to 6-0 and should get them to 9-0 with Temple, Kent State, and Army coming up.  The Big East race will get muddy at the end of the year with Cincinnati, Pitt, and Louisville on the schedule to close the season.
16. Louisville	Louisville has been playing in close games for a month, which means they are either about to snap or the experience will carry them through the end of the year.  They should continue their 6-0 start over struggling USF this week before Cincinnati comes to town for a big matchup.
17. Cincinnati	Munchie Legeaux cleaned his plate with Fordham easily as expected.  Toledo is up next with a 6-1 record.  Cincinnati should be able to take care of the Rockets, but it could be tough, giving them a good warmup before going to Louisville next week.
18. Texas Tech	Here is the big story of the week.  Texas Tech didn't just upset West Virginia.  They whipped them up and down the field, busted into their home, and set their couch on fire.  It shouldn't be a huge surprise that the Red Raiders put up 49 points in the game, but they held WVU to 14 points, outgaining them by almost 300 yards.  Of course, we've seen TTU win big games before only to tank the following week.  With TCU, Collin Klein, and Texas up next, they will need to maintain that intensity.
19. TCU	TCU followed up their loss to Iowa State with a 49-21 point win over Baylor, holding the Bears under 47 points for the first time this season.  The TCU defense continues to be strong, and the offense and team as a whole may benefit from the final departure of Casey Pachall.  They are entering their big stretch run which now looks even tougher after Texas Tech's domination of West Virginia.
20. Arizona State	Arizona State avoided a letdown against Colorado, winning 51-17.  The real test comes this Thursday when Oregon comes to the desert.  The good news is that the Sun Devils won't have to go to Eugene.  ASU will have to play a near perfect game to have a chance to win, but they will be the most physical team Oregon has seen this year.  We will see how the Ducks respond to being hit (that is assuming ASU can catch them).
21. West Virginia	And just like that, the national title hopes are over in Morgantown.  Given a strong Big 12 schedule, the Couchburners could have hoped to sneak into the title game with one loss to someone like Oklahoma.  Those hopes are gone now that that one loss is a 49-14 beatdown from Texas Tech, and given their pitiful performance, more losses seem likely.  After being abused by the TTU defense, Geno Smith's Heisman campaign might be over now too.
22. SEC	The Aggies didn't really do a ton to bolster their resume in a 59-57 win over LaTech.  Johnny Manziel is leading the offense to a lot of points, probably even more than expected.  The defense, however, has to get a lot better.  The overall numbers on the season aren't bad, but 27 points in the 4th quarter to LaTech is very bad, especially with the Bayou Bengals coming to town this week.
23. Stanford	Stanford may have gotten screwed against Notre Dame, but four chances from inside the four yard line is plenty.  It's hard to punish them too much after an overtime loss to a top five team, but the Cardinal really needs to step up and take care of Cal in the Big Game this weekend after losing two of three since upsetting USC.
24. Texas	Mack Brown said he was embarassed after last years 55-17 loss to Oklahoma and thought his team was mature enough now to avoid another 38 point loss.  Well, maybe they are more mature because they upped the ante with a 42 point loss this time.  What's really shocking is how bad the Texas defense is.  Manny Diaz is known to be a great coordinator, and the Longhorns supposedly have great talent, but neither has shown up this year.  They are on pace to set a school record for points and yards allowed.  Not bad for one of the best defenses in the country.
25. Ohio	Who knew that there are three undefeated teams in Ohio this season?  They haven't exactly run the gauntlet, but Tyler Tettleton may be the country's best kept secret at QB.  It's entirely possible that the Bobcats run the table, though this is pretty much their ceiling as far as ranking goes.  But hey, they are ranked higher than any Big Ten team right now.