BYU received a No. 10 ranking in the second release of the 2026 College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, following a rivalry matchup against No. 3 Utah on Saturday. The Cougars, holding a 7-2 record, remain one of the few teams in the top 10 as the selection committee released its second set of rankings for the season.
Rankings Shift After Weekend Games
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released the rankings, which account for games played through Saturday, November 7. According to the committee's release on Tuesday, Georgia has ascended to the No. 1 spot, moving up one position from its previous rank. Utah follows in the No. 2 position, marking the highest CFP ranking in the program's history.
BYU's drop to No. 10 comes after the Cougars were edged on the road by rival Utah during their top-10 matchup. Despite the loss, BYU has maintained a presence in the top 10 of the early CFP assessments for three consecutive seasons. The Cougars' 2-1 record against teams currently in the CFP rankings includes victories over No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 23 Arizona, while their sole loss in that group was to No. 2 Utah.
Major Movements in Top 25
The second set of rankings highlighted significant movement among several programs. Notre Dame experienced a major jump, moving from No. 11 to No. 5, making it the first team in CFP history to move from outside the top 10 into the top 5 in a single week. Oregon also saw a significant rise, moving from No. 23 to No. 16.
Other notable movements include Tennessee, which climbed five spots from No. 13 to No. 8, and UCLA, which moved up four spots from No. 8 to No. 4. UCLA and Utah represent the only two undefeated teams remaining in the FBS entering Week 11. This instance of having only two undefeated teams in the second ranking of a season matches the fewest in CFP history, a record set in 2014.
Conference Representation Breakdown
The Big 12 conference maintains a strong presence in the rankings with six teams represented. This includes three teams in the top 12: Utah at No. 2, BYU at No. 10, and Texas Tech at No. 12. Houston also moved up three spots to No. 14, while Arizona slipped one position to No. 23. Oklahoma State, with a 6-3 record, returned to the rankings for the first time since the 2023 season at No. 25.
The SEC continues to lead in representation with nine teams in the rankings, including five in the top 12. The Big Ten also has six teams in the rankings, with two appearing in the top 12. The ACC has two teams in the top 25, including one in the top 12, while the Pac-12 is represented by Boise State at No. 24.
Weekend Defeats and Records
The weekend of November 7 saw several high-profile teams suffer defeats. Five teams from last week's top 12 dropped in the rankings: No. 1 Miami fell to No. 7 after losing to No. 11 Notre Dame, while No. 6 Kentucky fell to No. 11 after a loss to No. 13 Tennessee. No. 9 BYU fell to No. 10, No. 10 Ole Miss fell to No. 19, and No. 12 Ohio State fell to No. 20.
Alabama, currently ranked No. 3, is the first two-loss team to reach the top 4 in the rankings, marking the earliest such occurrence in the committee's history. This follows the previous record set on November 28, 2017, by Auburn.
Evaluation and Next Meeting
The CFP Selection Committee evaluates teams based on a comprehensive body of work rather than a single metric. The committee utilizes video, data via a customized portal, and conference input to determine rankings. When teams are comparable, the committee applies four principles: strength of schedule, head-to-head results, results against common opponents, and other relevant factors such as injuries or coach unavailability.
The committee is scheduled to meet again on November 16-17. The third set of rankings is expected to be revealed on Tuesday, November 17, at approximately 9 p.m. ET.
