While there will be no change at No. 1, look for more big movement near the top of the US LBM Coaches Poll after a weekend that saw losses by three teams in the top seven.
In the most stunning result, Brigham Young lost in double-overtime at Central Florida one week after beating Notre Dame to soar into the top three.
Also in the Big 12, Texas Tech lost 37-24 at Cincinnati. Already viewed skeptically because of a weak schedule, the Red Raiders may go from No. 5 to out of the top 10.
And in the SEC, Ole Miss made a valiant comeback but lost 34-27 to Texas, which was able to avoid what might been a fatal loss for its College Football Playoff hopes.
With a few big moves after the first three, here’s how the top 10 of this week’s Coaches Poll should
look:
1. Miami (7-0)
Malachi Toney might not be the best receiver in college football but he’s probably the second-best, as he showed again with a program-record 16 catches in Miami’s 52-23 win against Pittsburgh in the program’s first game at No. 1 since 2002.
2. Ohio State (6-1)
The Buckeyes might’ve needed the week off after last Saturday’s draining win against Indiana. As we’ve seen many times in Power Four play this season and most notably in BYU's, even top-ranked teams are struggling to avoid a letdown after emotional wins.
3. Georgia (6-1)
After last week’s loss to Auburn, the Bulldogs won’t be back home again until facing Missouri on Nov. 14. This Saturday is the Cocktail Party (in Atlanta this year), followed by a trip to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Georgia will be the first of a few teams to climb at least one spot in this week’s top 10.
4. Indiana (7-1)
After escaping with a 13-6 overtime against Michigan, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said quarterback Josh Hoover was dealing with an injury and was operating at less than 100%. That would partially explain a terrible day through the air, though Hoover has struggled at times in Big Ten play.
5. Utah (7-0)
While it happened late on Saturday night, Utah’s 21-13 win against Houston should impress voters waiting to see the Utes face a legitimate opponent. While he tossed two interceptions, Devon Dampier ran for over 150 yards and two touchdowns.
6. BYU (6-1)
Theoretically, the Cougars can’t fall behind one-loss Notre Dame after last week’s win. While not certain, let’s bank on BYU staying one spot ahead of the Irish despite a bad loss against a middle-of-the-road Big 12 team. Having said that, it would be weird to see a team that just lost to UCF still rank in the top five.
7. Notre Dame (6-1)
The next big matchup comes in two weeks against Miami. A loss to the Hurricanes could mean another year of sweating out the playoff process, especially if the Cougars’ loss is a sign of things to come. The Irish could also get a first-round playoff bye with a win.
8. UCLA (7-0)
The Bruins quietly stayed unbeaten with a really easy, taking-care-of-business 28-10 win on homecoming against Michigan State. UCLA gained 443 yards, allowed 156 and ran for 245 yards on 5.1 yards per carry. While the schedule isn't great, the wins keep piling up.
9. Kentucky (7-1)
The best story in the Power Four this side of Westwood moved to 7-1 with a 34-17 win against Vanderbilt. Kentucky spotted the Commodores a 10-0 advantage but dominated the bridge between the end of the first half and the start of the second, grabbing a 21-10 lead and running away.
10. Texas Tech (6-1)
It’ll be a much-deserved drop for Tech but nothing too drastic, thanks to the Ole Miss loss. The Red Raiders made the loss to Cincinnati look closer than it was thanks to a pick-six and a garbage-time score with a minute left. There's still a lot of questions about whether this team is good enough to reach the Big 12 title game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football rankings poll projection: How will top 10 look after Week 8 upsets?
