The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season are set to spark plenty of debate, and the committee has a crowded board to sort through.
At the top, Miami holds the No. 1 spot. The projected ACC champion is still unbeaten, but the Hurricanes head straight into a major test at Notre Dame this weekend.
Georgia comes in at No. 2, even with a loss to Auburn on the résumé. The Bulldogs also own wins over Alabama and Georgia, and that combination keeps them near the front of the pack.
Utah checks in at No. 3 after staying perfect so far. The Utes now face a crucial rivalry matchup with BYU on Saturday in the Holy War.
Indiana lands at No. 4, with Ohio State’s loss pushing the Hoosiers back into Big Ten favorite territory. Alabama follows at No. 5, a strong placement despite defeats to Georgia and Tennessee.
Kentucky sits at No. 6 and remains in first place in the SEC, though the Wildcats have a tough road ahead at Tennessee this week. Texas is right behind at No. 7, helped by wins over Ohio State and Ole Miss.
UCLA arrives at No. 8, with Bob Chesney still undefeated and, as the rankings suggest, very much in position to keep rolling. BYU is No. 9, and the trip to Utah could swing the Cougars’ standing in a big way.
Ole Miss rounds out the top 10, and the Rebels get Georgia at home this weekend in a huge SEC showdown. Notre Dame comes in at No. 11, still hanging onto a spot in the top dozen as it prepares to face Miami and prove whether it belongs there.
Further down the board, Boise State is slotted at No. 25. The Broncos remain the top Group of Six team and the No. 12 seed, but they had to survive a shootout against Texas State last time out.
If the playoff began today, the bracket would have No. 12 Boise State at No.
5 Alabama, with the winner advancing to face No. 4 Indiana.
In Other News...
Texas Could Be Closing In On A Huge In-State Recruiting Flip
Texas has put itself in the mix for one of the more intriguing in-state recruiting battles on the board, with four-star defensive line prospect Xaiver Muhammad now scheduled to visit campus despite being committed to Michigan. The Texas native recently picked up an offer from Steve Sarkisian and has already made an unofficial stop in Austin, which is enough to keep the Longhorns firmly in the conversation as they try to pull a high-end defender back home.
Muhammads interest comes at a time when Michigans situation on the coaching side has become a talking point in recruiting circles, and that uncertainty appears to be part of what Texas is trying to capitalize on. For the Longhorns, the appeal is straightforward: land a talented local prospect, keep him close to home, and turn a committed player into a serious flip candidate as the visit process continues. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Land A Rare Receiver Talent Fans Need To Watch
Brysen Wright is set to make one of the more closely watched recruiting decisions of the week, with the five-star wide receiver expected to announce his college commitment on Thursday. The Mandarin High School standout has built a national profile as ESPNs top-ranked 2028 prospect, and Texas remains in the mix as one of the three finalists alongside Florida and Miami.
For the Longhorns, this is the kind of recruitment that can resonate well beyond one class. Wrights combination of production, athletic reputation and national attention has made him a priority target, and Texas has stayed in the hunt as the decision nears. The only question now is whether the Longhorns can close against two other major programs when the announcement finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Freshmen Just Put New Pressure On The Longhorns Depth Chart
The win over Mississippi State was comfortable on the scoreboard, but it also offered a useful glimpse into how much the Longhorns are leaning on their younger players. Freshmen Jermaine Bishop Jr., Derrek Cooper and Smoke Matthews all found ways to get on the stat sheet at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, with Bishop contributing as a receiver, Cooper getting work in the run game and Matthews making tackles on defense. With injuries thinning parts of the roster, several backups also got extended snaps, giving Texas a broader look at who can handle real game action.
For a team with bigger goals ahead, those reps matter just as much as the final margin. The Longhorns have already shown they can control a game like this one, but the deeper question is how the depth chart settles once the roster gets healthier and the competition stiffens. Performances like these do not answer everything, but they do create a little more pressure on the staff to keep the right young pieces involved. [Read more 🡒]