Miami Leads College Football Playoff Rankings; Notre Dame Outside Top 10

Miami is ranked first in the College Football Playoff rankings for the 2026 season, following an undefeated 8-0 record. The Hurricanes are also ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25.

Notre Dame, which is ranked No. 4 in the AP poll, is placed at No. 11 in the CFP rankings. The one-loss Irish missed the playoff last season after being ranked behind Miami in the final rankings, despite not playing in the conference championship.

Miami beat Notre Dame in Week 1 of the 2025 season, and the teams are set to play again on Saturday. A loss for Notre Dame could jeopardize its playoff hopes, as its remaining schedule includes unranked opponents.

CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek cited Notre Dame's schedule as the main reason for its lower ranking. He noted the Irish lack a signature win against a top-25 team, with their only top-25 matchup ending in a loss to BYU.

The top four rankings include Georgia, Utah, Indiana, and Alabama, with Alabama at No. 5 despite a 6-2 record. Alabama is ahead of Kentucky, which it beat in Week 2, and Texas, which is ranked No. 7 ahead of undefeated UCLA.

Ohio State is ranked No. 12, behind Notre Dame, due to the absence of QB Julian Sayin for the remainder of the season. Ohio State's losses are to No. 7 Texas and No. 20 USC.

Six of the six two-loss teams inside the top 15 are from the SEC, reflecting the committee's emphasis on the conference. A three-loss SEC team could potentially make the playoff, as seen with Alabama last season.

Week 10 will feature several ranked games, including Miami vs. Notre Dame, Georgia vs. Ole Miss, and BYU vs. Utah. These matchups could significantly impact the rankings.