CFP Rankings 2026: Miami No. 1, Georgia 2, Notre Dame Stuck at 11
CFP rankings 2026: Miami (8-0) leads the committee's first top 25 ahead of Georgia, Utah and Indiana. Full list, the projected bracket and what Hunter Yurachek said.
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The first CFP rankings 2026 put Miami at No. 1 with an 8-0 record, followed by Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0) and Indiana (8-1), per theScore and Field Level Media. The committee released them Tuesday night, per Field Level Media, and the headline arguments are Alabama at No. 5 despite two losses and Notre Dame at No. 11 despite a 7-1 record.
CFP Rankings 2026: The Full Top 25
Both outlets list the same 25 teams in the same order. Records are as listed in those reports.
| Rank | Team | Record | |-|-|-| | 1 | Miami | 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 | Notre Dame | 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 | USC | 7-2 | | 21 | South Carolina | 5-3 | | 22 | Arizona | 6-2 | | 23 | Oregon | 5-3 | | 24 | Florida | 5-3 | | 25 | Boise State | 7-1 |
Two details in the list: UCLA is 8-0 and ranked eighth, behind Alabama (6-2) and Texas (6-2). Boise State, at No. 25, is the top-ranked Group of 6 program, per theScore.
What the Bracket Looks Like Right Now
Applying the rankings to the 12-team format, theScore projects byes for Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana. The first-round games would be:
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Ole Miss
No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 9 BYU
That bracket puts Boise State in the 12th seed and leaves Ohio State, ranked 12th, outside the field, per theScore. These are the committee's current rankings, not a final field. The 12-team field is locked in Dec. 6, per Field Level Media, and the rankings update weekly. For how the format and seeding rules work, see our College Football Playoff format and bracket guide.
Why Alabama Is Fifth
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek, the Arkansas athletic director, explained the Alabama placement to ESPN, per theScore and Field Level Media: "Alabama went on the road and beat the team that we have ranked sixth this week in Kentucky. They also beat South Carolina, who's ranked in our Top 25."
He added that many people forget Alabama won at Mississippi State on Oct. 3: "We really value that as a strong win for Alabama." Tennessee, which beat Alabama, is 13th, and Yurachek said Tennessee "doesn't have the same level of quality wins," per theScore.
Why Notre Dame Is 11th
Yurachek said, per Field Level Media: "The committee is impressed by (Notre Dame's) performance on both sides of the ball. They are a very good football team. But when you look at Notre Dame's schedule and the wins that they have versus the teams that are ahead of them, they don't have that signature win right now."
He pointed to two facts: the Irish "lost in their only Top 25 matchup at BYU" and their next-best win is on a neutral site against Wisconsin. The opportunity is immediate. Notre Dame hosts No. 1 Miami in South Bend on Saturday, which Yurachek called the game "to get that signature win that I think they need to move up in the rankings," per theScore.
Why Ohio State Is 12th
Ohio State, 6-2, just misses the field in theScore's projection of the current bracket. Yurachek said, per theScore, that the committee "still has a lot of respect for Ohio State," pointing to its road win at Indiana, but that "they didn't look like the same Ohio State team this past weekend against Southern Cal." Ohio State lost 30-18 to USC in Week 9, per VegasInsider.
What This Means for Betting Futures
Rankings are not odds, and no sportsbook price is quoted here. What the
What to Watch Next
Watch three things. First, Notre Dame at home against Miami on Saturday, per theScore. Second, Boise State, the top-ranked Group of 6 team at No. 25. Third, the next weekly update, since Field Level Media says the rankings are updated weekly and the field is locked in Dec. 6.
See our AI predictions hub for the rest of today's board and where the model disagrees with the market.
FAQ
Who is No. 1 in the first CFP rankings 2026? Miami is No. 1 at 8-0, ahead of Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0) and Indiana (8-1), per theScore and Field Level Media.
Who gets a first-round bye in the current bracket? Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana, per theScore's projection of the current rankings.
Why is Notre Dame ranked 11th? Committee chair Hunter Yurachek said Notre Dame lacks a signature win, lost its only top-25 matchup at BYU, and has a neutral-site win over Wisconsin as its next-best result, per Field Level Media.
When is the CFP field set? The 12-team field is locked in Dec. 6, per Field Level Media.
Which Group of 6 team is ranked highest? Boise State is the top-ranked Group of 6 program at No. 25 with a 7-1 record, per theScore, which projects it into the 12th seed ahead of Ohio State.
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