Week 8 college football winners and losers: Big 12 loses momentum, Miami continues to dominate

The chaotic college football season continues as Week 8 brought even more upset. No. 2 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 15 Iowa all fell to stunning upsets, while No. 6 Indiana and No. 13 Alabama survived scares. Heading into the night’s slate, No. 1 Miami, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Utah are the only undefeated teams remaining.

The last time three or fewer major college football teams went undefeated until October 24 was 1977, when Texas, Louisiana Tech and Colgate (!) all went flawless. It’s also the first time since 2007 that an AP Top-2 team has lost to an unranked opponent in three consecutive weeks.

In the nightly slate, No. 19 Texas faces a critical proving ground against No. 7 Ole Miss. No. 10 Utah and No. 14 Houston play into the late-night slate for control of the Big 12 race. No. 16 USC also faces a tough challenge from an up-and-coming Wisconsin team.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 8 ahead of primetime.

Loser: the Big 12

All week, the conversation has focused on the unique opportunity that the Big 12 represents. If the powers that be in the league had taken care of business, the league would have had a realistic chance of beating three College Football Playoff teams. After a chaotic week 8, this path is diminished.

No. 2 BYU struggled to maintain momentum after stunning Notre Dame a week ago, losing a 39-31 decision to UCF in double overtime. No. 8 Texas Tech’s struggles also caught up with it as the Red Raiders lost 37-24 to Cincinnati.

When the rankings are released Sunday, there will likely be just two Big 12 teams in the top 12 and none in the AP top five. It took a week for the league to lose its initial lead.

Winner: Miami

While many of America’s top teams are struggling, Miami is taking full advantage. The Hurricanes have a manageable schedule in the ACC, but they continue to annihilate overmatched opponents.

This week, they dominated Pittsburgh 52-23 to improve to 7-0 and 5-0 in ACC play. Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns, but wide receiver Malachi Toney was more impressive with 194 yards and three touchdowns on 16 catches.

Miami earned its first No. 1 AP ranking this week since 2002. They look the part.

‘The U’ is back at No. 1, but Miami’s quest for a nostalgia-worthy legacy is only just beginning

Chip Patterson

Loser: Baylor coach Dave Aranda

Losing to rival TCU last week was a bad sign, but falling 25-24 to Kansas is the final nail in the coffin for Aranda’s tenure. Despite all the flaws of the Aranda era, Baylor had a 14-game winning streak against the Jayhawks dating back to the 2007 season. Even during miserable 2-7 and 1-11 seasons over the past decade, Baylor managed to beat Kansas.

That streak ended in wild fashion on Saturday. Baylor blew a 21-10 lead early in the fourth quarter as the offense imploded in the fourth quarter. Kansas blocked a potential game-winning 45-yard field goal to win the game as the Bears allowed over 200 yards passing and rushing.

While a loss to TCU seemed to spell the end of the Aranda era, losing this way cements it. There is no way back for the Bears. Baylor hasn’t fired a coach for on-field reasons since 2007, so it’s unclear if they will make a decision midseason. At this point, though, they’re not doing anyone any favors by dragging things out.

Winner: South Carolina

After starting the season as poorly as they could, Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks suddenly came to life. South Carolina is coming off its second consecutive victory in the rankings, and it could have had three if it had not lost by one point to Kentucky. This time it was a 27-24 loss to No. 11 Tennessee as time expired.

South Carolina finally got a great running game from quarterback LaNorris Sellers, as he threw for 210 yards, rushed for 96 yards and scored three total touchdowns. The defense stepped up in big moments, including a late sack of defensive end Dylan Stewart.

The Gamecocks have just one game remaining against an AP Top 25 opponent: No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 21. Could South Carolina get eight wins?

Loser: James Madison

The Dukes were in an exceptional position to challenge for the Group of Six college football playoff spot. Unfortunately, historic Sun Belt powerhouse Appalachian State had something to say about it.

James Madison lost 34-31 in overtime to the rival Mountaineers to fall to 7-1 and complicate its path to the Sun Belt title game. The Dukes gained just 92 rushing yards on 30 carries. But even if JMU regains control of the Sun Belt race, its schedule won’t give it much wiggle room compared to other Group of Six contenders.

Winner: Minnesota

The Golden Gophers may be the quietest 5-2 team in America, but Minnesota pulled out a major victory over No. 15 Iowa 13-10 thanks to a game-winning field goal. With the win, Minnesota now has wins over Iowa and Michigan in the same season for the first time since 2014. The next few weeks ahead will be tough with No. 6 Indiana and No. 9 UCLA, but PJ Fleck has the program in a great position.