A new team has moved into the top spot in the latest playoff projection, and it’s Georgia - not Texas - that now holds the No. 1 overall seed.
Texas grabbed the national spotlight a couple weeks ago by knocking off top-ranked Ohio State and claiming No. 1 in the AP poll, but the early read on the 2026 season points elsewhere when it comes to the bracket. One month into the year, there’s still plenty left to sort out, yet the picture is clear enough to start slotting in the major contenders.
Georgia gets the edge as the projected SEC champion. The Bulldogs may not have the flashiest résumé yet, but they’re being treated like the most complete roster in the conference right now, and they’ve handled business the way an elite team should despite questions about the level of competition so far.
Ohio State remains the projected Big Ten champion. The Buckeyes still have plenty of tests ahead - trips to Iowa, Indiana and USC, plus home games against Oregon and Michigan - but even with that one-point loss at Texas, a game in which they led by 20, they’ve shown enough to stay in line as the Big Ten’s top team.
Miami is projected to win the ACC, and Darian Mensah is a big reason why. He’s completing nearly 90 percent of his passes, and the Hurricanes’ offense ranks third nationally. Clemson and Florida State are waiting as the next major checkpoints.
Notre Dame is in the mix as well, even if the skepticism remains. “They ain’t played nobody” could still be thrown at the Fighting Irish, but their win over Wisconsin looks better now that the Badgers have upset Penn State at Happy Valley. North Carolina could provide a test, and BYU certainly will in a couple weeks.
Texas still lands as the projected SEC runner-up. The Longhorns have earned plenty of credit for beating Ohio State and then No.
14 Tennessee on the road, but those games also exposed concerns about Arch Manning’s consistency and the penalties that keep showing up. Those issues could matter a lot when the SEC title race tightens.
Indiana is the projected Big Ten runner-up. The reigning champs were unlikely to repeat last year’s level of dominance, but the close call against Northwestern stood out. Their Oct. 17 meeting with Ohio State at home is one the playoff selectors will be watching closely.
Florida has worked its way into the conversation after a statement win over top-five Ole Miss. Jon Sumrall says the Gators aren’t back yet, but after a 300-yard-plus rushing performance in that game, they’re firmly in the middle of the playoff picture until someone knocks them out of it.
Alabama remains in the mix too, with Keelon Russell continuing to do his part at quarterback. The Tide’s trip to Mississippi State - and the matchup with Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs’ own dual-threat quarterback - should tell us more about whether Alabama deserves to stay in the playoff discussion.
The projected Big 12 champion is the team that has the conference’s best win, thanks to a victory over Houston. The offense hasn’t fully matched expectations given the talent in the backfield, but that win gives them a narrow edge over BYU.
Iowa is also impossible to ignore after staying unbeaten with a last-second touchdown win over Michigan at the Big House. Beat Ohio State this week, and the selectors will have to take them seriously. Even a loss doesn’t end the discussion, as long as there aren’t any more.
Ole Miss is still alive despite the 52 points it allowed Florida to score. The Rebels have already beaten LSU and Louisville, and with Texas and Georgia still ahead, they’ll get chances to make a much louder statement.
Boise State rounds out the field as the Group of Six selection. Their ranking in the AP poll this week strengthens their standing as the best non-power conference team in the projection, especially with a win over Western Michigan and another quality victory over Memphis already on the résumé.
In Other News...
Miami Injury Report Just Raised Clemson's Biggest Game Week Question
Miamis first injury report ahead of Clemson offered a useful early snapshot of where the Hurricanes stand entering one of their biggest games of the season. Mario Cristobal said several players who have missed time recently are trending toward returning, and that matters for a roster still trying to get back to full strength at the right moment. The added depth should help Miami on both sides of the ball as the stakes rise and the margin for error shrinks.
The most watched name on the report is cornerback Lucas, who is listed as questionable but is making progress toward a return. For Miami, his status is the kind of late-week detail that can shape how the defense approaches Clemson, especially against a team that will test every available matchup. The Hurricanes have reason for optimism with the overall health picture improving, but the final answer on Lucas still leaves one of the weeks biggest questions hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads To Clemson With A Chance To Change The ACC Order
For much of the last decade, the ACC has run through Clemson, with the Tigers stacking conference championships, national titles and a reputation as the leagues standard-bearer. Miami, meanwhile, has spent years trying to climb back into that conversation, and under Mario Cristobal the Hurricanes have started to look more like a program ready to make the jump from promising to relevant again.
Now they head to Clemson with a chance to turn that progress into something bigger than one win. Miami has been more competitive in the series lately, including a recent victory, and this trip offers a real measuring stick for where the Hurricanes stand in the conference pecking order. If Miami can follow through in a game like this, the ACC hierarchy could start to look a lot different. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads To Clemson With Depth Suddenly Under Pressure
Miamis trip to Clemson is arriving with the kind of injury uncertainty that can quickly reshape a game plan. The Atlantic Coast Conferences first availability report lists several Hurricanes already ruled out, including tight ends Luka Gilbert and Owen Ruskavich, running back CharMar Brown and cornerbacks Romanas Frederique Jr. and JaBoree Antoine, a mix of absences that touches both the skill spots and the secondary.
The larger concern is how much more of the depth chart could still be in flux by kickoff. Cornerback Xavier Lucas and linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. are among the players tagged questionable, with game-time decisions expected, leaving Miami to manage a short week of preparation while waiting on final answers. For a road game at Clemson, where every available body matters, the uncertainty could end up being as important as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]