Power Rankings: Alabama climbs into the top 5; four new teams join the list

Trailing Ole Miss aft halftime, Georgia backmost Gunner Stockton delivered successful a large infinitesimal erstwhile again successful the Bulldogs' come-from-behind triumph implicit the fifth-ranked Rebels Saturday.

"He's wired for these choky moments due to the fact that he's tough," Georgia manager Kirby Smart said afterward of the Bulldogs' quarterback. "His squad believes successful him."

Nearly 60% of the mode done the 2025 assemblage shot regular season, we're learning much astir the nation's apical programs with each passing week. Rising stars, similar Stockton, are emerging. Surprise powers are gaining steam successful the College Football Playoff race. And once-vaunted rubric contenders are showing their existent colors, falling disconnected 1 by one.

Week 8 featured connection wins successful the SEC from Alabama, Georgia and Vanderbilt and gut-check defeats for CFP favorites Miami, Ole Miss and Texas Tech. Quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) padded their Heisman Trophy résumés, portion Carson Beck's candidacy suffered a stroke successful Miami's decision to Louisville. At Notre Dame, we saw conscionable however unsafe the Fighting Irish tin beryllium when, you know, they simply manus the shot disconnected to Jeremiyah Love.

With Week 8 successful the books, this week's powerfulness rankings research the biggest lessons we've learned astir the apical teams crossed the state truthful acold this fall. -- Eli Lederman

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous ranking: 1

The Buckeyes brought backmost a brace of prima defenders from past year's nationalist title squad successful information Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles. Yet determination mightiness not beryllium a defender playing amended successful assemblage shot than Styles' cohort astatine linebacker, Arvell Reese. The inferior from Cleveland has been an implicit game-wrecker, compiling a team-high 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks for a defence that has fixed up conscionable 41 points each season. Reese is establishing himself arsenic a first-round NFL draught endowment portion teaming up with Styles to springiness the Buckeyes the champion linebacking duo successful the country. O...