A weekend of upsets that toppled half of the top seven should leave the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 15 when the new AP Top 25 poll is released Sunday. Iowa was off in Week 7 and returns to action next week at Minnesota.
According to CBS Sports, Week 7 was a record-setting chaos day in college football. No. 1 Georgia lost at home to unranked Auburn, former No. 1 Texas blew a lead against unranked Florida, and No. 2 Notre Dame fell to No. 8 BYU on the final play in Provo. The poll will crown a new No. 1 for the second straight week.
Where Iowa stands
The Hawkeyes sat out Saturday and could not improve their position, but they also avoided the carnage. CBS Sports projects Iowa to hold steady at No. 15, untouched by a shakeup that sent Alabama, Missouri and Texas tumbling down the ballot.
Iowa's bye came at a useful moment. The Hawkeyes now enter a stretch run with a ranking intact and a manageable path ahead, starting with the road trip to Minneapolis. Wins there would let Iowa climb as the teams above it continue to beat each other up.
BYU projected to take over No. 1
The boldest call in the CBS Sports projection is BYU at No. 1. The Cougars, previously No. 8, stunned Notre Dame on Saturday night as a double-digit underdog and remain unbeaten. CBS Sports also credits BYU's recent run of success with earning goodwill among AP voters.
Miami is projected second after surviving a double-overtime scare against unranked Florida State. Ohio State, fresh off a top-five road win at Indiana, lands third in the projection. The Buckeyes lost quarterback Julian Sayin to injury, which could shape the Big Ten race Iowa cares about most.
USA Today also projects BYU to make a five-spot jump, noting the Cougars hold the best single win of the season over Notre Dame, though it expects a debate at No. 2 between BYU and Ohio State.
Big Ten shakeup opens the door
The conference picture shifted dramatically. Indiana suffered its first loss of the season, ending a 22-game win streak in a 19-15 thriller against the Buckeyes.