After a chaotic Week 7, in which five of the top eight college football teams lost, the focus shifts to Week 8. Given last week’s chaos and the upsets we’ve seen this season, no AP Top 25 team has an easy game left, especially this week.
With only two ranked matchups in Week 8, some AP Top 25 teams could be vulnerable to an upset. Last week, six upsets saw lower-ranked teams beat higher-ranked teams, including two unranked teams. So we shouldn’t be surprised if more upsets this week shake up Sunday’s AP Poll.
Without further ado, here are the five AP Top 25 teams on upset alert in Week 8.
AP Top 25 Teams on Upset Alert in Week 8
1. No. 10 Utah
With two ranked matchups this week, one headline is No. 10 Utah facing No. 14 Houston in a game with major implications for the Big 12. Heading into this game, Utah is a 7-point home favorite against Houston. Even though Utah has the home-field advantage and is undefeated, the Utes should be on upset alert against a Houston team that has been among the Big 12’s best.
Utah is undefeated after six games and off to its best start since 2015. They have one of the country’s best offenses, ranking ninth in total offense with 502 yards per game, led by quarterback Devon Dampier. Their defense has also been among the best, ranking eighth in scoring defense with just 15 points allowed per game. However, Utah hasn’t been truly tested this season, as it has only won against teams without a winning record. This will be its first true test, as it faces a ranked opponent for the first time this season and must do it without starting offensive lineman Kelvin Obot due to an ankle injury.
As for Houston, it has already been battle-tested this season, defeating a previously ranked Oklahoma State team in a must-win last week and falling by two points against No. 8 Texas Tech in Week 3. Since losing to Texas Tech, the Cougars have been playing their best football, winning their next four games and ranking 11th in total offense. Quarterback Conner Weigman has been exceptional for Houston, throwing 20 touchdowns on 1,771 yards while rushing for six touchdowns. Wide receiver Amare Thomas and tight end Patrick Overmyer have combined for 919 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading Houston’s passing game. On defense, they have played well and enter this game ranked 25th in the country in total defense.
Houston enters with more momentum, coming off a huge win last week against Oklahoma State, while Utah almost blew a 13-0 halftime lead against a weak Colorado team. This is also a must-win game for the Cougars, as another loss could end their hopes of reaching the Big 12 Championship game. With momentum on their side and already battle-tested, Houston should be able to pull off an upset over the Utes.
2. No. 18 LSU
Like Houston, LSU had a must-win last week, defeating Mississippi State at home to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive and move up in last week’s AP Top 25 poll. However, the AP Top 25 team should be on upset alert this week as it takes on unranked Auburn, despite being a 7-point road favorite.
Despite being unranked in the AP Top 25 poll, Auburn has been strong, with a 4-2 record under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. It comes off its biggest win of the season last week, when it upset then-No. 1 Georgia on the road. In that game, quarterback Byrum Brown‘s dual-threat ability was on full display as he threw a passing touchdown on 150 yards while rushing one on 115 rushing yards. The defense forced three turnovers against one of the country’s best offenses. Now, it will ride that momentum into a home matchup against an LSU team that hasn’t won a road game.
Even though LSU is ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll, LSU looks different on the road than at home. In its two road losses, LSU’s defense has allowed an average of 33.5 points per game, compared with 8.8 points per game in five home games. On offense, it averages 29 points on the road compared to 45 at home, showing how much different the team is away from home. While it has played five of its seven games at home, LSU’s road struggles are no joke, as it hasn’t won a road game since August 30, 2025.
Both teams are coming off big wins last week, but Auburn’s home-field advantage is a huge factor, with a .757 all-time winning percentage. It has also been competitive in every game, never losing by more than 10 points. This should be a big test for LSU as it looks to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. However, with its strong momentum and LSU’s road struggles, Auburn has a good chance to knock LSU out of the playoff conversation and enter the AP Top 25 this week.
3. No. 11 Tennessee
Tennessee has overachieved this season, climbing the AP Top 25 from No. 20 in the preseason to No. 11. It heads into Week 8 with a 6-1 record and comes off its biggest win of the season: an upset of then-No. 6 Alabama at home last week. However, the Volunteers are vulnerable to a letdown this week as they hit the road to take on unranked South Carolina, putting them on upset alert despite being 2.5-point underdogs.
This is a huge trap game for Tennessee, as it faces a South Carolina team coming off a bye week and a huge road win over Florida two weeks ago. Despite their 3-3 record, the Gamecocks have one of the best offenses not just in the SEC, but in the nation. They rank in the top 20 in total yards, rushing yards, and scoring, with 37.7 points per game. In their last two games, they’ve played much better, coming within a two-point shot of upsetting Kentucky and blowing out Florida on the road.
As for Tennessee, their defense has been the biggest reason for their success, ranking in the top 10 in points allowed per game (14.7) and passing yards per game (159.3). They have also forced 13 takeaways this season, ranking 10th nationally. However, their offense has struggled since quarterback George MacIntyre took over after Faizon Brandon‘s injury, throwing for 592 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in three games. The running game has offset the passing game’s struggles, as the team has rushed for seven touchdowns in its last three wins.
However, the Volunteers will face South Carolina’s strong run defense, which allows 103.7 yards per game and ranks 19th. This will put heavy pressure on MacIntyre to throw the ball if Tennessee’s run game struggles. The SEC is one of the most unpredictable conferences, and every team except Vanderbilt has won a conference game; with South Carolina’s momentum and home-and-rest advantage, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Gamecocks upset the Volunteers.
4. No. 6 Indiana
The longest active winning streak in college football ended last week when Indiana fell to Ohio State in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship Game. Now, they need to rebound as they take on a Michigan team that finally found an offensive spark in last week’s win over Penn State. For that reason, the Hoosiers are another AP Top 25 team to watch for an upset this week, despite being a 7.5-point favorite.
Despite their offensive struggles this season, the Wolverines are still 4-2 because their defense has been one of the best in the country and has allowed the fewest yards per play. Plus, Michigan finally found something on offense last week: backup quarterback Tommy Carr led the offense to 21 points against Penn State after the unit was shut out in the first half. This will give the team momentum heading into this week with home-field advantage on their side.
Indiana is the No. 6 team in the AP Top 25 poll and has won six games as the reigning national champion. However, it has shown vulnerabilities this season against unranked opponents, as it was almost upset at home by Northwestern in Week 4 and had to overcome a 17-6 fourth-quarter deficit to avoid an upset by Nebraska. The offense has struggled in the last two games, averaging 17.5 points, below its 39.5 points-per-game average.
The Hoosiers have never lost back-to-back games in Curt Cignetti’s tenure, but beating Michigan is no easy task, as the Wolverines have won 85% of games against Indiana, their highest win percentage against a Big Ten opponent. Indiana will need to play at its best offensively; if it doesn’t, Michigan could pull off a surprising upset against the defending national champions, leaving them vulnerable in the College Football Playoff race.
5. No. 2 BYU
BYU is coming off its biggest win in program history, upsetting then-No. 2 Notre Dame last week to jump from No. 8 to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll. However, just like Tennessee, it is vulnerable to having a letdown this week, something we’ve seen a lot this season from teams after big wins. For that reason, the Cougars should be on upset alert against UCF, despite being 7-point road favorites.
BYU has had an incredible season, going from No. 14 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll to No. 2 in the span of seven weeks. However, the Cougars are a different team on the road compared to home, as three of their last four losses over the past two years came on the road. In their last road game, BYU scored only 17 points against a 3-3 TCU team and needed heroics from quarterback Bear Bachmeier to avoid an upset. Along with that, they have been tested in their first three conference games, as they have won all of them by 14 points or less.
Despite being 3-3, UCF has been a tough opponent for AP Top 25 teams this season, holding seven-point leads against Houston and Oklahoma State before falling short. The Knights are unbeaten at home this season and have the rest advantage as they are coming off a bye week last week. Their defense has played well this season, forcing 10 takeaways and posting a +4 turnover margin, which ranks 34th in the nation. With UCF playing a backup quarterback, the defense will need to make plays to pull off the upset.
This is a trap game for BYU, as UCF has given problems to AP Top 25 teams and enters the game with the rest and home-field advantage. The Cougars have shown offensive vulnerabilities without LJ Martin, as Bachmeier has carried the offensive load. If UCF can pressure Bachmeier and make him uncomfortable, it has a good shot at an upset that should cause major shockwaves in the AP Top 25 poll.
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