AP College Football Rankings Week 8: Michigan And West Virginia Rise, Ole Miss And Tennessee Fall

The new NCAA College football rankings for Week 8 have been released, and there has been plenty of movement up and down the polls. The Michigan Wolverines had the week off, however, they have moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest Associated Press college football poll.

According to an ESPN report, the Wolverines are now ranked third in the country, right behind the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the first time since 2006 that both the Wolverines and Buckeyes have ranked this high in the polls at the same time. It didn’t take Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh long to make good on his word that the Wolverines would become a force again in college football, and that bodes well for the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State.

To no one’s surprise, Alabama remained No. 1 in the country. The Crimson Tide are on a roll. This team just seems to be getting better and better as the season rolls on, and it showed in the college football rankings Week 8 polls as the Tide received a season-high 60 first-place votes. Nick Saban has created a football beast in Tuscaloosa.

Ohio State remained in the No. 2 spot after an overtime victory against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers fell two spots in the college football rankings Week 8 poll, however, Wisconsin has had a rough stretch of football, facing Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back games. The Badgers are now ranked No. 10 in the country.

While No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 7 Louisville held their spots in the latest poll, this was a big week for the West Virginia Mountaineers and Arkansas Razorbacks.

Sitting at No. 12 in the land, West Virginia jumped up eight spots from No. 20 and now have a realistic shot at dreaming of a big bowl game this New Year’s Day. West Virginia remains undefeated at 5-0 and they are enjoying their best ranking since the 2008 season.

Another team who is celebrating the latest poll rankings is the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas moved up five spots this week, moving up from No. 22 to No. 17. The Razorbacks are quietly having a very good season. At 5-2, their only losses have come to No. 1 Alabama and No. 10 Texas A&M.

Now, it’s time for the tumblers.

Two teams that took it on the chin this week also took a hard fall in the college football rankings Week 8 poll.

First up is Ole Miss. The University of Mississippi Rebels went into free fall mode plummeting from No. 12 to No. 23. The Rebels fell to Arkansas this past weekend, putting them at 3-3 on the season. This Ole Miss team is much better than their record indicates — beating teams like Georgia and Memphis, and falling to No. 1 Alabama by only five points. The Rebels won’t crumble down the road and they may be that team no one wants to face this November.

The other team that fell in the latest AP Poll is Tennessee. The Volunteers were on a roll until No. 1 Alabama came calling. The Tide rolled over the Volunteers 49-10, sending Tennessee from No. 9 in the country down to No. 18.

This weekend’s action will certainly have a bearing on the polls once again as several key head-to-head match-ups are scheduled to take place, including No. 6 Texas A&M vs. Alabama, and No. 17 Arkansas taking on No. 21 Auburn.

No. 2 Ohio State will face Penn State, while the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines will host Illinois.

Here is a look at the new top 10 college football rankings for Week 8. To see the complete list of Top 25 teams, be sure to click here.

1. Alabama (60)
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan (1)
4. Clemson
5. Washington
6. Texas A&M
7. Louisville
8. Nebraska
9. Baylor
10. Wisconsin

[Featured Image by Dave Reginek/Getty Images]