The first College Football Playoff rankings are in, and the selection committee wasted no time showing where its lean is right now: the SEC.
Ten SEC teams landed in the Top 25, and Missouri checked in at No. 18, putting the Tigers within reach of the field if they can put together what the article calls a “November to remember”.
If the season ended today, the committee’s top four would be Miami (FL), Georgia, Utah and Indiana. But with the calendar still turning, the race remains wide open entering Week 10.
Georgia sits as the SEC favorite after bouncing back from the Auburn loss with a 27-8 win over Florida. The No. 2 Bulldogs now head to Ole Miss for a major road test on Saturday night.
Indiana continues to hold down the Big Ten spot under Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers haven’t made it easy every week, but they found another way in a 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota. A bye week comes at a good time before their final stretch.
Miami (FL) is the ACC front-runner after surviving a road trip to Chapel Hill with a 38-35 win over North Carolina. The No. 1 Hurricanes now travel to Notre Dame on Saturday night, though Malachi Toney has been ruled out until the CFP with a high ankle sprain.
In the Big 12, Utah keeps rolling. The No.
3 Utes are 8-0 and one of three undefeated teams still standing. They’re favored by five points heading into the Holy War against No.
9 BYU.
Notre Dame is the automatic bid team in the committee’s first reveal, but the No. 11 Irish were clearly dinged for the lack of quality wins. They get a chance to change that Saturday night against Miami (FL), with Notre Dame listed as a 7.5-point favorite in South Bend.
Boise State holds the Group of Six automatic bid spot. The Broncos are 7-1, ranked No. 25, and head to Colorado State on Saturday.
Among the at-large teams, UCLA is the lowest-ranked undefeated squad at No. 5 despite being 8-0. The Bruins are coming off a 27-0 non-conference win over Nevada and now face a tough road trip to Minnesota.
Kentucky has surged to No. 6 at 7-1 in year one under Will Stein. The Wildcats go to Knoxville on Saturday night to face No. 13 Tennessee.
Texas is in the field despite two losses, thanks to quality wins over Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss. The Longhorns visit Missouri on Saturday.
BYU checks in at No. 9 and heads into the Holy War as an underdog at Utah. The Cougars will try to make a statement in one of college football’s toughest road environments at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Alabama lands at No. 5, a placement that raised eyebrows for a two-loss team. The Crimson Tide will try to back it up on the road at No. 14 LSU.
Ole Miss is still very much in the mix, and the path gets real now. After a loss a couple of weeks ago to Texas, the Rebels have a huge opportunity against No. 2 Georgia on Saturday night, with a friendlier stretch waiting afterward.
The projected bracket would send Boise State to UCLA, Notre Dame to Kentucky, Ole Miss to Texas, and Alabama to BYU.
The final four projection has Miami (FL) facing Indiana and Georgia meeting Notre Dame, with the national championship still to be decided.
In Other News...
Ahmad Hardys Mizzou Return Came After A Comeback Few Saw Coming
Ahmad Hardys path back to the field for Missouri was anything but ordinary. Shot in the leg in May and forced into surgery that placed a metal rod in his femur, the running back spent months working through rehab before finally making it back for Halloween, when he took part in the Tigers win over Arkansas.
For a Missouri team that has leaned on toughness all season, Hardys return carried real weight beyond the box score. Eli Drinkwitz made clear how much the staff valued both the recovery itself and the way Hardy was able to contribute once he was back on the field, a reminder of how much had to go right just for this moment to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous 2027 Offense Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Missouris offensive outlook for 2027 got a major boost with Austin Simmons back in the fold, giving the Tigers a proven starting quarterback to build around as they keep shaping the roster for the future. Simmons arrived in Columbia after three seasons at Ole Miss and has already started eight games this season, enough to make him one of the most important pieces in Missouris long-range plans.
The arrangement still leaves some uncertainty, though, since his contract gives him the option to enter the 2027 NFL Draft if that path becomes available. Even so, Missouri now has a clearer picture at the most important position, and with several other skill-position players also eligible for 2027, the offense suddenly has a much more defined core to work with. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Just Got A Much Tougher SLU Problem Than Expected
What had looked like a straightforward early-season matchup for Missouri has suddenly become more complicated. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser granted Robbie Avila an injunction that gives him a fifth year of eligibility and blocks the NCAA from using roster limits to keep him off the floor, and Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz confirmed Avila will be dressed and available for the Billikens upcoming game against Missouri.
For a Tigers team already preparing for a cross-town test, the timing matters. Avilas case mirrors that of Mark Mitchell, who also received a court allowance to return to the Saint Louis roster, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that now carries a little more intrigue than expected. [Read more 🡒]