After a wild Saturday that scrambled the top of college football, the College Football Playoff committee has a fresh mess on its hands. Last week’s rankings already drew plenty of heat, but after multiple top-10 games delivered real chaos, Tuesday night’s second reveal should look very different.
Start with Alabama and Tennessee, because that gap was one of the biggest talking points in the first rankings. The committee put a wide cushion between the teams even though Tennessee had already hammered the Crimson Tide in October.
Alabama got some support when it beat LSU at Death Valley, but Tennessee answered by blowing the doors off Kentucky. That leaves the committee with a clear question: does the gap finally shrink enough for the head-to-head result to matter?
The SEC had a chance to strengthen its grip even more. Last week, it already had five teams in the rankings, and if Ole Miss had beaten Georgia and LSU had taken down Alabama, the conference could have really stacked the deck against everyone else.
Instead, Georgia and Alabama won comfortably, which knocked Ole Miss and LSU out of playoff contention unless miracles happen. That turn of events may have opened the door a little wider for the Big 12.
And the Big 12 has a case to make. Texas Tech, which was 15th last week, picked up a thrilling win over a solid West Virginia team.
BYU, meanwhile, lost by just eight points to Utah despite turning the ball over four times. The Cougars’ win over Notre Dame also looks even better now after the Fighting Irish beat No.
1 Miami. With that kind of weekend, the Big 12 could land three teams in this week’s rankings.
Notre Dame is almost certain to climb after what it did against Miami. The committee basically handed the Irish a CFP ultimatum by placing them 11th last week, and they responded with a signature win.
But the game wasn’t clean from start to finish. Notre Dame jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead, then watched Miami outscore it 21-14 in the second half before the Hurricanes fell just short of a comeback.
Miami also has another wrinkle to deal with: star receiver and Heisman Trophy candidate Malachi Toney is out for the rest of the regular season because of injury, and that could affect how the committee views both teams.
There’s also the quarterback issue, which the committee may have to explain again. Ohio State appeared to take a hit for not having starting quarterback Julian Sayin against USC, a situation that brought back memories of the Florida State-Jordan Travis snub.
But the committee may have to live with the fact that this line of thinking cuts both ways. Wake Forest and Boise State both won convincingly with backup quarterbacks, and that should work in their favor when the rankings are updated.
Whether it actually does is another matter.
Then there’s UCLA, one of only three undefeated teams last week, which still got treated like an afterthought by the committee. The Bruins were slotted eighth, well behind Miami at No. 1 and Utah at No.
- Now that two teams ahead of UCLA lost, including Miami, the Bruins are set to move up.
The most interesting comparison may come within the Big Ten. UCLA beat Minnesota by 14 on the road.
Indiana beat the Golden Gophers by seven at home in overtime. If the committee leans on those results against a common opponent, and if Indiana’s bye week factors in, the Big Ten pecking order could shift in a meaningful way.
That’s one of the biggest things to watch when the new rankings come out.
In Other News...
Josh Heupels DaSaahn Brame Update Gives Vols Fans Some Relief
DaSaahn Brames exit against Kentucky briefly added another uneasy moment to Tennessees night, especially after the tight end went down following the controversial incomplete-pass ruling in the end zone. Anytime a player leaves with a head injury, the immediate concern is bigger than the result on the field, and for the Volunteers it was another reminder of how quickly a game can turn.
Josh Heupel eased some of that worry after the game, saying Brame is doing well and is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming matchup with Texas A&M. Tennessee still has to get through the first availability report, which comes Wednesday night, but for now the update gives Vols fans a little relief heading into a game week that already has plenty of attention on it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Playoff Standing Suddenly Looks Less Comfortable Than It Seems
Tennessees spot in the latest College Football Playoff conversation looks secure on paper, but the broader SEC picture is starting to feel crowded. In ESPNs latest round of predictions, 11 of the networks 12 writers projected four SEC teams into the 2026 bracket, with Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas showing up most often as the leagues presumed heavyweights.
For the Volunteers, the takeaway is less about being in the mix and more about how little margin there may be if the conference keeps stacking contenders around them. Kentucky, despite sitting No. 6 in the initial CFP rankings, did not appear in any of the new projections, a reminder that early positioning can shift quickly once the selection debate starts to narrow. The full set of ESPN picks only reinforces how tightly the race is being judged at the top. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Defense Just Sent Texas A&M A Brutal Message
Tennessees defense kept rolling in a 34-6 win over Kentucky, and Arion Carter was at the center of it with 13 tackles, four for loss and two sacks. The Volunteers smothered the Wildcats from start to finish, forcing three turnovers and shutting down fourth-down chances as the game tilted decisively in Tennessees favor.
That kind of performance lands with extra force this week because Texas A&M is next on the schedule, and the Aggies are already in a precarious spot after a loss to South Carolina. They need to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible, and now they have to do it against a Tennessee defense that just spent an afternoon sending a very clear message. [Read more 🡒]