Miami is the first team off the board in the College Football Playoff committee’s initial rankings for 2026, landing at No. 1 when the top 25 were unveiled Tuesday.
The committee will keep updating the rankings every Tuesday through the end of the regular season, with the final set due Sunday, Dec. 6. That last release will lock in the 12-team field.
For now, the bracket picture starts with Miami as the No. 1 seed, followed by Georgia at No. 2, Utah at No. 3 and Indiana at No. 4, giving all four teams first-round byes.
The opening-round matchup currently listed is No. 9 BYU at No. 8 UCLA in a campus-site game, with the winner set to face Miami.
Here’s the full top 25 from the committee’s first rankings of the season:
- Miami Hurricanes (8-0)
- Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)
- Utah Utes (8-0)
- Indiana Hoosiers (8-1)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2)
- Kentucky Wildcats (7-1)
- Texas Longhorns (6-2)
- UCLA Bruins (8-0)
- BYU Cougars (7-1)
- Ole Miss Rebels (6-2)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2)
- Tennessee Volunteers (6-2)
- LSU Tigers (6-2)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-1)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1)
- Houston Cougars (6-2)
- Missouri Tigers (6-2)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)
- USC Trojans (7-2)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3)
- Arizona Wildcats (6-2)
- Oregon Ducks (5-3)
- Florida Gators (5-3)
- Boise State Broncos (7-1)
In Other News...
Notre Dames 2027 Schedule Shift Carries Bigger Stakes Than Fans Realize
Purdues latest schedule update quietly changes the shape of Notre Dames 2027 slate, with the Boilermakers dropping the Irish and replacing them with West Virginia in their non-conference lineup. At the same time, Notre Dame has filled that opening by announcing a home-and-home series with Illinois for 2027 and 2028, keeping its future schedule full while adding another familiar Midwest opponent to the mix.
The move also nudges a long-running rivalry further into the background, even if it does not erase its history. Notre Dames 2027 schedule is already taking shape around the usual balancing act of tradition, travel and strength of schedule, and losing Purdue from the calendar is a reminder that even the old regional series are never guaranteed to stay put. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Just Framed What Notre Dame Means To Miami
Mario Cristobal spent part of the buildup to Miamis matchup with Notre Dame making clear that the conversation inside the Hurricanes program is less about the noise around the game and more about the work required to win it. The Miami coach praised the Irish and their quarterback, then steered the focus back to the basics, stressing fundamentals, preparation and the kind of technique that tends to decide big games in November.
Cristobal also framed the matchup as one that demands intensity without distraction, which is a useful reminder of how much this game still means on both sidelines. For Notre Dame, that kind of respect from an opponents head coach is another sign of the standard the Irish bring into these meetings, even if the real test will come down to whether Miami can match that level when the ball is actually kicked off. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Reopened The Door To A Dream 5-Star Flip
A high-profile recruiting visit is coming back into focus for Notre Dame, and it could matter a lot in the 2027 class. Kaden Henderson, a five-star linebacker who is already committed to Texas A&M, reportedly plans to be in South Bend on Nov. 7 to watch the Irish take on Miami, giving Notre Dame another chance to make its case in front of one of the nations top defensive prospects.
Henderson has been reconsidering his options as Texas A&M has stumbled and Notre Dame has kept building momentum on the field, which has reopened a door that once looked closed. No change has been made yet, and this one figures to stretch all the way to Signing Day in December, but the Irish have at least put themselves back in the conversation for a potential flip. [Read more 🡒]