The College Football Playoff selection committee will unveil its second rankings of the season on Tuesday night, airing between the Champions Classic games on ESPN. The release will show how the committee evaluates blowout losses by top-10 teams Kentucky and Ole Miss, both of which fell by 28 points or more on Saturday.
Georgia (8-1) is predicted to claim the No. 1 spot after a 42-7 victory over Ole Miss, described as one of the most impressive performances of the 2026 season. Utah (9-0) moves up to No. 2 following a 28-20 win over BYU. Alabama (7-2) sits at No. 3 with three top-25 wins, including a 31-13 road victory over LSU.
Indiana (8-1) holds at No. 4 despite not playing last weekend, though its resume took a hit as eight of its nine Big Ten opponents lost. Notre Dame (8-1) jumps to No. 5 after a resume-building win over Miami. Texas (7-2) ranks No. 6 with ranked wins over Tennessee, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Missouri. Miami (8-1) falls to No. 7, while undefeated UCLA (9-0) sits at No. 8 despite a weak strength of schedule.
Tennessee (7-2) solidifies a playoff position at No. 9 after crushing Kentucky 34-6. Kentucky (7-2) drops to No. 10, with its playoff hopes hinging on whether the committee views the blowout loss as an aberration. BYU (7-2) edges Texas Tech (8-1) for No. 11, leaving the Red Raiders as the first team out. Wake Forest (8-1) rises to No. 13, while Ole Miss (6-3) falls to No. 14 with only a 10.3% playoff chance per CBS Sports' model.
Houston (7-2) moves to No. 15 (19.2% chance), Iowa (7-2) to No. 16 (20% chance), Oregon (6-3) to No. 17, USC (7-2) to No. 18, South Carolina (6-3) to No. 19, Ohio State (6-3) to No. 20, Arizona (7-2) to No. 21, LSU (6-3) to No. 22, Boise State (8-1) to No. 23, Missouri (6-3) to No. 24, and Illinois (6-3) to No. 25.
Projected Bracket
First-round games on Dec. 18-19 at higher seeds: No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Notre Dame; No. 11 BYU at No. 6 Texas; No. 10 Kentucky at No. 7 Miami; No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 UCLA. Quarterfinal matchups on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 in Glendale, Atlanta, Arlington, and Pasadena: No. 1 Georgia vs. winner of UCLA/Tennessee; No. 2 Utah vs. winner of Miami/Kentucky; No. 3 Alabama vs. winner of Texas/BYU; No. 4 Indiana vs. winner of Notre Dame/Boise State.
