Predicted Top 25 after a wild Week 7

The 2024 college football season is halfway over and if that makes you sad, you’re not alone. It feels like Labor Day weekend and Week 0 were just yesterday.

With Week 7 in the books, that means we’re getting closer and closer to the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings with a 12-team field. Everyone in the AP Top 25 has a chance to make the playoffs, and there may even be teams not currently ranked pushing for a spot in that top 12.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Let’s focus on Week 7 and predict Week 8 rankings.

The week got off to an exciting start: No. 16 Utah traveled to the desert to face an improving Arizona State team led by Sam Leavitt. The Utes just didn’t look the same with Cam Rising under center, and the Sun Devils pulled off the stunning upset. Could they make a bid for a spot in the AP Top 25? I would say that.

Saturday’s lunchtime slate was just as wild, as Alabama needed a few late touchdowns to hold on and beat South Carolina 27-25. The tide seems to be trending in the wrong direction.

Texas beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, Penn State defeated USC in a thriller in Los Angeles and Illinois arguably won the week’s game in overtime against a mediocre Purdue team.

And that evening, Oregon and Ohio State squared off in a top-three matchup, and it was everything fans hoped for and more. The game ended in the final seconds with Oregon leading 32-31 and Ohio State driving, Will Howard didn’t make it in time and time expired. The Ducks will face the No. 1 team in the country.

Let’s take a look at the top 25 predictions for Week 8.

There will be more movement at the bottom of the rankings this week, but Oregon will get some first-place votes for the first time this season after its impressive win at Ohio State.