After last weekend produced one of the biggest Top 25 shakeups in decades, college football gets a slightly calmer looking schedule this Saturday. That does not mean it lacks consequences.

There are only two ranked-vs.-ranked games, but both could have major playoff implications: No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas and No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah. Meanwhile, new No. 1 Miami begins life at the top against Pittsburgh, No. 2 BYU goes on the road after its emotional victory over Notre Dame, and No. 6 Indiana tries to rebound from its first loss in nearly two years by visiting Michigan.

There are no ranked teams playing Friday night, so the Top 25 portion of the weekend begins Saturday morning.

No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas

4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET) | Austin

This is the game of the weekend.

Three weeks ago, Texas was No. 1. The Longhorns are now 4-2 after consecutive 27-24 losses to Oklahoma and Florida, and another defeat could leave their playoff hopes in serious trouble.

Ole Miss enters in a very different place. The Rebels rebounded from their blowout loss at Florida by crushing Vanderbilt and then holding Missouri to only three points last week.

Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has thrown 14 touchdown passes and is responsible for 20 touchdowns overall. Ole Miss' defense may be just as important Saturday after holding Missouri star Jamal Roberts to only 39 rushing yards.

Arch Manning remains the starter for Texas, and he will be facing the school where his grandfather Archie and uncle Eli became legends. Ole Miss last visited Austin in 2013 and won 44-23, although Texas leads the all-time series 6-2.

For Ole Miss, this is an opportunity to strengthen a playoff resume. For Texas, it feels close to an elimination game.

No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah

7:15 PM PT (10:15 PM ET) | Salt Lake City

The late-night matchup may be just as important nationally.

Utah remains 6-0, while Houston is 6-1 after its 35-32 win over Oklahoma State. The winner stays firmly in the Big 12 championship race alongside No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech.

Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has been excellent, throwing five touchdown passes against Oklahoma State last week.

Utah counters with one of college football's toughest home environments. Saturday is expected to mark the 100th consecutive sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with College GameDay also visiting Salt Lake City.

A Houston victory would give the Cougars a direct tiebreaker over Utah. A Utah win would keep the Utes undefeated heading deeper into the Big 12 schedule.

Pitt at No. 1 Miami

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET) | Miami Gardens

For the first time since 2002, Miami takes the field ranked No. 1.

The Hurricanes moved to the top after surviving Florida State 43-35 in double overtime while Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama and Texas all lost.

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah gets an appealing matchup against a Pitt defense that has been vulnerable to big passing plays. Pittsburgh has also struggled offensively without injured starting quarterback Mason Heintschel.

The challenge for Miami may be handling the new expectations. The Hurricanes are no longer chasing the top spot. They are defending it.

No. 6 Indiana at Michigan

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET) | Ann Arbor

Indiana's remarkable 22-game winning streak ended last Saturday when Ohio State escaped Bloomington 19-15.

Now comes another major Big Ten test.

The Hoosiers visit Michigan with quarterback Josh Hoover still sporting an extraordinary 18-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio through seven weeks. Indiana showed against Ohio State that it can compete physically with the conference's best, but the Hoosiers must now respond emotionally to their first loss since 2024.

Michigan may also have a quarterback decision. Bryce Underwood was benched last week, and Tommy Carr helped lead the Wolverines to a comeback victory over Penn State.

This is one of the weekend's most interesting games even without Michigan being ranked.

No. 8 Texas Tech at Cincinnati

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET)

Texas Tech is quietly one of the six remaining undefeated FBS teams.

The Red Raiders improved to 6-0 by dismantling Arizona State 53-25, producing 502 yards and scoring 43 points before halftime.

Now comes the sort of road game that can derail an unbeaten season. Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium presents a dramatically different environment, and Texas Tech has to avoid looking ahead as the Big 12 race intensifies.

With BYU, Utah and Houston all receiving national attention, the Red Raiders have plenty to gain simply by continuing to win.

No. 18 LSU at Auburn

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET)

Auburn suddenly looks dangerous.

One week after going into Athens and stunning then-No. 1 Georgia 27-24, the Tigers return home against LSU.

LSU responded to its overtime loss at Kentucky by shutting out Mississippi State 31-0. Sam Leavitt threw four touchdown passes in one of LSU's most complete performances of the season.

Auburn's victory over Georgia makes this much more than another SEC road game. The Tigers have already demonstrated that they can beat elite competition, and Jordan-Hare Stadium provides another difficult setting.

California at No. 23 SMU

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET)

SMU has quietly moved to 5-1 after beating Virginia 23-13.

The Mustangs remain in the ACC race and now get Cal at home. Kevin Jennings and running back Kendrick Raphael give SMU enough offensive balance to make the Mustangs difficult to defend.

Cal, however, should arrive motivated after being overwhelmed 41-7 by Wake Forest last weekend.

Rutgers at No. 24 Northwestern

9:00 AM PT (12:00 PM ET)

Northwestern might be the most unexpected ranked team in the country.

The Wildcats are 5-1, have won three straight and are 4-0 at home. Their only loss came by six points at Indiana. Since then, they have beaten Penn State, Ball State and Michigan State.

Rutgers enters 2-4 after beating Maryland and has generally avoided hurting itself with penalties. The Scarlet Knights rank first nationally in fewest penalty yards per game.

Northwestern needs to take care of business because the schedule gets substantially harder, beginning with Oregon next week.

Texas A&M at No. 13 Alabama

12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET) | Tuscaloosa

Few teams need a victory more than Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have lost consecutive games to Georgia and Tennessee, dropping from No. 6 to No. 13. Alabama managed only 201 yards and committed four turnovers against Tennessee.

Now Texas A&M visits for Alabama's Homecoming game.

Keelon Russell has thrown for 1,746 yards this season, but the young quarterback will be looking for a response after a difficult afternoon in Knoxville.

Alabama leads the all-time series 13-3, and this will be the first Alabama-Texas A&M matchup played as the Tide's Homecoming game.

No. 15 Iowa at Minnesota

12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET) | Minneapolis

This is pure Big Ten football.

Iowa and Minnesota meet for the 120th time, with the Floyd of Rosedale trophy at stake for the 92nd time.

Minnesota leads the overall series 63-54-2, while Iowa holds a narrow 46-43-2 advantage in games played for the bronze pig. The Hawkeyes have also won the last five meetings in Minneapolis.

Minnesota already owns the Little Brown Jug after beating Michigan. A win Saturday would give the Gophers possession of Floyd of Rosedale, the Little Brown Jug and Paul Bunyan's Axe simultaneously for the first time since 1978.

Expect something physical, low-margin and very Midwestern.

No. 2 BYU at UCF

12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET) | Orlando

BYU faces one of the classic problems of college football: what happens the week after the biggest win of the season?

The Cougars jumped to No. 2 after beating Notre Dame 28-24, their highest ranking since the 1984 national championship season.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier was named AP National Player of the Week after becoming the first BYU quarterback since Steve Young in 1983 to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game.

Now BYU goes across the country to Orlando against UCF.

The Cougars are 6-0, and suddenly every game carries playoff expectations that did not exist a month ago.

Michigan State at No. 9 UCLA

12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET) | Rose Bowl

UCLA remains undefeated at 6-0.

The Bruins followed their dramatic 17-15 victory at Oregon by beating Wisconsin 17-7 despite playing without Nico Iamaleava.

The offense has not always been overwhelming, but UCLA continues to find ways to win. Michigan State enters with only two victories and is trying to end a difficult stretch in conference play.

For UCLA, this is another game where the biggest danger may be looking ahead rather than looking across the field.

No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina

12:30 PM PT (3:30 PM ET)

Tennessee's 26-10 victory over Alabama may have been one of the most impressive defensive performances of last weekend.

The Volunteers forced four turnovers, held Alabama to 201 yards and controlled possession for nearly 36 minutes.

Now comes a classic follow-up test: traveling to Columbia against South Carolina.

The Gamecocks have already demonstrated upset ability, winning at Florida 38-19 earlier this month. Tennessee cannot afford to treat this as simply the game after Alabama.

No. 21 Boise State at Washington State

3:00 PM PT (6:00 PM ET) | Pullman

Boise State enters the weekend 5-1 and back in the Top 25.

Washington State provides a difficult road environment and a matchup that carries added significance as the Pac-12 takes its new shape.

For Boise State, the formula is simple: keep winning and remain positioned for a strong finish and potentially a major postseason opportunity.

No. 16 USC at Wisconsin

4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET) | Madison

USC has quietly climbed to 6-1 after winning at Penn State.

The Trojans now face another Big Ten road atmosphere at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin is coming off a 17-7 loss at UCLA but has already produced one of the season's biggest road results with its comeback upset at Penn State.

USC has shown that its offense can travel. Saturday is another test of whether the Trojans can remain physically consistent in the Big Ten.

Vanderbilt at No. 12 Kentucky

4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET)

Kentucky keeps winning close games.

The Wildcats have climbed to No. 12 after surviving Texas A&M, LSU and Oklahoma during a remarkable stretch.

The biggest change has been Kentucky's ability to finish. Kenny Minchey and the Wildcats have repeatedly produced decisive late drives, while the defense forced four Oklahoma turnovers last week.

Vanderbilt enters Lexington with nothing to lose, making this another game Kentucky cannot take lightly.

Iowa State at No. 25 Arizona

4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET) | Tucson

Arizona enters the rankings at No. 25 with a 5-1 record.

Iowa State has already faced one highly ranked Big 12 team on the road, losing 24-10 at BYU, and now travels to the desert.

For Arizona, this is the first challenge that comes with a number next to its name. Staying ranked means handling a solid conference opponent at home.

The weekend picture

Week 8 looks quieter than the historic chaos of last Saturday, when five of the Top 7 teams lost. But this schedule has plenty of places where another contender can stumble.

Ole Miss-Texas carries the most obvious playoff stakes. Texas may be playing to keep its season alive, while a victory would give Ole Miss another major resume win.

Houston-Utah could dramatically shape the Big 12 championship race.

Indiana has to recover at Michigan. BYU must avoid an emotional letdown in Orlando. Alabama is trying to stop a two-game losing streak. Miami takes the field as No. 1 for the first time in 24 years.

And with Ohio State, Notre Dame and Georgia all idle, Saturday gives the teams behind them a chance to make up ground.

After what happened last weekend, nobody should assume the rankings will look the same Sunday morning.