By Olivia ParkerThe College Football Playoff selection committee unveiled its inaugural 2026 CFP rankings on Tuesday night, placing the undefeated Miami Hurricanes at No. 1 overall. While Georgia, Utah, and Indiana rounded out the top four seeds, traditional powerhouses Notre Dame and Ohio State landed outside the top 10.
Top Four Seeds and Projected First-Round Byes
Boasting an 8-0 record after winning three playoff games and falling 27-21 to Indiana in last season’s national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami claimed the top overall position in the committee’s opening assessment. One-loss Georgia slotted in at No. 2 after overwhelming rival Florida in the first half, while No. 3 Utah and No. 4 Indiana completed the quartet of teams projected to receive first-round postseason byes.
Two-loss Alabama secured the No. 5 ranking, sitting eight spots ahead of a No. 13 Tennessee squad that previously defeated the Crimson Tide 26-10. Kentucky claimed No. 6, Texas landed at No. 7, undefeated UCLA appeared at No. 8 under head coach Bob Chesney despite season-ending injury concerns for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, BYU took No. 9, and Ole Miss rounded out the top ten at No. 10.
Further down the board, No. 25 Boise State emerged as the highest-ranked Group of Six contender at 7-1 following James Madison’s two-game losing skid, positioning the Broncos to claim one of the five automatic conference champion bids in the twelve-team bracket.
Why Notre Dame and Ohio State Missed the Top 10
The biggest talking points from Tuesday’s reveal centered on No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 12 Ohio State. Despite holding a 7-1 record and sitting fourth in the national media poll, the Fighting Irish were slotted as the final at-large team inside the projected field. Selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek praised Notre Dame’s play on both sides of the ball following a 28-24 road loss at BYU, but noted that the Irish lack a signature win over a ranked opponent.
Meanwhile, 6-2 Ohio State dropped to No. 12—making the Buckeyes the first team outside the twelve-team playoff cutline once Boise State’s automatic bid is factored in. Although Yurachek credited Ohio State’s earlier 19-15 road win at Indiana, the committee weighed the Buckeyes’ recent 30-18 loss at USC in the first game since quarterback Julian Sayin hurt his throwing arm.
Both programs still control their own postseason destiny heading into November, as the selection committee re-evaluates strength of schedule and head-to-head results each Tuesday leading up to the final December bracket.
Blockbuster Week 10 Showdowns Set to Shake Up Standings
This weekend’s Week 10 slate features seven head-to-head matchups between ranked opponents that will immediately reshape the playoff hierarchy. Most notably, No. 11 Notre Dame hosts No. 1 Miami on Saturday night in South Bend—a high-stakes rematch after Miami edged the Irish 27-24 in the 2025 season opener.
Saturday’s schedule also includes No. 9 BYU visiting No. 3 Utah, No. 7 Texas traveling to No. 18 Missouri, No. 5 Alabama facing No. 14 LSU, No. 23 Oregon playing at No. 12 Ohio State, No. 6 Kentucky meeting No. 13 Tennessee, and No. 2 Georgia taking on No. 10 Ole Miss. For ongoing coverage of college gridiron standings, visit our Sports hub.
