Miami Holds No. 1 Spot as Top 10 Losses Hit 11, Tying 2007 Mark

Miami held the No. 1 spot in the Herald Reviews power rankings after a 52-23 win over Pitt, with Malachi Toney setting a school record with 16 catches for 194 yards. The Hurricanes' defense allowed 334 passing yards, and Pitt recorded three sacks against quarterback Darian Mensah. Miami visits North Carolina next, with Notre Dame on the schedule for Nov. 7.

Across the sport, top-10 teams have lost 11 games over the past three weeks, a total that ties the record for any three-week regular-season span in AP Poll history. The last time that mark was reached was 2007, according to ESPN Research. Week 8 produced upsets including South Carolina over Tennessee, Cincinnati over Texas Tech, Wisconsin over USC and UCF over then-No. 2 BYU in double overtime.

Ohio State moved to No. 3 during its bye week while adjusting its offense for the absence of quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. True freshman Luke Fahey, listed at 5-foot-11, would see action, and Tavien St. Clair, a 6-foot-4 former five-star recruit, took first-team snaps this week. Ohio State plays at USC on Saturday.

Georgia slipped to No. 4 after a 27-24 home loss to Auburn on Oct. 17, a game in which the Bulldogs rushed for 113 yards on 28 attempts. Nate Fuzzer returned from a rib injury that cost him most of two games, while backup Chauncey Bowens has missed the last two outings with a lower-body issue. Georgia faces Florida in Atlanta on Saturday, then travels to Ole Miss the following week.

BYU dropped to No. 4 after falling at UCF in double overtime, one week after beating Notre Dame and reaching No. 2 in the AP Poll. Without running back LJ Martin, who is out with a lower-body injury, the Cougars averaged 3.2 yards per carry, and quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 16 of 32 passes. The Cougars' playoff margin has narrowed.

Indiana stayed at No. 7 with a 13-6 overtime win at Michigan, where the Wolverines had not lost to an AP top-10 opponent while allowing 13 or fewer points since 1985, a span of 14 straight games. Hoosiers quarterback Josh Hoover threw his first interception of the season and attempted one other pass in the second half; Indiana's coaches kept him in the game, and he made two plays in overtime. Indiana held Michigan to 54 rushing yards on 39 carries.

Utah moved to No. 9 and is now 7-0, having beaten Houston 21-13 after trailing 10-0 at halftime. Alabama climbed to No. 10 at 6-2 after a win over Texas A&M, though its running game produced 68 yards on 28 carries, with four starters and several key reserves out injured. Coach Kalen DeBoer said he hoped "a lot" of injured players return for the Nov. 7 trip to LSU.

Kentucky rose to No. 8 after a 34-17 win over Vanderbilt, its sixth straight victory, with Kenny Minchey throwing for 203 yards and two total touchdowns. LSU climbed to No. 12 after outscoring Mississippi State and Auburn 69-17 across two games, with Sam Leavitt passing for 385 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn and adding 54 yards and a score on the ground. Texas reached No. 13 at No. 22 in the previous poll, beating Ole Miss after building a 24-3 halftime lead.

The week's other results included New Mexico's win over North Dakota State and Utah's comeback against Houston. Alabama's fourth-quarter touchdowns secured its win over Texas A&M, and Boise State scored late to beat Washington State. Wake Forest was idle in Week 8, with Virginia up next at home.