The first big shakeup in the projected College Football Playoff picture has Texas sliding out of the top spot, and Georgia is the team stepping into the No. 1 seed.
That switch comes after a wild weekend that saw several AP teams take losses and forced a fresh reset in the bracket projection midway through the 2026 season. Texas, which had been No. 1 in the AP poll, dropped after the Red River Shootout and saw its margin for error shrink fast once Oklahoma delivered the late blow.
Georgia’s case was already building before Saturday, and the Bulldogs backed it up with a hard-fought win at Alabama. They had been projected as the No. 1 seed for a couple of weeks, and the Alabama result only strengthened the argument that they’ve been the most complete team in college football from the start.
Ohio State stays right there near the top after handling Maryland 45-16. The Buckeyes continue to check the right boxes, with Jeremiah Smith stacking touchdowns and a defense that travels. The next major test comes at Indiana, and that matchup should tell us plenty about how high Ohio State’s ceiling really is.
Miami is still unbeaten and sitting first nationally in scoring and point differential after five straight double-digit wins. Mario Cristobal’s team hasn’t given anyone much to grab onto, and the November meeting with Notre Dame already has the feel of a potential playoff eliminator. For now, though, the Hurricanes are cruising.
Notre Dame moved up again after beating Stanford 58-7, a result that pushed the Irish to their highest ranking in nearly two years. The schedule has been kind so far, but the offense is clicking and the defense keeps creating chances. The trip to BYU this weekend is the first real measuring stick.
Alabama did not fall out of the mix despite the loss to Georgia. Under Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide still look dangerous, and they were in front at halftime before Georgia took control. The talent is still elite, and a bounce-back showing at Tennessee could send Alabama right back into first-round-bye territory.
Indiana is also making noise at 6-0. Curt Cignetti’s group kept finding answers, including a gutsy comeback at Nebraska after trailing late.
The defense could stand to be a little more physical, but the Hoosiers keep doing just enough on offense when it counts. Ohio State coming to town is their biggest stage yet.
Texas Tech remains unbeaten as well, moving up by playing steady, efficient football while climbing the Big 12 ladder. The Red Raiders haven’t been especially explosive on offense, but they’ve looked like a team built to hang around the playoff race into November if the wins keep coming.
Texas is still in the conversation, but the picture changed dramatically after Arch Manning’s two interceptions helped set up Oklahoma’s eventual game-winning points. The Longhorns already had quality wins over Ohio State and Tennessee, but after losing the top ranking, their margin for error is much smaller. The response against Florida this week matters a lot.
Ole Miss is hanging around the upper half of a loaded SEC at 4-1. Pete Golding’s team can score in bunches, and it has already shown it can go toe-to-toe with better league opponents. Another strong stretch could be enough to keep the Rebels inside the bracket picture.
Utah is still unbeaten and continues to grade out as one of the most efficient teams in the country on both sides of the ball. The Utes have cleared every early test and look well suited for the Big 12 grind. If they finish clean, they’ll be a difficult team to sort out in the playoff race.
UCLA turned in one of the weekend’s biggest surprises with a 17-15 road win over Oregon, even after losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to injury. Backup Ty Dieffenbach stepped in and helped the Bruins protect the unbeaten start, and the reward was a nine-spot jump into the top 12. The upcoming slate has several winnable games that will help show whether this is a true breakthrough or just a one-week spike.
Boise State also remains in the conversation as the clearest Group of Six path into the field. The Broncos have won five straight since an opening loss at Oregon and have done it with a physical, opportunistic style. A mid-November date with Oregon State could end up defining their season, but for now they project as the Pac-12 representative.
In Other News...
Ryan Day Just Framed Indiana's Biggest Edge Against Ohio State
Ohio State coach Ryan Day spent part of his latest session with reporters laying out the challenge ahead in Bloomington, and in doing so he pointed straight at the areas that could matter most for Indiana. He said several injured starters may be back for the Buckeyes, though not all of them will be ready, and he stressed that games like this are often decided by who controls the line of scrimmage. From Indianas perspective, that is no small compliment.
Day also singled out the Hoosiers defensive front and passing game, a reminder that Ohio State is not treating this as just another stop on the schedule. He pointed to the difficulty of playing at Memorial Stadium and said the Buckeyes will need to stay locked in from start to finish, which only adds to the sense that Indiana has given them a matchup worth serious respect. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Offense Showed Exactly Why This 6-0 Start Feels Different
Indianas 6-0 start has been impressive for plenty of reasons, but the win at Nebraska offered a clearer look at why this team feels different. In a tight road game, the offense found answers when it needed them most, with Josh Hoover managing the game cleanly and delivering 263 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Up front, Carter Smith helped keep the pocket steady, and the unit as a whole stayed remarkably composed, drawing only one penalty from center Austin Leibfried.
Nick Marsh supplied the kind of late-game burst that can turn a good start into something more, finishing with six catches for 187 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Indiana has won in different ways already this season, but this one carried a little more weight because it came away from home, in a close finish, and with the offense showing it can stay patient, protect the quarterback and still strike quickly when the moment opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Defense Proved Something Important In Win Over Nebraska
Indianas win over Nebraska looked nothing like the shootout many expected, and that made it stand out all the more. In a game between teams that had both been averaging more than 40 points per outing, the Hoosiers won 20-17 by leaning into defense, something that has become a genuine point of pride as the season has worn on.
Pro Football Focus grades backed up what the scoreboard already suggested, with Mario Landino, Tobi Osunsanmi and Preston Zachman drawing strong marks for work in the run game, pass rush and coverage. Indiana also asked a lot of outside linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones, who logged plenty of snaps and were tested often through the air, another sign of how hard Nebraska had to work just to move the ball against this group. [Read more 🡒]