Georgia is back on top of the College Football Playoff rankings, but the real shakeup came a few spots lower. Alabama’s win over LSU pushed the Tide up to No. 3, UCLA climbed to No. 4, and the bracket suddenly looks very different after the second rankings release of the 2026 season.
Under the current projection, Georgia, No. 2 Utah, Alabama and UCLA would earn the four byes.
That leaves the first-round host spots to No. 5 Notre Dame, No.
6 Texas, No. 7 Miami and No.
8 Tennessee.
Notre Dame made the biggest leap of the week. After entering last week as the No. 11 seed and the final at-large team, the Fighting Irish jumped to No. 5 after beating then-No.
1 Miami in Week 10. That move would put them in line to host 12-seed Boise State, with a potential second-round matchup against No.
4 UCLA and, after that, No. 1 Georgia.
Indiana took the hardest hit. The reigning national champion didn’t play, but still slid five spots to No. 9, dropping from a first-round bye all the way to a position where it would not even host a playoff game.
The Hoosiers’ recent form has hurt them, and the losses piled up by teams they had beaten only made the fall worse. In this bracket, Indiana would open on the road against No.
8 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, with Georgia waiting in the next round.
The bubble picture is tighter below the field. No.
11 Kentucky is the last team in, while No. 12 Texas Tech and No.
13 Wake Forest are just outside. No.
14 Houston is also still in the mix, and No. 23 Arizona and No.
25 Oklahoma State can’t likely crash the field, but they can still help their conference’s overall resume.
That conference is the Big 12, which looked much better in this release after taking a hit in the first rankings. Even with a loss to Utah, No.
10 BYU stayed in the field thanks to its win over highly ranked Notre Dame. Texas Tech remains first out, giving the league another team close to the cut line.
For now, the Big 12 is in a far better spot than it was before. It still hasn’t landed an at-large team in the 12-team playoff era, the only Power Four league without one.
In Other News...
Georgias First SEC Availability Report Leaves Key Questions For Missouri
The first SEC availability report for Georgias matchup with Missouri offered an early look at how Kirby Smarts defense and depth chart are shaping up heading into the week. Defensive lineman Joshua Horton was listed as questionable, while outside linebacker Amaris Williams was ruled out, and several other Georgia players, including Ellis Robinson and Craig Dandridge, were not listed because of injuries. Smart also provided updates on Chauncey Bowens and Tyriq Green, adding another layer to a report that already hinted at some shuffling before kickoff.
Missouri has its own injury concern to monitor, with wide receiver Cayden Lee also not listed because of a knee injury. For Georgia, the report does not settle much beyond the fact that availability could remain fluid as the game approaches, especially along the defensive front and at key depth spots. The first report rarely tells the whole story, but it did make clear that both teams still have a few important questions to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Faces A New SEC Twist With Ranked Missouri Visiting
With the SEC championship game set to disappear when the College Football Playoff expands in 2027, Kirby Smart has already weighed in on one of the conferences biggest coming changes. Georgia, which is sitting atop the SEC standings, now turns its attention to a ranked Missouri team coming to Athens, a matchup that carries more than usual weight in a season where the leagues old title-game path is about to change.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has made clear he has concerns about what the SEC will look like without that extra championship showcase, and his team arrives with enough talent to make the conversation feel timely. Quarterback Austin Simmons, top rusher Jamal Roberts and receiver Cayden Lee give the Tigers real offensive pieces to work with, though Lee is coming back from a knee injury and the report so far is encouraging, with no structural damage. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Beck Just Got The NFL Chance Georgia Fans Wanted
Gardner Minshews season-ending UCL tear in Week 9 has opened the door for a quarterback change in Arizona, and the Cardinals have moved quickly to make it official. Rookie Carson Beck will start against the Los Angeles Rams, giving the former Georgia standout his first regular-season opportunity after arriving as a third-round draft pick with the benefit of college starting experience.
For Georgia fans, it is the kind of development that always gets attention, especially when one of their former quarterbacks reaches a meaningful NFL moment this early. Beck now steps into a new level of pressure and visibility, with a division matchup providing the first real look at how his game translates when the games count for keeps. [Read more 🡒]