RANKINGS...

[MakeItRain]

Sure seems a tad extreme for losing on the road on a 61 yard FG, for sure. My hope is that it’s not related to the injury. But that was my first thought also.

Those voters aren't playing that kind of attention.

[MakeItRain]

Not sure what the rest of the top 25 teams look like

we don't look very top 25y to me

[star seed 7]

Sure seems a tad extreme for losing on the road on a 61 yard FG, for sure. My hope is that it’s not related to the injury. But that was my first thought also.

Those voters aren't playing that kind of attention.

Yeah, this stuff cracks me up. I bet less than 10 voters looked into the game for anything more than sportscenter highlights. Even less for the lol coaches poll.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

Grad assistants fill out the Coaches polls.

[CHONGS]

https://collegepolltracker.com/football/team/kansas-state-wildcats/2023

[nicname]

I like Mizzou being ranked. They’re gonna show to be pretty decent this season, and a tough out at home.

[cfbandyman]

I like Mizzou being ranked. They’re gonna show to be pretty decent this season, and a tough out at home.

I mean the SEC east besides Georgia is pretty tame, they can win 8 game easily

[nicname]

Cats holding strong at No. 17 in the Massey Composite despite the Mizzou loss.

https://masseyratings.com/ranks

Doing well among 1-loss teams in the Colley Matrix as well (though still a small sample for this).

https://www.colleyrankings.com/currank.html

[MadCat]

https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/polls/coaches-poll/2023-2024/2023-10-01/
Cats punished for bye week

#27 in both

[KITNfury]

Why is LSU ranked?

[Katpappy]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP.   

[Spracne]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP. 

It could be worse. You could lose for the first time to the #3 team in the country on the road while playing your backup QB on 30-minutes notice and drop out of the polls and below the lowly Wildcats of KSU.

[Katpappy]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP. 

It could be worse. You could lose for the first time to the #3 team in the country on the road while playing your backup QB on 30-minutes notice and drop out of the polls and below the lowly Wildcats of KSU.

You do know we have a history of being slighted, but I see your point so join the club, my feathered friend.

[BIG APPLE CAT]

They (coaches and writers) just did it to justify the Friday night kick this week

[CHONGS]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP. 

It was Missouri.  Be happy we're receiving votes. 

[cfbandyman]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP. 

It could be worse. You could lose for the first time to the #3 team in the country on the road while playing your backup QB on 30-minutes notice and drop out of the polls and below the lowly Wildcats of KSU.

You do know we have a history of being slighted, but I see your point so join the club, my feathered friend.

I mean, if ku is noted for anything, it's being slighted by east coast bias

[catastrophe]

They (coaches and writers) just did it to justify the Friday night kick this week

Yep. We don’t beat OSU by 40 and we’re dropping further I’m afraid.

[catastrophe]

Jesus rough ridin' Christ, we lose one game by a rough ridin' SEC record breaking FG in the last 3 seconds and we're not even ranked.  WTF, is going on with these one-sided rankings?  I will bet that even if we win the CCG and go 11-1, we won't even be considered for the CFP. 

I wouldn’t necessarily give the voters this much credit, but we did also lose (two?) really important players after the Missouri game.

[yoga-like_abana]

Not sure what the rest of the top 25 teams look like

we don't look very top 25y to me

[MakeItRain]

Not sure what the rest of the top 25 teams look like

we don't look very top 25y to me

called your shot!

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

ESPN+
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
College football's post-Week 8 SP+ rankings

Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer
Oct 22, 2023, 11:30 AM ET

Below are this week's SP+ rankings. What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.

SP+ is indeed intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.

Here are the full rankings:


Post-Week 8 SP+ Rankings
TEAM   RATING   OFFENSE   DEFENSE   SPEC. TEAMS
1. Michigan (8-0)   28.7   39.6 (6)   11.3 (2)   0.4 (6)
2. Georgia (7-0)   24.0   38.4 (7)   14.8 (7)   0.3 (15)
3. Alabama (7-1)   22.8   36.1 (15)   13.6 (4)   0.3 (9)
4. Ohio St. (7-0)   22.1   35.6 (16)   13.7 (5)   0.3 (22)
5. Oregon (6-1)   21.4   42.7 (3)   21.4 (31)   0.1 (57)
6. Texas (6-1)   20.7   37.8 (8)   17.3 (11)   0.3 (27)
7. Washington (7-0)   20.7   40.7 (4)   20.3 (24)   0.3 (16)
8. Notre Dame (6-2)   19.8   34.6 (19)   14.7 (6)   0.0 (78)
9. Oklahoma (7-0)   19.5   40.0 (5)   20.3 (23)   -0.2 (95)
10. LSU (6-2)   18.9   43.0 (2)   24.1 (47)   0.0 (80)
11. Florida St. (7-0)   18.5   37.0 (12)   18.8 (17)   0.4 (1)
12. Penn St. (6-1)   18.5   31.4 (31)   13.0 (3)   0.1 (62)
13. USC (6-2)   17.7   43.6 (1)   26.0 (65)   0.1 (48)
14. Kansas St. (5-2)   15.6   37.1 (10)   21.6 (32)   0.1 (43)
15. Oregon St. (6-1)   15.4   37.1 (11)   22.1 (35)   0.3 (11)
16. Tennessee (5-2)   15.3   34.3 (20)   19.1 (19)   0.1 (51)
17. Texas A&M (4-3)   15.2   30.8 (36)   15.3 (8)   -0.2 (99)
18. Missouri (7-1)   14.9   35.0 (18)   19.9 (22)   -0.1 (92)
19. Clemson (4-3)   14.9   31.2 (32)   16.3 (9)   0.0 (74)
20. UCLA (5-2)   14.2   32.5 (26)   18.0 (14)   -0.2 (100)
21. Ole Miss (6-1)   13.8   35.4 (17)   21.9 (34)   0.3 (26)
22. N. Carolina (6-1)   13.4   37.4 (9)   24.1 (46)   0.0 (63)
23. Miami (5-2)   13.4   32.5 (25)   19.5 (21)   0.4 (4)
24. Utah (6-1)   12.5   30.0 (43)   17.5 (12)   0.1 (53)
25. Kentucky (5-2)   11.7   30.0 (42)   18.7 (16)   0.3 (18)
26. Duke (5-2)   11.6   30.5 (40)   19.0 (18)   0.1 (47)
27. Louisville (6-1)   10.7   31.1 (33)   20.4 (26)   0.1 (60)
28. Wisconsin (5-2)   10.5   27.8 (56)   17.7 (13)   0.3 (14)
29. TCU (4-4)   10.2   32.8 (24)   22.4 (36)   -0.2 (97)
30. Florida (5-2)   9.2   32.0 (28)   23.1 (42)   0.3 (13)
31. Texas Tech (3-5)   9.0   32.4 (27)   23.6 (43)   0.2 (42)
32. Maryland (5-2)   8.9   29.7 (44)   20.7 (28)   -0.1 (86)
33. UCF (3-4)   8.7   33.8 (21)   25.2 (57)   0.0 (66)
34. Arizona (4-3)   8.3   36.3 (14)   28.1 (77)   0.0 (64)
35. Air Force (7-0)   8.2   26.0 (70)   18.1 (15)   0.3 (19)
36. Kansas (5-2)   7.4   36.8 (13)   29.7 (88)   0.3 (10)
37. Iowa (6-2)   7.0   16.9 (121)   10.3 (1)   0.4 (7)
38. Iowa St. (4-3)   6.9   23.3 (85)   16.5 (10)   0.1 (45)
39. Wash. St. (4-3)   6.8   30.6 (37)   24.2 (50)   0.4 (3)
40. Oklahoma St. (5-2)   6.7   31.7 (29)   25.2 (59)   0.2 (38)
41. JMU (7-0)   5.6   28.4 (50)   23.0 (41)   0.3 (23)
42. Tulane (6-1)   4.9   30.6 (39)   25.9 (63)   0.2 (39)
43. Arkansas (2-6)   4.4   28.2 (53)   24.2 (49)   0.4 (2)
44. Auburn (3-4)   4.1   27.7 (59)   23.9 (44)   0.2 (34)
45. Miss. St. (4-3)   4.1   29.4 (45)   25.6 (60)   0.3 (20)
46. SMU (5-2)   4.0   28.7 (48)   24.4 (51)   -0.4 (118)
47. Pittsburgh (2-5)   3.6   26.3 (68)   22.5 (37)   -0.2 (93)
48. Syracuse (4-3)   3.6   26.4 (67)   22.9 (40)   0.0 (65)
49. Rutgers (6-2)   3.5   24.8 (79)   21.3 (29)   0.0 (76)
50. S. Carolina (2-5)   3.4   33.1 (23)   30.0 (89)   0.2 (28)
51. Liberty (7-0)   3.3   30.3 (41)   26.6 (67)   -0.3 (112)
52. Troy (5-2)   3.3   23.6 (83)   20.3 (25)   -0.1 (85)
53. S. Alabama (4-3)   3.3   27.8 (58)   24.7 (55)   0.3 (25)
54. NC St. (4-3)   3.2   24.2 (80)   21.3 (30)   0.3 (12)
55. Fresno St. (6-1)   3.2   27.7 (61)   24.6 (54)   0.1 (56)
56. BYU (5-2)   3.1   27.7 (62)   24.8 (56)   0.3 (24)
57. Toledo (7-1)   2.8   28.4 (51)   25.7 (62)   0.1 (50)
58. Houston (3-4)   2.5   33.3 (22)   30.7 (94)   -0.1 (89)
59. Minnesota (4-3)   2.4   22.8 (90)   20.6 (27)   0.2 (29)
60. W. Virginia (4-3)   2.3   28.8 (47)   26.7 (68)   0.2 (41)
61. Nebraska (4-3)   2.1   21.6 (94)   19.1 (20)   -0.3 (114)
62. Illinois (3-5)   2.0   23.7 (82)   21.7 (33)   -0.1 (84)
63. Wake Forest (4-3)   1.6   25.6 (73)   24.1 (48)   0.1 (54)
64. Memphis (5-2)   1.1   31.5 (30)   30.4 (91)   0.1 (61)
65. Cincinnati (2-5)   1.0   24.9 (77)   24.0 (45)   0.0 (69)
66. Va. Tech (3-4)   0.6   23.1 (86)   22.7 (39)   0.2 (36)
67. Boise St. (3-4)   0.0   30.6 (38)   30.7 (93)   0.1 (55)
68. Baylor (3-4)   -0.2   27.8 (57)   27.9 (75)   0.0 (75)
69. Michigan St. (2-5)   -0.3   22.0 (92)   22.7 (38)   0.3 (17)
70. UTSA (4-3)   -0.6   27.7 (60)   28.4 (79)   0.0 (68)
71. Georgia St. (6-1)   -0.9   28.5 (49)   29.6 (85)   0.2 (35)
72. California (3-4)   -1.0   26.6 (65)   27.1 (72)   -0.4 (124)
73. Louisiana (4-3)   -1.7   29.3 (46)   31.2 (100)   0.2 (33)
74. Ga. Tech (3-4)   -1.8   27.8 (55)   29.4 (84)   -0.2 (103)
75. Coastal Caro. (4-3)   -2.3   27.0 (64)   29.1 (82)   -0.2 (96)
76. Purdue (2-5)   -2.3   25.1 (76)   27.0 (71)   -0.4 (129)
77. Colorado (4-3)   -2.5   30.9 (35)   33.2 (112)   -0.2 (98)
78. Wyoming (5-2)   -3.8   23.0 (88)   26.8 (69)   0.1 (59)
79. Miami-OH (6-2)   -3.8   20.2 (105)   24.4 (52)   0.4 (5)
80. Virginia (2-5)   -4.1   21.1 (98)   25.2 (58)   0.0 (67)
81. Marshall (4-3)   -4.4   21.6 (95)   25.6 (61)   -0.3 (116)
82. UNLV (6-1)   -4.4   26.3 (69)   31.0 (98)   0.2 (32)
83. Boston Coll. (4-3)   -4.6   25.4 (74)   30.0 (90)   0.0 (70)
84. Ohio (6-2)   -4.7   20.2 (106)   24.5 (53)   -0.4 (132)
85. Arizona St. (1-6)   -5.0   21.4 (97)   26.1 (66)   -0.3 (113)
86. San Jose St. (3-5)   -5.2   26.5 (66)   31.2 (101)   -0.4 (125)
87. Ga. Southern (5-2)   -5.5   28.3 (52)   33.8 (115)   0.0 (79)
88. Texas St. (5-2)   -5.6   23.8 (81)   29.7 (87)   0.3 (21)
89. WKU (4-3)   -5.8   24.9 (78)   31.0 (97)   0.2 (30)
90. App. St. (3-4)   -6.0   28.0 (54)   34.2 (118)   0.1 (44)
91. Vanderbilt (2-6)   -6.2   27.4 (63)   33.6 (113)   0.1 (52)
92. NMSU (5-3)   -6.6   25.8 (72)   32.4 (107)   0.0 (72)
93. Northwestern (3-4)   -7.6   18.1 (117)   25.9 (64)   0.1 (49)
94. JSU (6-2)   -7.8   20.3 (104)   28.0 (76)   -0.1 (83)
95. Indiana (2-5)   -8.7   20.9 (99)   29.7 (86)   0.1 (58)
96. Rice (4-3)   -8.9   25.9 (71)   34.4 (121)   -0.4 (121)
97. N. Texas (3-4)   -9.2   30.9 (34)   40.3 (133)   0.2 (31)
98. Utah St. (3-5)   -9.3   25.3 (75)   34.5 (122)   -0.1 (82)
99. ODU (4-3)   -9.3   18.4 (115)   27.3 (74)   -0.3 (115)
100. FAU (3-4)   -9.5   19.2 (109)   28.6 (80)   -0.2 (94)
101. Stanford (2-5)   -9.7   21.8 (93)   31.7 (102)   0.2 (37)
102. NIU (4-4)   -9.8   19.6 (107)   29.1 (83)   -0.2 (104)
103. Tulsa (3-4)   -10.5   22.1 (91)   32.8 (110)   0.2 (40)
104. Navy (3-4)   -11.3   17.1 (120)   28.1 (78)   -0.3 (110)
105. Colorado St. (3-4)   -11.6   20.9 (100)   32.5 (108)   0.1 (46)
106. San Diego St. (3-5)   -11.7   19.1 (110)   30.7 (95)   -0.1 (91)
107. Army (2-5)   -12.4   18.2 (116)   30.5 (92)   -0.1 (90)
108. La. Tech (3-5)   -12.6   22.9 (89)   35.5 (126)   0.0 (81)
109. UAB (2-6)   -12.9   23.0 (87)   35.5 (127)   -0.4 (133)
110. MTSU (2-6)   -13.0   20.4 (103)   33.0 (111)   -0.3 (111)
111. Buffalo (3-5)   -13.3   19.4 (108)   32.6 (109)   -0.1 (87)
112. New Mexico (3-4)   -13.4   23.4 (84)   36.4 (129)   -0.3 (108)
113. Arkansas St. (3-4)   -14.0   20.4 (101)   34.2 (119)   -0.2 (102)
114. ECU (1-6)   -14.1   13.4 (128)   27.1 (73)   -0.4 (117)
115. BGSU (4-4)   -14.2   18.5 (112)   32.4 (106)   -0.4 (120)
116. USF (4-4)   -15.1   21.5 (96)   36.5 (130)   -0.1 (88)
117. EMU (4-4)   -15.2   13.3 (129)   28.9 (81)   0.4 (8)
118. ULM (2-5)   -15.6   18.7 (111)   34.1 (117)   -0.2 (101)
119. So. Miss (1-6)   -15.8   18.5 (113)   34.2 (120)   0.0 (73)
120. Hawaii (2-6)   -16.6   20.4 (102)   37.0 (131)   0.0 (71)
121. SHSU (0-7)   -16.6   10.6 (132)   26.8 (70)   -0.4 (122)
122. UTEP (2-6)   -16.8   15.7 (125)   32.2 (105)   -0.4 (119)
123. FIU (4-4)   -17.6   17.4 (118)   34.7 (124)   -0.3 (107)
124. Charlotte (2-5)   -18.0   13.2 (130)   30.8 (96)   -0.4 (128)
125. UConn (1-6)   -18.1   16.0 (123)   33.7 (114)   -0.4 (130)
126. Ball St. (2-6)   -18.3   14.0 (127)   32.1 (104)   -0.2 (105)
127. WMU (2-6)   -18.3   17.4 (119)   35.3 (125)   -0.4 (126)
128. CMU (4-4)   -18.7   15.4 (126)   33.9 (116)   -0.3 (109)
129. Nevada (1-6)   -18.9   15.9 (124)   34.6 (123)   -0.3 (106)
130. Temple (2-6)   -19.8   16.2 (122)   35.6 (128)   -0.4 (123)
131. Akron (1-7)   -21.0   11.4 (131)   32.0 (103)   -0.4 (131)
132. UMass (1-7)   -21.8   18.4 (114)   39.8 (132)   -0.4 (127)
133. Kent St. (1-7)   -25.1   6.0 (133)   31.1 (99)   0.0 (77)
This week's movers
Let's take a look at the teams that saw the biggest change in their overall ratings. (Note: We're looking at ratings, not rankings.)

MOVING UP

Here are the 10 teams that saw their ratings rise the most this week:

LSU: up 3.9 adjusted points per game (from 18th to 10th)

Michigan: up 3.6 (remains first)

New Mexico: up 3.4 (123rd to 112th)

Rice: up 3.2 (107th to 96th)

Missouri: up +3.0 (26th to 18th)

Boston College: up 2.9 (93rd to 83rd)

Alabama: up 2.8 (ninth to third)

Sam Houston: up 2.7 (127th to 121st)

Charlotte: up 2.4 (130th to 124th)

SMU: up 2.2 (60th to 46th)

With conference adjustments continuing to take on heavier weight each week, that benefited teams from the SEC and Pac-12 at the slight expense of the Big Ten and ACC. That Michigan still rose as many points as it did tells you quite a bit about how dominant the Wolverines continue to be, but the most interesting name here is Alabama's. SP+ was impressed by the Tide's tidy win over Tennessee; they held the edge in the efficiency and explosiveness categories and created more scoring opportunities and won by more than projected (34-20) despite an early 13-0 hole and some bad turnover luck.

Because the teams in the No. 3-11 range were so tightly clustered last week -- and because quite a few of those teams struggled in Week 8 -- their 2.8-point improvement was enough to vault them eight spots.

MOVING DOWN

Here are the 10 teams whose ratings fell the most:

Temple: down 4.0 adjusted points per game (121st to 130th)

Utah State: down 3.5 (85th to 98th)

Hawai'i: down 3.5 (109th to 120th)

Michigan State: down 3.4 (55th to 69th)

South Carolina: down 3.3 (39th to 50th)

Tulsa: down 3.0 (94th to 103rd)

Kent State: down 2.7 (132nd to 133rd)

FAU: down 2.7 (91st to 100th)

Washington: down 2.5 (fourth to seventh)

Duke: down 2.5 (22nd to 26th)

Scoring nine offensive points against an Arizona State team that allowed 21 to Southern Utah is not the best way to maintain a top-five ranking, Washington.

Conference rankings
Here are the FBS' 10 conferences, ranked by average SP+:

1. SEC: 11.1 average adjusted points per team (32.9 offense, 22.0 defense)
2. Pac-12: 8.2 average (32.9 offense, 24.6 defense)
3. Big 12: 8.1 average (32.0 offense, 24.0 defense)
4. Big Ten: 6.2 average (25.7 offense, 19.6 defense)
5. ACC: 6.1 average (28.5 offense, 22.6 defense)
6. Sun Belt: -4.9 average (24.5 offense, 29.4 defense)
7. Mountain West: -6.9 average (23.7 offense, 30.7 defense)
8. AAC: -8.6 average (22.9 offense, 31.3 defense)
9. Conference USA: -10.4 average (20.9 offense, 31.1 defense)
10. MAC: -13.3 average (17.0 offense, 30.2 defense)

The SEC continues to lead the way here, not because of a high volume of contenders -- its three top-15 teams are merely equal to the Big 12 and Big Ten and behind the Pac-12's four -- but because of a low volume of dead weight. Only one SEC team ranks outside the top 50, compared to the Pac-12's four, the Big 12's five and the Big Ten's seven.

Résumé SP+
Since the College Football Playoff rankings are on the horizon, I'm also including résumé SP+ rankings in this piece each week.

As mentioned above, SP+ is intended to be a power rating, not a résumé evaluation tool, but résumé SP+ attempts to fill that latter gap. It is a look at two things: (1) how the average SP+ top-five team would be projected to perform against your schedule (in terms of scoring margin), and (2) how your scoring margin compares to (1). Throw in a seven-point penalty for every loss a team has suffered, and you can say that this is what the CFP rankings would look like if SP+ were in charge.

(Note: Because of the high bar teams have to clear in getting compared to an average top-five team, and because of the loss adjustment, most of these teams end up with a negative score. It is what it is.)

Here is this week's résumé SP+ top 15:

1. Michigan (8-0), +7.5 PPG
2. Ohio State (7-0), +4.3
3. Florida State (7-0), +3.7
4. Oklahoma (7-0), +3.2
5. Washington (7-0), +0.2
6. Georgia (7-0), -0.4
7. Penn State (6-1), -2.2
8. Oregon (6-1), -4.4
9. Texas (6-1), -7.2
10. Ole Miss (6-1), -9.7
11. Oregon State (6-1), -9.9
12. Alabama (7-1), -10.5
13. Kansas State (5-2), -11.8
14. Utah (6-1), -13.8
15. Air Force (7-0), -14.0

Other unbeatens:
17. James Madison (7-0), -16.2
22. Liberty (7-0), -19.2

Another competitive loss to Ohio State -- an annual tradition -- leaves Penn State as your highest-ranked one-loss team, ahead of Oregon and a Texas team that struggled to put away Houston. But the top name on the list shouldn't be a surprise. I always like to say it's how you play, not who you play, and while Michigan hasn't played any interesting "whos," the how is unquestionable at this point: The Wolverines are really, really good, illegal scouting methods or no illegal scouting methods.

[nicname]

ESPN+
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
College football's post-Week 8 SP+ rankings

Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer
Oct 22, 2023, 11:30 AM ET

Below are this week's SP+ rankings. What is SP+? In a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. I created the system at Football Outsiders in 2008, and as my experience with both college football and its stats has grown, I have made quite a few tweaks to the system.

SP+ is indeed intended to be predictive and forward-facing. It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system is. It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you're lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you're strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.

Here are the full rankings:


Post-Week 8 SP+ Rankings
TEAM   RATING   OFFENSE   DEFENSE   SPEC. TEAMS
1. Michigan (8-0)   28.7   39.6 (6)   11.3 (2)   0.4 (6)
2. Georgia (7-0)   24.0   38.4 (7)   14.8 (7)   0.3 (15)
3. Alabama (7-1)   22.8   36.1 (15)   13.6 (4)   0.3 (9)
4. Ohio St. (7-0)   22.1   35.6 (16)   13.7 (5)   0.3 (22)
5. Oregon (6-1)   21.4   42.7 (3)   21.4 (31)   0.1 (57)
6. Texas (6-1)   20.7   37.8 (8)   17.3 (11)   0.3 (27)
7. Washington (7-0)   20.7   40.7 (4)   20.3 (24)   0.3 (16)
8. Notre Dame (6-2)   19.8   34.6 (19)   14.7 (6)   0.0 (78)
9. Oklahoma (7-0)   19.5   40.0 (5)   20.3 (23)   -0.2 (95)
10. LSU (6-2)   18.9   43.0 (2)   24.1 (47)   0.0 (80)
11. Florida St. (7-0)   18.5   37.0 (12)   18.8 (17)   0.4 (1)
12. Penn St. (6-1)   18.5   31.4 (31)   13.0 (3)   0.1 (62)
13. USC (6-2)   17.7   43.6 (1)   26.0 (65)   0.1 (48)
14. Kansas St. (5-2)   15.6   37.1 (10)   21.6 (32)   0.1 (43)
15. Oregon St. (6-1)   15.4   37.1 (11)   22.1 (35)   0.3 (11)
16. Tennessee (5-2)   15.3   34.3 (20)   19.1 (19)   0.1 (51)
17. Texas A&M (4-3)   15.2   30.8 (36)   15.3 (8)   -0.2 (99)
18. Missouri (7-1)   14.9   35.0 (18)   19.9 (22)   -0.1 (92)
19. Clemson (4-3)   14.9   31.2 (32)   16.3 (9)   0.0 (74)
20. UCLA (5-2)   14.2   32.5 (26)   18.0 (14)   -0.2 (100)
21. Ole Miss (6-1)   13.8   35.4 (17)   21.9 (34)   0.3 (26)
22. N. Carolina (6-1)   13.4   37.4 (9)   24.1 (46)   0.0 (63)
23. Miami (5-2)   13.4   32.5 (25)   19.5 (21)   0.4 (4)
24. Utah (6-1)   12.5   30.0 (43)   17.5 (12)   0.1 (53)
25. Kentucky (5-2)   11.7   30.0 (42)   18.7 (16)   0.3 (18)
26. Duke (5-2)   11.6   30.5 (40)   19.0 (18)   0.1 (47)
27. Louisville (6-1)   10.7   31.1 (33)   20.4 (26)   0.1 (60)
28. Wisconsin (5-2)   10.5   27.8 (56)   17.7 (13)   0.3 (14)
29. TCU (4-4)   10.2   32.8 (24)   22.4 (36)   -0.2 (97)
30. Florida (5-2)   9.2   32.0 (28)   23.1 (42)   0.3 (13)
31. Texas Tech (3-5)   9.0   32.4 (27)   23.6 (43)   0.2 (42)
32. Maryland (5-2)   8.9   29.7 (44)   20.7 (28)   -0.1 (86)
33. UCF (3-4)   8.7   33.8 (21)   25.2 (57)   0.0 (66)
34. Arizona (4-3)   8.3   36.3 (14)   28.1 (77)   0.0 (64)
35. Air Force (7-0)   8.2   26.0 (70)   18.1 (15)   0.3 (19)
36. Kansas (5-2)   7.4   36.8 (13)   29.7 (88)   0.3 (10)
37. Iowa (6-2)   7.0   16.9 (121)   10.3 (1)   0.4 (7)
38. Iowa St. (4-3)   6.9   23.3 (85)   16.5 (10)   0.1 (45)
39. Wash. St. (4-3)   6.8   30.6 (37)   24.2 (50)   0.4 (3)
40. Oklahoma St. (5-2)   6.7   31.7 (29)   25.2 (59)   0.2 (38)
41. JMU (7-0)   5.6   28.4 (50)   23.0 (41)   0.3 (23)
42. Tulane (6-1)   4.9   30.6 (39)   25.9 (63)   0.2 (39)
43. Arkansas (2-6)   4.4   28.2 (53)   24.2 (49)   0.4 (2)
44. Auburn (3-4)   4.1   27.7 (59)   23.9 (44)   0.2 (34)
45. Miss. St. (4-3)   4.1   29.4 (45)   25.6 (60)   0.3 (20)
46. SMU (5-2)   4.0   28.7 (48)   24.4 (51)   -0.4 (118)
47. Pittsburgh (2-5)   3.6   26.3 (68)   22.5 (37)   -0.2 (93)
48. Syracuse (4-3)   3.6   26.4 (67)   22.9 (40)   0.0 (65)
49. Rutgers (6-2)   3.5   24.8 (79)   21.3 (29)   0.0 (76)
50. S. Carolina (2-5)   3.4   33.1 (23)   30.0 (89)   0.2 (28)
51. Liberty (7-0)   3.3   30.3 (41)   26.6 (67)   -0.3 (112)
52. Troy (5-2)   3.3   23.6 (83)   20.3 (25)   -0.1 (85)
53. S. Alabama (4-3)   3.3   27.8 (58)   24.7 (55)   0.3 (25)
54. NC St. (4-3)   3.2   24.2 (80)   21.3 (30)   0.3 (12)
55. Fresno St. (6-1)   3.2   27.7 (61)   24.6 (54)   0.1 (56)
56. BYU (5-2)   3.1   27.7 (62)   24.8 (56)   0.3 (24)
57. Toledo (7-1)   2.8   28.4 (51)   25.7 (62)   0.1 (50)
58. Houston (3-4)   2.5   33.3 (22)   30.7 (94)   -0.1 (89)
59. Minnesota (4-3)   2.4   22.8 (90)   20.6 (27)   0.2 (29)
60. W. Virginia (4-3)   2.3   28.8 (47)   26.7 (68)   0.2 (41)
61. Nebraska (4-3)   2.1   21.6 (94)   19.1 (20)   -0.3 (114)
62. Illinois (3-5)   2.0   23.7 (82)   21.7 (33)   -0.1 (84)
63. Wake Forest (4-3)   1.6   25.6 (73)   24.1 (48)   0.1 (54)
64. Memphis (5-2)   1.1   31.5 (30)   30.4 (91)   0.1 (61)
65. Cincinnati (2-5)   1.0   24.9 (77)   24.0 (45)   0.0 (69)
66. Va. Tech (3-4)   0.6   23.1 (86)   22.7 (39)   0.2 (36)
67. Boise St. (3-4)   0.0   30.6 (38)   30.7 (93)   0.1 (55)
68. Baylor (3-4)   -0.2   27.8 (57)   27.9 (75)   0.0 (75)
69. Michigan St. (2-5)   -0.3   22.0 (92)   22.7 (38)   0.3 (17)
70. UTSA (4-3)   -0.6   27.7 (60)   28.4 (79)   0.0 (68)
71. Georgia St. (6-1)   -0.9   28.5 (49)   29.6 (85)   0.2 (35)
72. California (3-4)   -1.0   26.6 (65)   27.1 (72)   -0.4 (124)
73. Louisiana (4-3)   -1.7   29.3 (46)   31.2 (100)   0.2 (33)
74. Ga. Tech (3-4)   -1.8   27.8 (55)   29.4 (84)   -0.2 (103)
75. Coastal Caro. (4-3)   -2.3   27.0 (64)   29.1 (82)   -0.2 (96)
76. Purdue (2-5)   -2.3   25.1 (76)   27.0 (71)   -0.4 (129)
77. Colorado (4-3)   -2.5   30.9 (35)   33.2 (112)   -0.2 (98)
78. Wyoming (5-2)   -3.8   23.0 (88)   26.8 (69)   0.1 (59)
79. Miami-OH (6-2)   -3.8   20.2 (105)   24.4 (52)   0.4 (5)
80. Virginia (2-5)   -4.1   21.1 (98)   25.2 (58)   0.0 (67)
81. Marshall (4-3)   -4.4   21.6 (95)   25.6 (61)   -0.3 (116)
82. UNLV (6-1)   -4.4   26.3 (69)   31.0 (98)   0.2 (32)
83. Boston Coll. (4-3)   -4.6   25.4 (74)   30.0 (90)   0.0 (70)
84. Ohio (6-2)   -4.7   20.2 (106)   24.5 (53)   -0.4 (132)
85. Arizona St. (1-6)   -5.0   21.4 (97)   26.1 (66)   -0.3 (113)
86. San Jose St. (3-5)   -5.2   26.5 (66)   31.2 (101)   -0.4 (125)
87. Ga. Southern (5-2)   -5.5   28.3 (52)   33.8 (115)   0.0 (79)
88. Texas St. (5-2)   -5.6   23.8 (81)   29.7 (87)   0.3 (21)
89. WKU (4-3)   -5.8   24.9 (78)   31.0 (97)   0.2 (30)
90. App. St. (3-4)   -6.0   28.0 (54)   34.2 (118)   0.1 (44)
91. Vanderbilt (2-6)   -6.2   27.4 (63)   33.6 (113)   0.1 (52)
92. NMSU (5-3)   -6.6   25.8 (72)   32.4 (107)   0.0 (72)
93. Northwestern (3-4)   -7.6   18.1 (117)   25.9 (64)   0.1 (49)
94. JSU (6-2)   -7.8   20.3 (104)   28.0 (76)   -0.1 (83)
95. Indiana (2-5)   -8.7   20.9 (99)   29.7 (86)   0.1 (58)
96. Rice (4-3)   -8.9   25.9 (71)   34.4 (121)   -0.4 (121)
97. N. Texas (3-4)   -9.2   30.9 (34)   40.3 (133)   0.2 (31)
98. Utah St. (3-5)   -9.3   25.3 (75)   34.5 (122)   -0.1 (82)
99. ODU (4-3)   -9.3   18.4 (115)   27.3 (74)   -0.3 (115)
100. FAU (3-4)   -9.5   19.2 (109)   28.6 (80)   -0.2 (94)
101. Stanford (2-5)   -9.7   21.8 (93)   31.7 (102)   0.2 (37)
102. NIU (4-4)   -9.8   19.6 (107)   29.1 (83)   -0.2 (104)
103. Tulsa (3-4)   -10.5   22.1 (91)   32.8 (110)   0.2 (40)
104. Navy (3-4)   -11.3   17.1 (120)   28.1 (78)   -0.3 (110)
105. Colorado St. (3-4)   -11.6   20.9 (100)   32.5 (108)   0.1 (46)
106. San Diego St. (3-5)   -11.7   19.1 (110)   30.7 (95)   -0.1 (91)
107. Army (2-5)   -12.4   18.2 (116)   30.5 (92)   -0.1 (90)
108. La. Tech (3-5)   -12.6   22.9 (89)   35.5 (126)   0.0 (81)
109. UAB (2-6)   -12.9   23.0 (87)   35.5 (127)   -0.4 (133)
110. MTSU (2-6)   -13.0   20.4 (103)   33.0 (111)   -0.3 (111)
111. Buffalo (3-5)   -13.3   19.4 (108)   32.6 (109)   -0.1 (87)
112. New Mexico (3-4)   -13.4   23.4 (84)   36.4 (129)   -0.3 (108)
113. Arkansas St. (3-4)   -14.0   20.4 (101)   34.2 (119)   -0.2 (102)
114. ECU (1-6)   -14.1   13.4 (128)   27.1 (73)   -0.4 (117)
115. BGSU (4-4)   -14.2   18.5 (112)   32.4 (106)   -0.4 (120)
116. USF (4-4)   -15.1   21.5 (96)   36.5 (130)   -0.1 (88)
117. EMU (4-4)   -15.2   13.3 (129)   28.9 (81)   0.4 (8)
118. ULM (2-5)   -15.6   18.7 (111)   34.1 (117)   -0.2 (101)
119. So. Miss (1-6)   -15.8   18.5 (113)   34.2 (120)   0.0 (73)
120. Hawaii (2-6)   -16.6   20.4 (102)   37.0 (131)   0.0 (71)
121. SHSU (0-7)   -16.6   10.6 (132)   26.8 (70)   -0.4 (122)
122. UTEP (2-6)   -16.8   15.7 (125)   32.2 (105)   -0.4 (119)
123. FIU (4-4)   -17.6   17.4 (118)   34.7 (124)   -0.3 (107)
124. Charlotte (2-5)   -18.0   13.2 (130)   30.8 (96)   -0.4 (128)
125. UConn (1-6)   -18.1   16.0 (123)   33.7 (114)   -0.4 (130)
126. Ball St. (2-6)   -18.3   14.0 (127)   32.1 (104)   -0.2 (105)
127. WMU (2-6)   -18.3   17.4 (119)   35.3 (125)   -0.4 (126)
128. CMU (4-4)   -18.7   15.4 (126)   33.9 (116)   -0.3 (109)
129. Nevada (1-6)   -18.9   15.9 (124)   34.6 (123)   -0.3 (106)
130. Temple (2-6)   -19.8   16.2 (122)   35.6 (128)   -0.4 (123)
131. Akron (1-7)   -21.0   11.4 (131)   32.0 (103)   -0.4 (131)
132. UMass (1-7)   -21.8   18.4 (114)   39.8 (132)   -0.4 (127)
133. Kent St. (1-7)   -25.1   6.0 (133)   31.1 (99)   0.0 (77)
This week's movers
Let's take a look at the teams that saw the biggest change in their overall ratings. (Note: We're looking at ratings, not rankings.)

MOVING UP

Here are the 10 teams that saw their ratings rise the most this week:

LSU: up 3.9 adjusted points per game (from 18th to 10th)

Michigan: up 3.6 (remains first)

New Mexico: up 3.4 (123rd to 112th)

Rice: up 3.2 (107th to 96th)

Missouri: up +3.0 (26th to 18th)

Boston College: up 2.9 (93rd to 83rd)

Alabama: up 2.8 (ninth to third)

Sam Houston: up 2.7 (127th to 121st)

Charlotte: up 2.4 (130th to 124th)

SMU: up 2.2 (60th to 46th)

With conference adjustments continuing to take on heavier weight each week, that benefited teams from the SEC and Pac-12 at the slight expense of the Big Ten and ACC. That Michigan still rose as many points as it did tells you quite a bit about how dominant the Wolverines continue to be, but the most interesting name here is Alabama's. SP+ was impressed by the Tide's tidy win over Tennessee; they held the edge in the efficiency and explosiveness categories and created more scoring opportunities and won by more than projected (34-20) despite an early 13-0 hole and some bad turnover luck.

Because the teams in the No. 3-11 range were so tightly clustered last week -- and because quite a few of those teams struggled in Week 8 -- their 2.8-point improvement was enough to vault them eight spots.

MOVING DOWN

Here are the 10 teams whose ratings fell the most:

Temple: down 4.0 adjusted points per game (121st to 130th)

Utah State: down 3.5 (85th to 98th)

Hawai'i: down 3.5 (109th to 120th)

Michigan State: down 3.4 (55th to 69th)

South Carolina: down 3.3 (39th to 50th)

Tulsa: down 3.0 (94th to 103rd)

Kent State: down 2.7 (132nd to 133rd)

FAU: down 2.7 (91st to 100th)

Washington: down 2.5 (fourth to seventh)

Duke: down 2.5 (22nd to 26th)

Scoring nine offensive points against an Arizona State team that allowed 21 to Southern Utah is not the best way to maintain a top-five ranking, Washington.

Conference rankings
Here are the FBS' 10 conferences, ranked by average SP+:

1. SEC: 11.1 average adjusted points per team (32.9 offense, 22.0 defense)
2. Pac-12: 8.2 average (32.9 offense, 24.6 defense)
3. Big 12: 8.1 average (32.0 offense, 24.0 defense)
4. Big Ten: 6.2 average (25.7 offense, 19.6 defense)
5. ACC: 6.1 average (28.5 offense, 22.6 defense)
6. Sun Belt: -4.9 average (24.5 offense, 29.4 defense)
7. Mountain West: -6.9 average (23.7 offense, 30.7 defense)
8. AAC: -8.6 average (22.9 offense, 31.3 defense)
9. Conference USA: -10.4 average (20.9 offense, 31.1 defense)
10. MAC: -13.3 average (17.0 offense, 30.2 defense)

The SEC continues to lead the way here, not because of a high volume of contenders -- its three top-15 teams are merely equal to the Big 12 and Big Ten and behind the Pac-12's four -- but because of a low volume of dead weight. Only one SEC team ranks outside the top 50, compared to the Pac-12's four, the Big 12's five and the Big Ten's seven.

Résumé SP+
Since the College Football Playoff rankings are on the horizon, I'm also including résumé SP+ rankings in this piece each week.

As mentioned above, SP+ is intended to be a power rating, not a résumé evaluation tool, but résumé SP+ attempts to fill that latter gap. It is a look at two things: (1) how the average SP+ top-five team would be projected to perform against your schedule (in terms of scoring margin), and (2) how your scoring margin compares to (1). Throw in a seven-point penalty for every loss a team has suffered, and you can say that this is what the CFP rankings would look like if SP+ were in charge.

(Note: Because of the high bar teams have to clear in getting compared to an average top-five team, and because of the loss adjustment, most of these teams end up with a negative score. It is what it is.)

Here is this week's résumé SP+ top 15:

1. Michigan (8-0), +7.5 PPG
2. Ohio State (7-0), +4.3
3. Florida State (7-0), +3.7
4. Oklahoma (7-0), +3.2
5. Washington (7-0), +0.2
6. Georgia (7-0), -0.4
7. Penn State (6-1), -2.2
8. Oregon (6-1), -4.4
9. Texas (6-1), -7.2
10. Ole Miss (6-1), -9.7
11. Oregon State (6-1), -9.9
12. Alabama (7-1), -10.5
13. Kansas State (5-2), -11.8
14. Utah (6-1), -13.8
15. Air Force (7-0), -14.0

Other unbeatens:
17. James Madison (7-0), -16.2
22. Liberty (7-0), -19.2

Another competitive loss to Ohio State -- an annual tradition -- leaves Penn State as your highest-ranked one-loss team, ahead of Oregon and a Texas team that struggled to put away Houston. But the top name on the list shouldn't be a surprise. I always like to say it's how you play, not who you play, and while Michigan hasn't played any interesting "whos," the how is unquestionable at this point: The Wolverines are really, really good, illegal scouting methods or no illegal scouting methods.

Cats have been looking good in most of the cpu/advanced metrics things all year.

Sitting at No. 19 in the massey composite now.

https://masseyratings.com/ranks

Moving back up in the Colley Matrix as well. Sitting at No. 28, and currently 7th among two loss teams.

https://www.colleyrankings.com/currank.html

[MakeItRain]

The polls are really really really really bad. We got dropped 10 spots for losing to Missouri and never recovered. Pollsters stay committed to bad thought processes. Thank God the real top 25 starts next week.

[BIG APPLE CAT]

The polls are really really really really bad. We got dropped 10 spots for losing to Missouri and never recovered. Pollsters stay committed to bad thought processes. Thank God the real top 25 starts next week.

Eh, looking at the other 2 loss teams ranked ahead of us, I’m having a hard time finding any that don’t deserve it. The only completely stupid thing is the same pollsters who dropped us over 10 spots for losing on the road to a record setting distance last second field goal, are the same pollsters who only dropped unc 7 spots for losing at home to arguable one of the absolute worst fbs teams in existence

[MakeItRain]

UCLA have beaten absolutely no one and North Carolina and Louisville both should have dropped out of the top 25. I think that K-State and Oklahoma State are both top 25 teams right now.