Steppe’s Week 8 AP ballot: Texas, Oregon, Penn State at top midway through 2024 season

IOWA CITY — If someone would have told me at the beginning of the season I would have Indiana and Vanderbilt on my ballot (while also considering Army), I would be wondering if they spent a little too much on Broadway in Nashville.

But here we are after Week 7, with Indiana and Vanderbilt on my ballot.

Indiana, now at No. 18 on my ballot, is one of the eight undefeated power-conference teams remaining. Vanderbilt joins my ballot at No. 24 one week after ousting then-No. 1 Alabama and a day after winning on the road at Kentucky (while never trailing).

As for the top of my ballot, Texas and Oregon received serious consideration for No. 1. Oregon made a splash with its 32-31 win over No. 2 Ohio State in what could potentially be a preview of this year’s Big Ten title game.

But there’s something to be said for not only who Texas has beaten, but how it’s been winning these games. Reigning national champion Michigan had the closest game against Texas when the Wolverines lost by only 19 points — 31-12 in Week 2. No. 18 Oklahoma lost by 31 this weekend. Texas’ other wins have been by 52, 49, 48 and 22 points.

Penn State moved up to No. 3 on my ballot after surviving against USC. The narrow margin of victory was not ideal for a top-five team, but we have seen plenty of teams do much worse when traveling across multiple zones.

Some of my fellow voters may similarly penalize Alabama for how narrow its win over South Carolina was. But this is the same South Carolina team that only lost by three to LSU earlier this year and has yet to lose to an unranked team.

LSU rose higher than any other team on my ballot after the Tigers’ 29-26 win over No. 9 Ole Miss. Brian Kelly’s team now has the signature win its resume lacked before this weekend.

Illinois fell to No. 25 on my ballot after needing overtime to beat Purdue. The Illini remain one of six teams to have multiple ranked wins so far this season, but they will need a win next week against Michigan to stay on my ballot. Utah and Oklahoma dropped off my ballot entirely after their Week 7 losses.

USC probably is the best three-loss team in the country at this point, but the Trojans remain off my ballot while there are enough one- and two-loss teams worthy of consideration.

One-loss Nebraska and undefeated Army are on my radar as well. Both teams are held back by a lack of signature win, though. (I still don’t count Nebraska beating Colorado, a team that went 4-8 last year, as a signature win.)

Here is my full ballot ahead of the poll’s release at 1 p.m. Central time:

John Steppe’s Week 8 AP ballot

Also under consideration: USC, Nebraska, Army

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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