College football endured another chaotic weekend as previously undefeated BYU and Texas Tech suffered major upset losses on October 24, 2026. The shake-up reshaped the national rankings, clearing paths in conference races while narrowing the margin for error for playoff contenders across the country.
UCF Stuns BYU in Double-Overtime Thriller
The toast of the sport one week can quickly become its biggest disappointment. BYU discovered that reality firsthand during a cross-country trip to Orlando, where the Cougars fell 39-31 in double overtime to UCF at the Bounce House. Fresh off a rousing victory over Notre Dame that had propelled them to a No. 2 national ranking, the Cougars watched their unbeaten season collapse against a Knights squad powered by Keyone Jenkins.
Cole Tabb takes it 58-yards to the HOUSE!@GoBEARCATS pic.twitter.com/X19vlXjTu4
— https://x.com/CFBONFOX/status/2114074967331516656
The Cougars struggled to establish any rhythm on the ground, and when Conner Weigman’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the second extra frame, UCF secured the upset and ignited a wild field storming.
Following a roughing the kicker penalty that moved the Knights in close during the second extra period, former Cowboy Grayson Brousseau scored the decisive touchdown to seal a 39-31 final score.
Built for this moment 🌟Keyone Jenkins Highlights vs. #2 BYU 🎬@UCF_Football pic.twitter.com/zeexAleJSY
— https://x.com/big12studios/status/2114147549473128867
the margins are thin, and that’s what you’re pointing toward. It’s not easy to be in a position where you just walk out and expect to win a football game. Doesn’t really happen anymore in my mind.
Head Coach, via Yahoo Sports
Cincinnati Dominates Texas Tech in Cincy
BYU was not the only Big 12 unbeaten to fall on a bruising Saturday. Cincinnati dismantled Texas Tech 37-24, dragging the Red Raiders from playoff aspirations straight into crisis mode. The Bearcats completely controlled the line of scrimmage, rumbling for 255 rushing yards against a stunned opponent.
Stanford transfer Cole Tabb led the ground assault, breaking free for a career-high 173 yards, including a highlight-reel 58-yard dash to the end zone. While Cincinnati quarterback JC French endured an up-and-down afternoon, his offense made enough noise to quiet any doubts about the team’s physicality in conference play. Four of French’s passes ended in the Cincinnati fight song playing, pushing the Bearcats to a 5-2 overall record and a 2-2 mark in conference play.
We end Week 8 with only three undefeated teams:MiamiUCLAUtah
— https://x.com/slmandel/status/2114233944778637376
Utah Survives Houston to Claim the Conference Lead
While the rest of the conference experienced heavy turbulence, Utah held firm to remain undefeated.
Quarterback Devon Dampier rebounded from a pair of early interceptions with a stellar two-way performance, rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns while adding over 200 yards through the air. Dampier engineered a crucial fourth-quarter drive, eventually scoring on a rushing touchdown that sealed the victory after Houston turned the ball over on downs. With the win, Morgan Scalley’s squad improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, standing as the Big 12’s last remaining unbeaten team.
Three Unbeaten Teams Remain After Weekend Losses
The weekend’s carnage left major poll implications in its wake. With BYU and Texas Tech tumbling, just three unblemished teams remain across the 138 programs playing FBS football: Miami, UCLA, and Utah. ESPN and poll voters face unprecedented difficulty constructing top-25 ballots as the race toward the 12-team College Football Playoff intensifies. Alongside the top tier, other notable Week 8 outcomes included Oklahoma State dominating Colorado 57-24 after leading 24-23 at halftime, West Virginia defeating TCU 24-20, Kansas edging Baylor 25-24, Arizona State topping Kansas State 28-17, and Kentucky overcoming a 10-point deficit to defeat Vanderbilt 34-17 under head coach Will Stein.
The updated Big 12 standings heading into the final stretch show Utah leading at 4-0 in conference play (7-0 overall), followed by Arizona (3-1, 6-1), BYU (3-1, 6-1), Texas Tech (3-1, 6-1), and Oklahoma State (3-1, 5-2). Houston sits at 3-2 in conference play (6-2 overall) following their hard-fought battle in Salt Lake City, while Cincinnati and UCF check in at 2-2 in conference action.
Coach Scott Frost and UCF beat No. 2 BYU in double overtime. Another unbeaten in the FBS falls.Cougars follow the win over Notre Dame last week with this. Big 12’s two most likely playoff hopefuls, BYU and Texas Tech, lose on the same day. The conference is wacky.
— https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/2114140439905206613
Other programs receiving votes in the national polls included Oklahoma State with 120 votes, Wisconsin with 114, Cincinnati with 49, New Mexico with 43, Minnesota with 35, UTSA with 34, Nebraska with 27, Virginia Tech with 16, Oregon State with 15, South Carolina with 12, Duke with 12, Oregon with 5, Auburn with 4, North Texas with 2, Michigan with 2, UCF with 1, Oklahoma with 1, and James Madison with 1.
Auburn beats No. 1 GeorgiaAuburn blown out at home by LSUBYU beats No. 2 Notre DameBYU loses at unranked UCFThe letdown effect has defined this CFB season. Week to week, you just never know.
— https://x.com/ChrisVannini/status/2114141262500839769