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The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings of the 2026 season on Tuesday, Nov. 3, featuring Miami at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 2. Among the top 10 teams are undefeated Utah at No. 3 and No. 9 BYU, as the committee evaluated performance through games played as of Saturday, Oct. 31.
Projected Playoff Bracket and Seeds
The initial rankings establish a potential 12-team playoff bracket where the top four teams—Miami (Fla.), Georgia, Utah, and Indiana—would receive first-round byes into the quarterfinals. According to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, these top four seeds are determined regardless of whether they win their respective conference championships.
In this projected bracket, No. 9 BYU would face No. 8 UCLA in the first round, with the winner meeting No. 1 Miami in the quarterfinals. No. 11 Notre Dame would face No. 6 Kentucky, with that winner advancing to meet No. 3 Utah. No. 10 Ole Miss would play No. 7 Texas, with the winner facing No. 2 Georgia.
Boise State, ranked No. 25, enters as the highest-ranked Group of 6 team and would serve as the No. 12 seed in the projected bracket. Meanwhile, the first two teams projected to be excluded from the postseason under this current ranking are No. 12 Ohio State and No. 13 Tennessee.
Utah and BYU Rankings
Utah has reached a new milestone with its No. 3 ranking, marking the highest position the program has achieved in the history of the College Football Playoff selection committee. The Utes remain undefeated with an 8-0 record and a notable victory over No. 17 Houston contributing to their resume.
BYU also maintains a strong position at No. 9 with a 7-1 record, marking the third consecutive season the Cougars have received a top-10 rating in the initial CFP assessments. The Cougars' ranking follows an undefeated start to the season, featuring wins over No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 22 Arizona.
The two Big 12 rivals are scheduled to meet this Saturday in Salt Lake City for a matchup airing on ABC at 10 a.m. MT. Other Big 12 programs appearing in the top 25 include Texas Tech at No. 15, Houston at No. 17, and Arizona at No. 22.
Conference Breakdown
The SEC dominates the initial top 25 with 10 teams included in the rankings, including five teams in the top 10. These teams are Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, and Florida.
The Big Ten follows with six teams: Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State, Iowa, Southern California, and Oregon. The Big 12 features five teams: Utah, BYU, Texas Tech, Houston, and Arizona. The ACC is represented by two teams, Miami (Fla.) and Wake Forest, while the Pac-12 is represented by Boise State. Notre Dame, an independent, occupies the No. 11 spot.
Evaluation and Schedule
The Selection Committee's evaluation process relies on a comprehensive body of work rather than a single metric. The committee utilizes three primary sources to measure performance: video, data via a customized portal, and conference input.
When teams are closely matched, the committee applies four specific principles to differentiate them: strength of schedule, head-to-head results, results against common opponents, and other relevant factors such as injuries to key players or coach unavailability.
While the current rankings are released weekly on Tuesdays, the committee will not reveal the final official bracket until Sunday, Dec. 6. The first-round games are scheduled for Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, with the semifinals occurring on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. The National Championship game is set for Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Upcoming Rankings
The committee is scheduled to meet again on Nov. 9-10. The next set of rankings will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at approximately 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app.
