College Football Playoff bracket: What 12-team field would look like after first 2026 CFP rankings — SkimNews
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- Miami took No. 1 in the first 2026 CFP rankings, ahead of No. 2 Georgia and undefeated No. 3 Utah; Miami, Georgia, Utah and No. 4 Indiana earned the four first-round byes.
- SEC placed four teams in the CFP top seven, compared with one in the AP Top 25, extending the committee's customary conference bump to an unusually large scale.
- Alabama rose to No. 5 despite two losses, while Kentucky moved to No. 6 and Texas to No. 7, each several spots above its AP ranking.
- Notre Dame occupies the No. 11 slot, the last place in the projected field, after a loss to BYU; with SMU and Wisconsin also losing last weekend, another loss Saturday to Miami would leave it nearly a lock to miss the postseason.
- Ohio State is the first team outside the bracket at No. 12, pushed out by No. 25 Boise State, the top Group of Six championship team.
- Yahoo Sports mocked a proposed 24-team bracket using the selection committee's current rankings that gives the SEC nine teams—more than half the league—while the field stays at 12 teams for at least one more season.
Why it matters: The committee’s four SEC teams in the top seven—versus one in the AP Top 25—put No. 11 Notre Dame on the edge and No. 12 Ohio State first out of the projected field. The mocked 24-team bracket likewise gives the SEC nine of 24 places.
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