Week 2 of the 2026 college football season scrambled the picture enough to send ESPN’s panel back to the drawing board, and the latest College Football Playoff projections show just how much the board has shifted.
Texas is sitting at the top of the conversation after its big Week 2 win, while Oklahoma has vanished from every ballot. In their place, Mississippi State even managed to sneak onto one list - the kind of shakeup that says plenty about how chaotic the season already feels.
The SEC still looms large in the projections. Eight league teams appeared in the updated CFP predictions, with Texas, Georgia and LSU earning unanimous support.
Texas A&M showed up on 10 ballots, Ole Miss on eight and Alabama on six. Florida and Mississippi State each picked up one vote.
Notre Dame remains a fixture near the top across the board, but the No. 1 spot is split between the Irish and Texas depending on the voter. Miami is also firmly in the mix, landing high on several ballots, while Georgia, LSU, Indiana, Ohio State and BYU all show up repeatedly in the bracket.
Here’s how the ESPN panel ranked the field after Week 2:
Andrea Adelson had Notre Dame, Texas, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, BYU, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Boise State.
Kyle Bonagura’s list went Notre Dame, Indiana, Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Alabama, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, BYU and Boise State.
Bill Connelly put Texas first, followed by Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Florida, Indiana, Alabama, BYU, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tulsa.
David Hale had Notre Dame, Miami, LSU, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, BYU, USC and Boise State.
Eli Lederman went with Notre Dame, Miami, Georgia, Texas, Indiana, Ohio State, Texas A&M, BYU, LSU, Oregon, SMU and Boise State.
Max Olson ranked Texas, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Indiana, Texas A&M, BYU, Alabama, USC and North Dakota State.
Adam Rittenberg’s top 12 were Texas, Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, LSU, Indiana, Ohio State, BYU, Ole Miss, USC, Alabama and Boise State.
Alex Scarborough listed Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, LSU, Ole Miss, USC, BYU, Texas A&M and Boise State.
Mark Schlabach’s bracket had Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami, LSU, Ohio State, BYU, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Boise State.
Jake Trotter went Texas, Notre Dame, Miami, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, LSU, BYU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and Boise State.
Paolo Uggetti had Texas, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Indiana, LSU, Ohio State, BYU, USC, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Boise State.
Dave Wilson’s projection was Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio State, LSU, BYU, USC, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Boise State.
Kalshi’s probabilities also tracked the same core group at the top: Notre Dame at 83%, Texas and Georgia at 74%, Ohio State at 71%, LSU at 59%, Alabama at 45%, Oregon at 38%, Texas A&M at 33%, Ole Miss at 32% and Clemson at 7%.
In Other News...
LSU Just Scored Another Court Win In Its SEC Eligibility Fight
Another legal turn went LSUs way this week in the eligibility fight surrounding some of its athletes, as the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal rejected the Southeastern Conferences bid to pause the case and pursue supervisory writs. The ruling keeps in place a Baton Rouge district courts preliminary injunction, which stops the NCAA and SEC from blocking LSU from putting certain players on its football roster while their eligibility claims work through the legal process.
For LSU, the immediate importance is less about the courtroom language than the roster flexibility it preserves in the middle of a dispute that is still very much alive. The SEC has already taken the matter in a different direction as well, filing a separate federal lawsuit against LSU and its officials, so the conference office is clearly not done pressing its side even after this latest setback in state court. [Read more 🡒]
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It is, after all, a top-10 meeting with ESPNs College GameDay in town and Lane Kiffin back in Oxford now wearing LSU colors, which only adds to the intrigue. For Tigers fans hoping to make the trip, the challenge is no longer just watching one of the SECs biggest games, but figuring out whether the price of admission is worth it. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-LSU Star Mansoor Delane Made An Instant NFL Impact At A Cost
Mansoor Delane wasted no time making his presence felt in the NFL. Drafted sixth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs, the former LSU standout forced an interception on just his third snap in his debut, a reminder of the sticky coverage and ball skills that made him such a tough target in Baton Rouge.
Delanes first pro moment came with an immediate catch, though it also brought an early concern for Kansas City. He re-injured a right shoulder issue on the play and did not return, leaving the Chiefs with one of the days sharpest defensive flashes and an unsettling update on a player they expected to lean on right away. [Read more 🡒]