Georgia Takes No. 1 Spot as Selection Committee Prepares Second Rankings
The CFP committee releases its updated standings on Tuesday night, with Kentucky and Ole Miss facing steep drops after large defeats.
By Marta Gray ·
The College Football Playoff selection committee will unveil its second official rankings of the 2026 season on Tuesday night. Georgia moves into the top spot, while Indiana secures a place in the top four. The update reflects weekend results that reshuffled the standings for several major programs.
The Bulldogs captured the No. 1 position following a decisive victory over Ole Miss. This win came after Miami’s loss to Notre Dame, which displaced the Hurricanes from the top rank. Utah holds the No. 2 spot after defeating BYU, 28-20. Alabama sits at No. 3, bolstered by a 31-13 road win over LSU. Indiana, despite not playing last weekend, holds the No. 4 position, though its resume suffered as eight of its nine Big Ten opponents lost.
The committee must now determine how severely to penalize teams that suffered large margin losses. Kentucky and Ole Miss both dropped out of contention for higher placements after losing by 28 or more points on Saturday. Kentucky fell to Tennessee, 34-6, while Ole Miss lost to Georgia, 42-7. These results force a difficult calculus for the selectors. Kentucky, now at 7-2, has wins over top 25 teams LSU and South Carolina. Its strength of schedule and record remain in the top 10 nationally. However, a drop outside the top 12 would leave little room for error given upcoming games against Florida, Missouri, and Louisville.
Ole Miss faces a more precarious situation. The Rebels, now 6-3, have two wins over top 25 opponents but two blowout losses. The 42-7 defeat to Georgia and a prior 52-28 loss to Florida damage their game control metrics. According to CBS Sports’ forecasting model, Ole Miss now has a 10.3% chance of making the playoff. If the committee ranks the team below Iowa, USC, or Oregon, its season in the playoff race is effectively over.
Notre Dame jumps to No. 5 after a win over Miami, a result that solidified its resume. Texas holds the No. 6 spot, with wins over Tennessee, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Missouri. Miami falls to No. 7, while UCLA, an undefeated team with a 9-0 record, sits at No. 8. Tennessee is No. 9, and Kentucky is No. 10. BYU takes the No. 11 spot, edging out Texas Tech at No. 12. The committee values the quality of wins for BYU, despite a loss to UCF, over Texas Tech’s stronger strength of record.
The first round of the playoff is scheduled for December 18 and 19. Boise State, the projected Group of Six representative, will host Notre Dame. BYU plays at Texas, Kentucky at Miami, and Tennessee at UCLA. Quarterfinal games will take place on December 30 and January 1. Venues include Glendale, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; Arlington, Texas; and Pasadena, California.
