CFN Rankings - No. 1 to 119 - Week 8

Texas is the obvious No. 1, but where should Sam Bradford and Oklahoma be ranked? Check out the latest CFN ranking of all 119 teams, and check back Sunday afternoon as WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ANALYSIS OF THE BCS RANKINGS found anywhere.

2008 CFN Rankings - Week 8

There's one very important distinction in the CFN rankings: these are based on how good the teams are and NOT how they're going to finish. 

Click on the teams for the recaps and thoughts on every game or click here for the team pages.

Rankings CFN Preseason | Coaches
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

1. Texas (7-0)
W, Missouri 56-31
next game: Oklahoma State
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... at the moment, it can't be. The lines are out of this world, Colt McCoy is the leader in the Heisman race by far, and the team just thumped a good Missouri team with a tremendous attack. However, watch out for Oklahoma State next week. An upset from the Cowboys and they're in this spot.

2. Oklahoma (6-1)
W, Kansas 45-31
next game: at Kansas State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because …it can't be, of course, but there's no stopping the offense at the moment. Texas is far and away the nation's No. 1 team at the moment, and Oklahoma is playing just a shade behind.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. you're supposed to play defense, too? The Sooners do just enough to let the offense roll over everyone else, but the secondary is just shaky enough to be a problems with Kansas State and Texas Tech still to deal with. The linebacking corps has become a problem in a big hurry.

3. Penn State (8-0)
W, Michigan 46-17
next game: at Ohio State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … when it wanted to, it turned things up a few notches to blow away Michigan. The offense has speed, power, and experience, while the defense is playing out of this world, especially up front. However ...
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. ... that first half against the Wolverines was a bit too scary. If a miserable Michigan team can do that, then would could Alabama do? What about Florida? What's Ohio State going to do? This will be the big test.

4. Alabama (7-0)
W, Ole Miss 24-20
next game: at Tennessee
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … when Bama is good, it's really, really good. It can't be stopped on offense and the defense is a brick wall. But when Bama takes its foot off the gas ...
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... ... it's not pretty. Kentucky and Ole Miss had way too much success on the defensive line. The Bama offensive line has to show it can play at a high level for a full four quarters.

5. Florida (5-1)
Didn't Play This Week
next game: Kentucky
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … with a week off for everyone to rest up, the offense might be on the verge of taking things to a whole other level. That LSU defense really is pretty good, and the Gators did whatever they wanted to against it. That Ole Miss loss doesn't look all that bad now.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. LSU might not be all that special, and that's the win the Gators are hanging their hat on. Now it's about winning and moving on. Beating Kentucky won't be as easy as it might seem.

6. Oklahoma State (7-0)
W, Baylor 34-6
next game: at Texas
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this might be the No. 3 team in the nation at the moment. The Cowboys have been nearly perfect on offense and the defense is jelling at just the right time. Beat Texas, go to No. 1. It's that simple.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ..  it sort of can't be. It's an unbeaten BCS conference team that hasn't shown any real flaws. If Oklahoma had the same résumé, it would probably be ranked No. 1.

7. LSU (5-1)
W, at South Carolina 24-17
next game: Georgia
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … beating South Carolina in Columbia is a bit better than it might appear. The offense always comes through in the clutch. Is there another offense you'd rather have on the field in the fourth quarter of a tight game?.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it's not like South Carolina has an offense, and it was able to stay alive and move the ball a bit in the first half. The blasting by Florida is still too fresh, but if the Tigers can beat Georgia, it'll be a one-game regular season when Alabama comes to town with the winner off to the SEC title game.

8. Georgia (6-1)
W, Vanderbilt 24-14
next game: at LSU
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in America. With all due respect to Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford is playing like the nation's best pro quarterback prospect. The Dawgs might not be winning games 55-3, but they're winning. A win over LSU at LSU would get the national title discussion going again.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... there's something that's missing. It's not a killer instinct, the team has that, and it's certainly not talent. However, a team this good, even with all the bumps and bruises, should be obliterating a team as offensively challenged as Vanderbilt.

9. USC (5-1)
W, at Washington State 69-0
next game: at Arizona
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … in the five wins, USC has allowed a grand total of 20 points and has outscored its last two opponents by a grand total of 97-0. The Ohio State win is starting to look better and better.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the Pac 10 stinks. Washington State is the nation's worst BCS team (although Syracuse is giving it a run), Arizona State is lousy, and Oregon isn't all that great. Don't give too much credit to the 52-7 win over Virginia; that's not the same Cavalier team that it is now..

10. Ohio State (7-1)
W, at Michigan State 45-7
next game: Penn State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … that's the Ohio State team we've all been waiting for. The defense is playing with a swagger, swarming all over Javon Ringer, while the offense opened things up and started to move. Now the team is starting to play up to its talent level.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Beanie doesn't appear to be 100%. He admitted that he might have hurt his foot a bit, and if he's not special next week, the Buckeyes will get whacked by Penn State.

11. Texas Tech (7-0)
W, at Texas A&M 43-25
next game: at Kansas
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the offense answers every call. Texas A&M gave the Tech defense its best shot, but everything tightened up in the second half as the Red Raiders pulled away in a tough road environment.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Nebraska isn't all that great and Texas A&M is, to be nice about it, is struggling. The Red Raiders have yet to put together a complete game against a top team, but they'll get their chances over the next few weeks.

12. Missouri (5-2)
L. at Texas 56-31
next game: Colorado
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … there's no real shame in losing to Oklahoma State and Texas. The Longhorns might have taken their foot off the gas, but Missouri's offense showed that it really is good late in the blowout loss.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. the offensive line is struggling in pass protection. If it couldn't stop Oklahoma State last week, and had problems with Texas this week, then what would it do against TCU's defensive front?

13. TCU (7-1)
W, BYU 32-7
next game: Wyoming
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because …the Horned Frogs didn't just beat BYU, they won in amazing fashion. The defensive line was way too fast for the very good Cougar tackles. Jerry Hughes will be in BYU's nightmares for the next several weeks.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it shouldn't be. An argument could be made that the Horned Frogs are a top ten team. The one loss came against Oklahoma. No problems there.

14. Utah (8-0)
W, Colorado State 49-16
next game: at New Mexico (Nov. 1)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this isn't playing like a non-BCS team. The lines are big and physical, Brian Johnson is a veteran quarterback, and there's good defensive speed. Oh yeah, and Louie Sakoda might be the nation's best kicker.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the biggest win was over Oregon State? Fine, so theoretically, Utah should be ranked ahead of USC on that alone, but the defense isn't stopping up against the better offenses. If you have an offense with a pulse, you'll put up 24 on the Ute D.

15. Michigan State (6-2)
W, Ohio State 45-7
next game: at Michigan
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it shouldn't be. This might be high, way too high, for a team that's hanging its hat on a tight win over Iowa and a win over Northwestern.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. Ohio State was able to load up to stop Javon Ringer and the offense went into the tank. If MSU was the real deal, it would've played far better at home against the Buckeyes. The Spartans need to blast Michigan to stay this high. Yeah it's a rivalry game, but MSU is good enough to win by double-digits against its arch-nemesis.

16. Georgia Tech (6-1)
W, at Clemson 21-17
next game: Virginia
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the defensive line might be the most talented in America. The team might not always be pretty, but it keeps on winning. Beating Clemson in Death Valley, considering all the emotion on the other side of the field, is a big deal.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. there's no margin for error. On the right day, Georgia Tech wins by three against anyone. On the wrong day, Georgia Tech will lose by three against a team like Virginia or Florida State. There isn't a breather the rest of the way.

17. Boston College (5-1)
W, Virginia Tech 28-23
next game: at North Carolina
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Eagles have shown over the last few weeks that they really do have a little bit of an offense. Beating Virginia Tech is the win the team needed to show it was legit.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the defense struggled a bit too much against a mediocre NC State team. However, it tightened up against Virginia Tech. This is sort of a placeholder spot. Now it's time to prove it against North Carolina.

18. Virginia Tech (5-2)
L, at Boston College 28-23
next game: at Florida State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … to get all technical, Virginia Tech did beat Georgia Tech, who's ranked higher here. The team played relatively well at Boston College before losing late.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. where's the offensive consistency? Could the Hokies hang with a high-octane team? The defense has yet to show it has the same Virginia Tech-like ability to shut anyone down for a long stretch.

19.  Boise State (6-0)
W, Hawaii 27-7
next game: at San Jose State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … all Boise State does is win and it keeps moving down the rankings. Is that fair? Absolutely not considering the defense has allowed a grand total of 31 points, and hasn't allowed more than a touchdown, against any of the five non-BCS teams it's faced.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it's hard to get that fired up over one road win at Oregon. There's nothing else to get excited about. Bowling Green stinks, Southern Miss is awful, and Louisiana Tech and Hawaii aren't any big whoop.

20. Minnesota (6-1)
Didn't Play This Week
next game: at Purdue
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the win over Illinois is just going to get better and better, while the one loss to Ohio State is hardly anything to knock. When you win the turnover battle, you win games.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... there's the win over Illinois and ... uhhhh ... yeah. The Gophers had better beat Purdue handily next week.

21. Pitt (6-1)
W, at Navy 42-21
next game: Rutgers
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the win at South Florida was impressive, and now, that win over Iowa looks really, really strong. Can we all just admit that the opening day loss to Bowling Green was a case of opening day jitters?
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it shouldn't be. This is the best team in the Big East right now.

22. South Florida (6-1)
W, Syracuse 45-13
next game: at Louisville
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … when everything is clicking, the combination of speed and athleticism can be devastating. Matt Grothe continues to be among the nation's most underappreciated quarterbacks. The blowout win over NC State is going to look better as the season goes on.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. oooooo, Syracuse. The Bulls need to start doing a bit more to get more national respect. Beating Louisville at Louisville might not do much to move the needle, but it would be a start.

23. Kansas (5-2)
L, at Oklahoma 45-31
next game: Texas Tech
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the offense really is amazing. The Jayhawks stood toe to toe with Oklahoma for most of the game and showed it could come up with big plays both through the air and on the ground.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. the best win is against ... Colorado? Iowa State? Beating Texas Tech next week would be the win needed to really get the season started.

24. Northwestern (6-1)
W, Purdue 48-26
next game: at Indiana
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Wildcats are bowl eligible?! Yeah, this really is a decent team that's getting production on both sides of the ball. The win over Iowa looks fantastic now. If the Purdue win was any indication, QB C.J. Bacher might be coming back into last year's form.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ...Iowa is the one good win. The Wildcats beat the Big East's (Syracuse) and ACC's (Duke) worst teams. After beating Purdue, you can add the Big Ten's worst team to the list.

25. BYU (6-1)
L, at TCU 32-7
next game: UNLV
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … alright, this might be a harsh drop after one loss, but it really was a bad, convincing loss. The Cougars hadn't been all that sharp in the weeks up to the blasting from TCU.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ...it shouldn't be. The Cougars probably belong well into the top 25. That was a TCU buzzsaw they ran into.

26	Iowa (5-3)
27	Illinois (4-3)
28	South Carolina (6-2)
29	Tulsa (7-0)
30	Maryland (5-2)
31	Wake Forest (4-2)
32	Florida State (5-1)
33	Kentucky (5-2)
34	Arizona (5-2)
35	California (4-2)
36	Notre Dame (4-2)
37	Cincinnati (5-1)
38	Oregon (5-2)
39	Vanderbilt (5-2)
40	Oregon State (4-3)
41	Wisconsin (3-4)
42	Ball State (7-0)
43	Auburn (4-3)
44	Tennessee (3-4)
45	Ole Miss (3-4)
46	Virginia (5-3)
47	North Carolina (5-2)
48	Miami (4-3)
49	Clemson (3-4)
50	Connecticut (5-2)
51	Colorado (4-3)
52	Arizona State (2-4)
53	East Carolina (4-3)
54	Nebraska (4-3)
55	Michigan (2-5)
56	West Virginia (4-2)
57	Kansas State (4-3)
58	Navy (4-3)
59	Air Force (5-2)
60	Central Michigan (5-2)
61	Louisville (4-2)
62	Texas A&M (2-5)
63	Rice (4-3)
64	NC State (2-4)
65	Mississippi State (2-5)
66	Fresno State (4-2)
67	Baylor (3-4)
68	UCLA (3-4)
69	Stanford (4-4)
70	Houston (4-3)
71	Arkansas (3-4)
72	Purdue (2-5)
73	Duke (3-3)
74	Iowa State (2-5)
75	New Mexico (4-4)
76	Rutgers (2-5)
77	Troy (4-2)
78	Indiana (2-5)
79	Colorado State (3-4)
80	Nevada (4-3)
81	UNLV (3-4)
82	Washington (0-6)
83	Western Michigan (6-2)
84	Northern Illinois (4-3)
85	San Jose State (5-2)
86	Marshall (3-4)
87	UTEP (3-4)
88	Southern Miss (2-5)
89	Memphis (3-5)
90	UL Lafayette (4-3)
91	Louisiana Tech (4-3)
92	Buffalo (3-4)
93	Temple (2-5)
94	Miami Univ. (2-5)
95	Bowling Green (3-4)
96	Ohio (2-5)
97	Hawaii (3-4)
98	New Mexico State (3-3)
99	Toledo (2-5)
100	Syracuse (1-6)
101	Arkansas State (4-3)
102	Akron (4-4)
103	UCF (2-4)
104	UAB (1-6)
105	Washington State (1-7)
106	Florida Atlantic (2-5)
107	FIU (3-4)
108	Middle Tennessee (2-5)
109	Army (2-5)
110	Wyoming (2-5)
111	UL Monroe (2-5)
112	San Diego State (1-6)
113	Kent State (1-6)
114	Eastern Michigan (2-6)
115	Tulane (2-4)
116	SMU (1-7)
117	Utah State (1-6)
118	Idaho (1-6)
119	North Texas (0-7)