The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season are set to spark plenty of debate, and the committee has a crowded board to sort through.
At the top, Miami holds the No. 1 spot. The projected ACC champion is still unbeaten, but the Hurricanes head straight into a major test at Notre Dame this weekend.
Georgia comes in at No. 2, even with a loss to Auburn on the résumé. The Bulldogs also own wins over Alabama and Georgia, and that combination keeps them near the front of the pack.
Utah checks in at No. 3 after staying perfect so far. The Utes now face a crucial rivalry matchup with BYU on Saturday in the Holy War.
Indiana lands at No. 4, with Ohio State’s loss pushing the Hoosiers back into Big Ten favorite territory. Alabama follows at No. 5, a strong placement despite defeats to Georgia and Tennessee.
Kentucky sits at No. 6 and remains in first place in the SEC, though the Wildcats have a tough road ahead at Tennessee this week. Texas is right behind at No. 7, helped by wins over Ohio State and Ole Miss.
UCLA arrives at No. 8, with Bob Chesney still undefeated and, as the rankings suggest, very much in position to keep rolling. BYU is No. 9, and the trip to Utah could swing the Cougars’ standing in a big way.
Ole Miss rounds out the top 10, and the Rebels get Georgia at home this weekend in a huge SEC showdown. Notre Dame comes in at No. 11, still hanging onto a spot in the top dozen as it prepares to face Miami and prove whether it belongs there.
Further down the board, Boise State is slotted at No. 25. The Broncos remain the top Group of Six team and the No. 12 seed, but they had to survive a shootout against Texas State last time out.
If the playoff began today, the bracket would have No. 12 Boise State at No.
5 Alabama, with the winner advancing to face No. 4 Indiana.
In Other News...
Kentuckys Big Portal Bet Is About To Face Its Most Personal Test
Kentuckys offensive line makeover got a major boost when Lance Heard arrived through the transfer portal after stops at LSU and Tennessee, and the move has paid off in a big way. Heard quickly settled in as one of the Wildcats most important pieces up front, drawing midseason All-American recognition and building the kind of NFL draft buzz that follows top tackles when they start looking the part.
What makes his rise even more notable is how seamlessly he has fit into a Kentucky season that has leaned on the front five to keep everything moving. Coaches have pointed to his athleticism and intelligence as reasons he has become so valuable so fast, and now his impact is no longer just about potential or projection. It is about how he handles the next stretch, when the spotlight gets brighter and the expectations around him only keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Playoff Push Faces Its Toughest Test Yet At Tennessee
Kentuckys rise in the AP Top 25 kept rolling even without a game last weekend, as the Wildcats climbed to No. 8 while sitting at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play under first-year coach Will Stein. The timing of the bye week gave Kentucky a chance to catch its breath, but it also set up a much bigger measuring stick: a trip to Tennessee, where the stakes get higher and the margin for error gets thinner.
The Volunteers bring a defense that has earned plenty of respect, along with a running game led by DeSean Bishop, and both teams will enter the matchup rested after a week off. For Kentucky, the challenge is as much about proving the playoff push is real as it is about handling a familiar SEC road test, especially with Tennessees quarterback situation adding another layer to a game that already feels like one of the seasons defining moments. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into Tennessee With Stakes This Rivalry Rarely Sees
For a rivalry that has spent so much of its history trying to spoil the other sides season, Kentucky and Tennessee are finally meeting with something bigger than pride on the line. Saturdays game in Knoxville pairs No. 8 Kentucky with No. 16 Tennessee in a matchup that carries real College Football Playoff weight under the new 12-team format, turning a familiar SEC grudge into one of the most consequential games either program has played in the series.
The setting only adds to the intrigue. Both teams still have realistic postseason paths, and the stakes are high enough that the result could shape the rest of their schedules as much as the standings. It also gives Kentucky a fresh coaching wrinkle to watch in the 122nd meeting between these schools, with Will Stein and Josh Heupel set to guide the next chapter of a rivalry that rarely has this much national relevance attached to it. [Read more 🡒]