Week 8 claimed another victim this past week in college football. The North Carolina Tar Heels became the latest undefeated to lose after inexplicably dropping a game to the vaunted (checks notes) Virginia Cavaliers.
Of course, there was also the battle of unbeatens in Columbus this past week as well. Penn State's defense was sound, but Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes remained undefeated after knocking off the Nittany Lions 20-12 in The Shoe.
So, as Week 9 approaches, there are nine undefeated teams remaining in college football. Not everyone looked unbeatable this past week, as Oklahoma barely outlasted UCF at home.
But, at the end of the season, nobody cares how you won, they're only going to ask, "Did you win?" So, let's look at the nine remaining undefeated college football teams and put a ranking on them as Week 8 is set to begin.
9. Liberty Flames (7-0)
Liberty better soak it all in because they have a date with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Tuesday night in Bowling Green. This list could very quickly shrink to just eight if the Tops are able to unleash the magic that's sure to exist inside the best helmet design in college football.
But the Hilltoppers are going to have to do more than look good to take down the Flames, they're going to have to play good as well. Western Kentucky lost to Jacksonville State last week, so morale might be a bit low heading into this game against a very good Liberty team.
Liberty is 7-0 this season and 5-0 in conference play. Liberty is scoring over 36 points per game, and WKU is not necessarily known for their defense. It's looking like a high-scoring affair is on tap this week with dual-threat QB Kaidon Salter looking to get yards through the air and with his legs.
8. Air Force Falcons (7-0)
How good is Air Force? Well, let's just say that owning bragging rights over your fellow servicemen from Navy isn't much to speak of. The Falcons dispatched the Midshipmen this past week and jumped three spots to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 this week.
Still, there's just something unconvincing about a team that runs the triple-option. Yes, it can be difficult to contain at times, but there's little to no threat of Air Force gaining yards through the air. The Falcons travel to Fort Collins this week to play the Colorado State Rams.
7. James Madison Dukes (7-0)
Now, a team that's not receiving enough love is the JMU Dukes. This team, who is unfortunately ineligible to win the Sun Belt this season because of a silly NCAA rule, just keeps winning.
The Dukes, because they just joined the conference this past year, are ineligible to play in the Sun Belt Championship and cannot compete in a bow game either. Sigh!
James Madison took care of the Marshall Thundering Herd this past week on the road and will battle Old Dominion at home this weekend. ODU at 4-3 is unlikely to hang with the Dukes this weekend, and JMU will soon own a win-loss record of 8-0. Are you kidding me?
6. Oklahoma Sooners (7-0)
This past week was not an easy test for the Oklahoma Sooners. Brent Venables and the OU defense had everything they wanted and more from the Knights' visit to Norman this past weekend.
Was this just a rested version of the Sooners taking an underrated opponent for granted following a monumental win, or is OU primed to take one on the chin in the coming weeks? Oklahoma has back-to-back road contests against Kansas and Oklahoma State; two teams the Sooners cannot take lightly.
5. Washington Huskies (7-0)
The Washington Huskies, much like Oklahoma Sooners, were coming off a big win against an undefeated opponent. While OU had an extra week to prepare for UCF, Washington went right back to work this past week versus Arizona State.
Michael Penix did not look like a Heisman hopeful this past weekend, and in fact, probably lost ground to Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. But a win is a win, even when it's ugly. The Huskies have a very beatable opponent this week in Stanford before traveling to USC to play the Trojans.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)
While Buckeye Nation probably thinks this is too low, let's look at this objectively for a minute. Who did Penn State play during their undefeated start to the 2023 season? If your biggest win came against an Iowa team that gained two yards in the second half this past week, it's nothing to brag about,
Ohio State handled their business, but beating an undefeated Nittany Lions squad who had a schedule filled with cupcakes and cream puffs doesn't excite me. Quite frankly, OSU might have a tougher test this week when they go on the road to Madison to play Wisconsin.
Now, none of this is meant to take away from what Ohio State has done on the season. The Buckeyes have played very well. But beating Penn State isn't going to see Ohio State leapfrog anyone else on this list.
3. Florida State Seminoles (7-0)
Florida State continues to quietly dismantle the competition in the ACC. The Noles' latest victim was the Duke Blue Devils. FSU steamrolled the Dukies 38-20 at home in Tallahassee.
The Seminoles have scored 38 or more points the past three weeks and at least 31 points in the four games before that. Mike Norvell has his team humming right now and there may not be another tough opponent on the slate for FSU until they reach the ACC title game.
2. Michigan Wolverines (8-0)
On paper, you could make the argument that Michigan is the best team in college football. Honestly, there's a big part of me that wanted to put the Wolverines at No. 1. But, like Ric Flair used to say, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man, woo!"
As for Michigan, the Wolverines are just running over teams. Count Michigan State among the latest victims to feel the wrath of John Harbaugh. The Spartans didn't score a single point this past Saturday. Only one team all season has even reached double-digits. That's insane!
1. Georgia Bulldogs (7-0)
If Georgia is going to run the table, they're going to have to do so without Brock Bowers. Perhaps the biggest impact player in college football, Bowers will be sidelined for several weeks with an ankle injury.
But giving Kirby Smart an extra week to prepare for this week's matchup against the Florida Gators is like handing Warren Buffett another $1 billion. He doesn't need it, but he'll put it to good use. Look for the Bulldogs to have a solid game plan for the Gators this week.
