Rankings of college football matches: which replaces the Ohio State?

The college football playoff photo sees the Ohio State collapse after the Buckeyes' defeat at Purdue, but who will replace them on the field?

And just like that, the nation's No. 2 team in the AP Top 25 lost for the second week in a row. Last week, Georgia's loss to LSU caused a big upset at the top of the playoffs. This week, Ohio State lost 49-20 against Purdue in a game they never played. They were one of three undefeated teams to lose this weekend, while NC State lost to Clemson and the Cincinnati Bearcats lost on Temple Road.

The Buckeyes are not totally excluded from the playoffs because they can still beat Michigan for the Big Ten East title and win the Big Ten Championship match, but for now, the Buckeyes are pulling out of our field and will be replaced by one of the biggest surprises of the year. But it all starts with Alabama, who defeated another winner against Tennessee.

Ranking of university football after the eighth week

1. Scarlet tide of Alabama

The scarlet tide continues to dominate and one always feels like being in a separate category. The tide scored twice in the first minutes and was 21-0 less than seven minutes into the match.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues his progression to the Heisman Trophy, having scored four touchdowns and still not getting interception this season. He looks unstoppable even with a knee splint. He easily avoids the pressure and is not afraid to take a shot. Do not leave him all day in the pocket, because he will eventually beat you, as in his first touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy today. Tagovailoa finally got a good amount of shots in the second half, which was important from the perspective of LSU.

Josh Jacobs has been spearheading today in what has been a field full of people all season long. He had 12 runs for 68 yards and a pair of points. The sophomore Brian Robinson Jr. took part in the action and managed 60 yards that day. Jaylen Waddle led the receivers today with four catches and 117 yards, including a touchdown. The four main targets of the passing game found themselves in the end zone today.

The defense played once again very strong in the first half, but it still has some work to do, especially in high school. The top four stand out with trio Quinnen Williams, Isaiah Buggs and Raekwon Davis inside. They have been difficult to block all season.

Alabama will have a week off next week before a huge match against LSU at Death Valley, likely for the SEC West.

2. Clemson's Tigers

While many did not expect a difficult route for the Clemson Tigers, no one expected the ACC to be such a ride. As the season approached, the two biggest threats weighing on Clemson were Miami and the state of North Carolina. Miami struggled to get out of the door and made a huge tumble by losing to Virginia last weekend. NC State, on the other hand, entered the duel with Clemson unbeaten. It did not work well for the Wolfpack.

The offensive started early in the match, finding the end zone on two of its first three offensive assets. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence watched as he entered, keeping pace with the opening game. He finished with 308 yards and a touchdown on 26/39 points.

Travis Etienne, the star at the back, struggled to find holes on the ground against the front of the Wolfpack. However, he found the goal zone three times in the day. Sophomore Wide's receiver, Tee Higgins, had a big day in the air, catching eight passes for 119 yards and a score. He will be on many radars for 2020 as Etienne.

Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley was well placed in 2018. He looked good in his first five games, but Clemson's defense had other ideas on Saturday. Finley was uncomfortable all day and did not give him the opportunity to push the ball into the net. He finished with only 156 yards out of 34 attempts and launched two interceptions. The defensive line has put tons of pressure, showing why they are all four on the radar of the NFL teams.

It is unlikely that the week of rivalry between the Tigers and South Carolina has a very difficult battle. Next week they will face the Seminoles in Tallahassee.

3. Our Lady Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish were on the alert this week, so there is not a ton to note with this team. The transition to Ian Book has yielded excellent results. He has been watching every Heisman candidate in recent weeks and the Irish are regrouping under his center.

On the defense, the line, led by Jerry Tillery, has looked phenomenal, and the defense is tightening when it needs to retire.

Yes, this team is in the playoffs and is doing very well as long as it ends the season without defeat. However, as we have seen in the past two weeks, no one is safe. The Irish who are fighting are moving to face the Navy next week and have to keep playing with their "A" game.

4. Tigers LSU

A second SEC team is back in the mix thanks to a Buckeye defeat. There are so many quality wins for this team right now, starting with the big win against Miami to start the season. Last week, they had a big victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. They stayed at home this week in hopes of continuing their momentum.

It looked like an ugly Big Ten match this week against the state of Mississippi, but the Tigers triumphed, ending the Mississippi state's offensive. The points were rare, but the Tigers were early on the blackboard thanks to an interception by Nick Fitzgerald. Nick Brossette concluded the contract with a short touch.

Joe Burrow had a good year in his first year at Baton Rouge, and he did well on Saturday. He completed 16 of 28 attempts for 129 yards and one interception. He did not kill LSU, but he has to clean it up a bit more. The current game was not at all explosive, but they got a key yardage when they needed it. Brossette finished with 57 yards in 17 carries and a score.

The defense allowed Fitzgerald to score some important points (131 rushing yards the same day), but she did not let anything slip through the air. Fitzgerald had a 56-yard pass with four interceptions. It was a dominant defensive performance.

An important point to note from today is the targeting call against linebacker Devin White. As it was in the second half, he had to miss the first half of LSU's next game. This match will be opposed to Alabama.

Just missed: Michigan, Texas

After the Ohio State defeat, Michigan is suddenly in the Big Ten group, and they can bid if they win and win that big win over the Buckeyes. Texas still has some big games to play, and it will probably be another Oklahoma fixture at the Big 12 Championship Game.