The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the 2026 season have been released by the selection committee, and the Miami Hurricanes open in the top spot.
Miami is followed by (2) Georgia, (3) Utah, (4) Indiana, and (5) Alabama. Kentucky, Texas, and UCLA are just outside the top five at sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.
No. 25 Boise State is the only team from a Group of Six conference included in the initial College Football Rankings. Check out the full CFP Top 25 rankings below.
College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 3)
1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Utah
4. Indiana
5. Alabama
6. Kentucky
7. Texas
8. UCLA
9. BYU
10. Ole Miss
11. Notre Dame
12. Ohio State
13. Tennessee
14. LSU
15. Texas Tech
16. Wake Forest
17. Houston
18. Missouri
19. Iowa
20. USC
21. South Carolina
22. Arizona
23. Oregon
24. Florida
25. Boise State
Here is a look at what the 12-team College Football Playoff Bracket would look like based on tonight’s rankings:
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will release its Top 25 rankings each week on Tuesday through Dec. 1. On Sunday, Dec. 6 at Noon ET, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will announce the 12-team playoff bracket pairings and game sites. Below is the schedule of dates (all times Eastern):
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: 9-9:30pm
- Tuesday, Nov. 17: 9-9:30pm
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: 7:30-8pm
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: 7-7:30pm
- Sunday, Dec. 6 (Selection Day): Noon-3pm
The College Football Playoff begins on Friday, Dec. 18, 2026 with one First Round game, followed by the remaining three First Round games on Saturday, Dec. 19.
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals begin on Wednesday, December 30 with the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., at 7:30pm ET on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
Quarterfinal round action continues on New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, with games at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Ga., Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif., and Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Those games will kickoff at noon (TNT/truTV/HBO Max), 4:00pm (ABC/ESPN), and 8:00pm (ESPN), with the exact order determined on Selection Day.
The College Football Playoff Semifinals this season will be played on consecutive weeknights in January. The Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., is up first on Thursday, Jan. 14 (TNT/truTV/HBO Max.), followed by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La., on Friday, Jan. 15 (ABC/ESPN). Both games will be televised by ESPN at 7:30pm ET.
The College Football National Championship concludes the college football season on Monday, Jan. 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and the game will be televised by ABC and ESPN at 7:30pm ET.
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View Comments (2)
Based on ‘Bama’s ranking at #5, its win at Kentucky must be one of the most valuable in college football history.
1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Alabama
4. Kentucky
5. Texas
6. Ole Miss
Bye: Miami, Georgia
First round: Ole Miss at Alabama, Texas at Kentucky
1. Utah
2. Indiana
3. UCLA
4. BYU
5. Notre Dame
6: Boise State
Bye: Utah: Indiana
First round: Boise State at UCLA, Notre Dame at BYU (grudge match)
This set-up is similar to how the major pro sports leagues divide their playoffs along conference lines, with the playoff champions from each conference meeting to determine the leagues' champions for the season.