The College Football Playoff selection committee released its first of six rankings on Nov. 3, 2026. Miami (FL), Georgia, Utah and Indiana are the top four teams.
Here is everything you need to know about the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026.
First CFP selection committee top-25 rankings
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | 8-0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 7-1 |
| 3 | Utah | 8-0 |
| 4 | Indiana | 8-1 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6-2 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 6-2 |
| 8 | UCLA | 8-0 |
| 9 | BYU | 7-1 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 6-2 |
| 11 | Our Lady | 7-1 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-2 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 6-2 |
| 14 | LSU | 6-2 |
| 15 | Texas Tech | 7-1 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 7-1 |
| 17 | Houston | 6-2 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6-2 |
| 19 | Iowa | 6-2 |
| 20 | Southern Cal | 7-2 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 5-3 |
| 22 | Arizona | 6-2 |
| 23 | Oregon | 5-3 |
| 24 | Florida | 5-3 |
| 25 | Boise State | 7-1 |
What the 12-team bracket could look like
The 12-team College Football Playoff field will include automatic bids for the conference champions from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC and the highest-ranked team from American, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 OR Sun Belt (Group of 6). Notre Dame can also receive an automatic bid in 2026 if it ranks among the top-12 teams.
In a change from first 12-team CFP season, the teams ranked Nos. 1-4 in the CFP rankings earn the top four seeds and a first-round bye, regardless of whether they win their conference championship or not. As of the first CFP rankings, the top four seeds would be No. 1 Miami (FL), No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah and No. 4 Indiana.
Seeds 5-12 will play each other in the first roundwith the higher-seeded teams hosting at campus sites. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team is No. 25 Boise State, so the Broncos are projected as the No. 12 seed in the bracket. The first two teams out of the playoffs in this bracket would be No. 12 Ohio State and No. 13 Tennessee.
Conferences with the most teams in the CFP top-25
The SEC has the most teams in the top-25 of any conference with 10, followed by the Big Ten with six. Here’s how the top-25 breaks down by conference.
| Conference | number of teams | teams |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | 10 | Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida |
| Big Ten | 6 | Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State, Iowa, Southern California, Oregon |
| Big 12 | 5 | Utah, BYU, Texas Tech, Houston, Arizona |
| ACC | 2 | Miami (FL), Wake Forest |
| Independent | 1 | Our Lady |
| Pac-12 | 1 | Boise State |
CFP top 12 analysis
- Miami (FL) (8-0) — Miami is one of three undefeated teams remaining in the FBS. The Hurricanes have only played two close games this season against Florida State and North Carolina to earn the No. 1 spot.
- Georgia (7-1) — Georgia is 7-1 and is the highest-ranked one-loss team. Yet, that loss came to Auburn, an unranked 4-4 team. However, a current top-five win over Alabama plus another win over a ranked Florida team helps offset the loss and carry the Bulldogs to No. 2.
- Utah (8-0) — Utah is undefeated at 8-0. The Utes have a notable win over No. 17 Houston, helping out its resume when compared to other teams.
- Indiana (8-1)— Indiana’s only loss is to Ohio State, but the Hoosiers don’t have a ranked win after a week nonconference slate. Nonetheless, the defending national champion currently has a bye if the CFP was to start today.
- Alabama (6-2) — Alabama has a head-to-head win over No. 6 Kentucky, and that win became a floor for the Tide in the first rankings.
- Kentucky (7-1) — Kentucky is four spots behind the SEC’s other one-loss team, likely because of a blowout loss to Alabama in Week 2.
- Texas (6-2) — Texas enters the rankings at No. 7 after wins over the No. 10, No. 12 and No. 13 team. However, Texas has an unranked loss to Oklahoma that stands out.
- UCLA (8-0) — UCLA is undefeated at 8-0, yet only ranks No. 8 to open the rankings. Oregon joining the bottom of the rankings gives the Bruins a great data point to bolster its resume.
- BYU (7-1) — BYU’s win over Notre Dame lacks the luster it had when looking at the AP Poll ranking. That plus a loss to an unranked UCF team keeps the Cougars on the edge of the top 10.
- Ole Miss (6-2) — Ole Miss is in the top 10 with two currently-ranked wins and two currently-ranked losses.
- Notre Dame (7-1) — Notre Dame is the last team in at No. 11. The Fighting Irish don’t have a ranked win while having a ranked loss to BYU.
- Ohio State (6-2) — Ohio State is the first team out after losing to Southern Cal last week. The biggest surprise is the gap between the Buckeyes and No. 4 Indiana, a team OSU beat.
Other notable notes from the rankings
- No. 25 Boise State entered the CFP rankings five spots behind where they were in the latest AP Poll. As the highest ranked Group of 6 team, the Broncos earn an automatic bid to the postseason.
Ranked vs. ranked games to watch in Week 10
Source: www.ncaa.com
