The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings of the 2026 season on Tuesday, placing Utah at No. 3 and BYU at No. 9. The rankings, which account for games played through Saturday, Oct. 31, position the two Big 12 rivals to meet this Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Top Ten CFP Rankings
The initial rankings feature Miami at No. 1, marking the first time in the program's history the Hurricanes have held the top spot. Miami is the 11th program ever to be ranked No. 1 and the first team from the ACC to achieve the honor since Clemson in 2017. Following Miami is No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Utah, the latter of which has earned its highest ranking in program history, surpassing its previous best of No. 5.
Rounding out the top 10 are No. 4 Indiana, the reigning national champion, and No. 5 Alabama. The list continues with No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 UCLA, No. 9 BYU, and No. 10 Ole Miss. BYU, currently holding a 7-1 record, has secured a top-10 rating in the initial CFP assessments for the third consecutive season.
Big 12 Presence in Rankings
The Big 12 conference is well-represented in the initial rankings with five teams included. In addition to Utah and BYU in the top 10, the conference features Texas Tech at No. 15, Houston at No. 17, and Arizona at No. 22. BYU's 7-1 season includes two victories against teams currently appearing in the CFP rankings: wins over No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 22 Arizona.
Conference Breakdown
The SEC maintains a heavy presence in the selection committee's first list with 10 teams included, five of which appear in the top 10. The Big Ten has six teams represented, while the Big 12 follows with five. The ACC has two teams, while the Pac-12 and independents each have one team represented in the rankings.
Full Ranking List
Further down the list, the rankings include No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 13 Tennessee, No. 14 LSU, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 16 Wake Forest, No. 17 Houston, No. 18 Missouri, No. 19 Iowa, No. 20 Southern California, No. 21 South Carolina, No. 22 Arizona, No. 23 Oregon, No. 24 Florida, and No. 25 Boise State.
Evaluation Criteria
The CFP Selection Committee evaluates teams using a comprehensive body of work rather than a single metric. The committee utilizes video, data through a customized portal, and conference input to determine rankings. When comparing teams with similar profiles, members apply four principles: strength of schedule, head-to-head results, results against common opponents, and other relevant factors such as injuries to key players or the unavailability of a coach.
Next Committee Meeting
The CFP Selection Committee is scheduled to meet again on Nov. 9-10. The next set of rankings is expected to be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at approximately 9 p.m. ET.
