The College Football Playoff selection committee released its first of six rankings for the 2026-27 season in a report published November 3, 2026. Miami (FL), Georgia, Utah, and Indiana are the top four teams in the initial rankings.
Under the 12-team format, the teams ranked Nos. 1-4 earn the top four seeds and a first-round bye regardless of whether they win their conference championship. Based on the November 3 rankings, the top four seeds are No. 1 Miami (FL), No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah, and No. 4 Indiana. Seeds 5-12 will compete in the first round, with higher-seeded teams hosting at campus sites. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team is No. 25 Boise State, which is projected as the No. 12 seed in the bracket, while Ohio State and Tennessee are the first two teams out of the playoffs in this bracket.
The SEC has the most teams in the top-25 with 10 representatives, followed by the Big Ten with six. The Big 12 has five teams in the top-25, including Utah and BYU. The ACC has two teams, while the Pac-12 is represented by Boise State. Notre Dame, an independent, is ranked No. 11. The top-25 breakdown by conference includes 10 SEC teams, six Big Ten teams, five Big 12 teams, two ACC teams, one independent, and one Pac-12 team.
The 12-team College Football Playoff field includes automatic bids for conference champions from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC, along with the highest-ranked team from the American, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, or Sun Belt. Notre Dame can also receive an automatic bid in 2026 if it ranks among the top-12 teams.
