The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season immediately stirred up plenty of debate, and Texas found itself right in the middle of it.
A big part of the noise has centered on the SEC, with Alabama and Texas drawing the loudest reactions. Plenty of fans are upset that the Crimson Tide landed ahead of the Longhorns, especially with Kalen DeBoer’s team being viewed by many as having the weaker resume.
But Stephen A. Smith focused his criticism on Texas getting what he sees as an overly generous spot at No.
“I understand the quality of their wins. What about the quality of their losses?
You lost to two unranked teams!” Smith said on First Take.
“I don’t have a problem with them being in the top 12 to 15… No. 7?!
With two losses to unranked teams… you got to be kidding me.”
Smith’s read on the ranking is that the committee is leaving Texas plenty of room to absorb another setback and still stay in the playoff conversation. With Missouri and LSU still ahead, he believes the Longhorns’ position gives the selection committee flexibility if things go sideways.
“[The committee is] gonna do everything they can to make sure that Texas… [is] in these playoffs. Cause if you dropped them lower, and they lost another game, you definitely gotta push them out,” Smith claimed. “Meanwhile, at No. 7… [they] can drop as low as 11th or 12th, but not completely out of the picture… that’s the impression that I get.”
Texas’ loss to Florida, which checked in at No. 23 in the CFP rankings, does soften the blow a bit. The Longhorns now turn to Missouri, ranked No. 18 in the poll, with kickoff set for noon ET on Saturday on ESPN.
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Mississippi State Just Got Pulled Into The Alabama Tennessee CFP Fight
The latest College Football Playoff rankings have only sharpened the debate around Alabamas place in the field, and now Mississippi State has been pulled into the conversation by association. The selection committee put Alabama at No. 5 and Tennessee at No. 13, even with Tennessee owning the head-to-head win, and CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek said the gap came down to Alabamas collection of quality victories against ranked opponents.
For Alabama fans, the takeaway is clear enough: the committee is rewarding resume depth over a single game result, and that makes every ranked opponent the Crimson Tide have beaten feel more valuable. Tennessees case still has its own appeal because the losses have come in close games against ranked teams, but the broader message from the committee is hard to miss, and it leaves the SEC race with another layer of intrigue as the rankings keep sorting themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To LSU With One Road Problem Still Looming
Alabama heads into Week 10 with a top-15 showdown at LSU carrying the kind of road question that tends to follow a good team until it gets answered. Kalen DeBoers group has handled the season well enough to stay in the national conversation, but the trip to Baton Rouge brings a different test, especially with LSU also sitting among the countrys best and the spotlight on a matchup that has plenty of weight beyond the standings.
The coaching subplot adds another layer, with DeBoer and Lane Kiffin set to meet for the first time and DeBoer still unbeaten against LSU. On the other side, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt will have to navigate an Alabama defense that has made life difficult for opponents, and the Crimson Tides ability to keep its offense steady away from home may end up being the detail that decides whether this one feels like a statement or another reminder that the road still has work left to do. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas CFP Ranking Just Sparked A Debate Tide Fans Will Feel
Damien Harris did not hide his surprise when the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings dropped Alabama at No. 5, especially with the loss to Tennessee still hanging over the rsum. The former Crimson Tide running back, now a CBS analyst, voiced the kind of reaction plenty of fans around Tuscaloosa likely had when the bracket picture first came into focus.
Hunter Yurachek, who chairs the College Football Playoff committee, pointed to Alabamas quality wins against Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi State as the reason the Tide landed that high despite the setback in Knoxville. It is the sort of early ranking that can fuel a long debate, because Alabamas place near the top says as much about what the committee values as it does about the one loss everyone keeps circling back to. [Read more 🡒]