College football rankings: Predicting the AP Top 25 for Week 8

Nathan Stanley had himself a day as Iowa went to Bloomington and dominated Indiana on its way to a 42-16 victory. The Hawkeyes aren’t known for putting up points, but they had their way with the Hoosiers’ defense. Stanley broke an Iowa record with six touchdown passes and the Hawkeyes look like serious contenders to win the Big Ten West. We will finally see this team in the Top 25.

The Bulldogs got a bye in Week 7, following a big win over No. 8 Auburn at home. That victory over the Tigers is looking worse by the week, though, as Auburn faltered and will likely drop from the AP Top 25 completely. Still, as long as the Bulldogs and Nick Fitzgerald and can prove that win over Auburn wasn’t a fluke with a strong performance against LSU in Week 8, they’ll rise in the ranks.

Another week, another close game for Texas A&M. It seems like the Aggies have a knack for playing tight games in the SEC. For the third straight game, the Aggies and their opponent went down to the wire — this time it was in Columbia against South Carolina. Kellen Mond had a strong game but the final shouldn’t have been as close as the Aggies mounted a 13-0 halftime lead. Jimbo Fisher’s team will remain alive in the Top 25.

The Wolfpack, too, got a week off and will get a chance to shock the college football world in Week 8 with a big win over Clemson on the road. The Tigers may not be tested much for the remainder of the season in a weak ACC, but Ryan Finley and NC State may have the best chance for an upset.

Another AP Top 25 team that had a bye in Week 7 was Kentucky. This, too, was at the perfect time with the Wildcats falling for the first time this season at the hands of the Texas A&M Aggies. Benny Snell and Co. will jump back into action in Week 8 against Vanderbilt with a chance to battle for the top spot in the SEC East — a division that has since opened up with a loss by Georgia.