College football winners, losers in Week 8: Big 12 loses momentum amid upsets, Miami's dominance continues

The chaotic college football season rolls on as Week 8 delivered even more upsets. No. 2 BYU, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 15 Iowa all fell in stunning upsets, while No. 6 Indiana and No. 13 Alabama survived scares. Heading into the night slate, No. 1 Miami, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Utah are the only undefeated teams remaining.

>The last time three or fewer undefeated major college football teams remained through Oct. 24 was 1977, when Texas, Louisiana Tech and Colgate (!) all remained spotless. It's also the first time since 2007 that an AP Top-2 team lost against an unranked opponent in three straight weeks.

>The losses have completely shaken up the College Football Playoff and conference championship races, especially in the Big 12. Suddenly, the bottom half of the field is wide open and will be determined on the field. Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 8 heading into primetime.

>All week, the conversation has focused on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity facing the Big 12. Had the league powers taken care of business, the league would have had a realistic shot at three College Football Playoff teams. After a chaotic Week 8, that path is diminished.

>No. 2 BYU struggled to maintain its momentum after stunning Notre Dame a week ago, losing a 39-31 decision against UCF in double overtime. No. 8 Texas Tech's struggles also caught up to it as the Red Raiders fell 37-24 against Cincinnati.

>When the rankings come out on Sunday, there will likely be only two Big 12 teams in the top 12 and none in the AP top five. It took one week for the league to waste its early lead.

>As many of the top teams in America struggle, Miami is taking full advantage. The Hurricanes have a manageable schedule in the ACC, but they continue to obliterate overmatched opponents.

>This week, they dominated Pittsburgh 52-23 to reach 7-0 and 5-0 in ACC play. Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but wide receiver Malachi Toney was more impressive with 194 yards and three touchdowns on 16 catches.

>Miami earned its first AP No. 1 ranking since 2002 this week. They look the part.

>The Trojans entered the season with high expectations, but a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin officially derails the hype train. USC rushed for a cool -17 yards as two early interceptions set the tone. Wisconsin only had to drive the length of the field one time for a touchdown, but that was still enough to put the Trojans to sleep.

>The seven-point performance marks the worst showing of Lincoln Riley's career, surpassing a 27-14 loss to Baylor in 2021 while at Oklahoma. Wisconsin has certainly improved, but the Trojans haven't looked the part of even a top 25 team.

>It took yet another bad interception from Texas quarterback Arch Manning, but Steve Sarkisian finally trusted his running game down the stretch. Raleek Brown bullied his way all the way down the field to set up a 1-yard touchdown run from Manning. Then, Brown set up a game-sealing field goal with a 28-yard rush on second-and-10.

>Brown finished with 157 yards on 23 carries as part of a 200-yard rushing day for the Texas running backs without Hollywood Smothers available. The Rebels have some deficiencies against the run, but hopefully Sarkisian takes this as a lesson: Run the ball!

>Losing to rival TCU last week was a bad sign, but falling 25-24 to Kansas is the final nail in the coffin for Aranda's tenure. For all the faults of the Aranda era, Baylor had a 14-game winning streak against the Jayhawks dating back to the 2007 season. Even during miserable 2-7 and 1-11 seasons in the past decade, Baylor managed to beat Kansas.

>That streak came to an end on Saturday in wild fashion. Baylor blew a 21-10 lead entering the fourth quarter as the offense imploded. Kansas blocked a potential 45-yard game-winning field goal to clinch the game as the Bears allowed more than 200 yards passing and rushing.

>While a loss to TCU seemed to spell the end of the Aranda era, losing in this fashion cements it. There's no path back for the Bears. Baylor has not fired a coach for on-field reasons since 2007, so it's unclear whether they'll make a midseason move. At this point, though, they're not doing anyone favors by dragging it out.

>The No. 25 Wildcats have flown under the radar since a tight loss against BYU in Week 2. But in a 39-3 win over Iowa State, the Wildcats are sneaking around the periphery of the Big 12 title race.

>Quarterback Noah Fifita is playing the best football of his career as he recorded his fifth straight game with at least 275 yards and two touchdowns. The defense is also finding its groove, holding the Cyclones' highly-touted rushing game to 1.7 yards per carry.

>Arizona deserves to be much higher than No. 25 in the AP Top 25. With a road trip to No. 8 Texas Tech next week, don't be surprised if everyone is talking about the 'Cats after next week.

>The Ducks have been such a disaster this season that it's almost flown under the radar. Oregon started the season as the preseason No. 2 team in the nation but fell to 4-3 after a stunning 21-10 loss to Illinois.

>Losses against Oklahoma State and UCLA are defensible, but losing to the Illini is where the season officially becomes a failure. The Ducks averaged only 6.0 yards per pass attempt as several receivers missed the game. But more frustrating, Illinois rushed for 225 yards against a rush defense heralded as one of the best in the nation.

>Oregon's collapse joins those at Penn State and LSU last season as some of the most frustrating in the College Football Playoff era, especially given the investment. Dan Lanning is in no danger of being fired at this point, but everyone else in the building is on the chopping block.

>After starting the season about as bad as they could, Shane Beamer's Gamecocks suddenly have life. South Carolina just picked up a second straight ranked win, and it could have three had it not fallen by one point to Kentucky. This time, it was a 27-24 upset against No. 11 Tennessee as time expired.

>South Carolina finally got a great running game from quarterback LaNorris Sellers, as he threw for 210 yards, rushed for 96 yards and scored three total touchdowns. The defense stepped up in big moments, including a late sack from defensive end Dylan Stewart.

>The Gamecocks only have one game remaining against an AP Top 25 opponent: No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 21. Could South Carolina clear eight wins?

>The Dukes were in a tremendous position to contend for the Group of Six's College Football Playoff spot. Unfortunately, historic Sun Belt power Appalachian State had something to say about it.

>James Madison lost 34-31 in overtime against the rival Mountaineers to fall to 7-1 and complicate its pathway to the Sun Belt title game. The Dukes earned only 92 yards rushing on 30 carries. But even if JMU retakes control of the Sun Belt race, their schedule won't give them much leeway compared to other Group of Six contenders.

>The Golden Gophers might be the quietest 5-2 team in America, but Minnesota picked up a major victory over No. 15 Iowa 13-10 on a game-winning field goal. With the win, Minnesota now has wins over Iowa and Michigan in the same season for the first time since 2014. The next few weeks ahead are tough with No. 6 Indiana and No. 9 UCLA, but PJ Fleck has the program in a great spot.