The first CFP rankings 2026 arrived on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and they put unbeaten Miami (Fla.) at No. 1. Here is the full top 12, what stands out about the order, and what to watch before the next release on Nov. 10.
Quick summary
- Miami (Fla.) is No. 1 at 8-0, followed by Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0) and Indiana (8-1).
- Unbeaten UCLA is No. 8, behind several teams with one or two losses.
- The SEC has five of the top 12 spots; the Big Ten has three and the Big 12 has two.
- The next rankings come out Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the final field is set Sunday, Dec. 6.
CFP rankings 2026: the top 12
These are the first rankings of the season, released Nov. 3 and reported by NCAA.com. Records are as of that release.
- Miami (Fla.) (8-0)
- Georgia (7-1)
- Utah (8-0)
- Indiana (8-1)
- Alabama (6-2)
- Kentucky (7-1)
- Texas (6-2)
- UCLA (8-0)
- BYU (7-1)
- Ole Miss (6-2)
- Notre Dame (7-1)
- Ohio State (6-2)
Just outside the top 12 are Tennessee (6-2) at No. 13, LSU (6-2) at No. 14 and Texas Tech (7-1) at No. 15. Wake Forest, Houston, Missouri, Iowa, Southern Cal, South Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Florida and Boise State complete the top 25.
What stands out in the first CFP rankings
Unbeaten teams are not automatically at the top
Only three teams are unbeaten in this top 12: Miami, Utah and UCLA. The committee put Miami first and Utah third, but it placed UCLA eighth at 8-0, below Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky and Texas. That gap shows how much the committee weighs who a team has played, not only the loss column.
Two-loss teams sit ahead of an unbeaten UCLA
Alabama (6-2) is fifth and Texas (6-2) is seventh, both ahead of UCLA at 8-0. Kentucky (7-1) and Georgia (7-1) are also above the Bruins. Indiana’s 8-1 record places it fourth, so the Hoosiers have played one more game than Georgia and are one of only two teams in the top four with a loss on the record.
The SEC dominates the middle of the board
Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas and Ole Miss all rank in the top 10, and Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida also appear in the top 25. That is 10 SEC teams in the rankings. Because they play each other, several will take another loss in the coming weeks. Tennessee (team page) and LSU (team page) are the first two teams outside the top 12. For more on the league, visit the SEC conference page.
How the top 12 splits by conference
Five of the 12 spots belong to the SEC: Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas and Ole Miss. The Big Ten has three (Indiana, UCLA and Ohio State) and the Big 12 has two (Utah and BYU). Miami is the lone ACC team, and Notre Dame, an independent, is 11th. Utah in the Big 12 and UCLA in the Big Ten are the other two unbeaten teams in the top 12.
That split matters because teams in the same conference will take losses off each other. Every SEC-versus-SEC game between ranked teams guarantees at least one fewer SEC team in the top 25 next week, while a team like Miami can only lose to an outside opponent or a fellow ACC team.
Games this week that can move the rankings
Several top-25 teams meet on Saturday, Nov. 7, which makes the Nov. 10 update worth watching:
- Miami at Notre Dame (No. 1 vs. No. 11), 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Georgia at Ole Miss (No. 2 vs. No. 10), 7:30 p.m. ET.
- BYU at Utah (No. 9 vs. No. 3), noon ET.
- Alabama at LSU (No. 5 vs. No. 14), 3:30 p.m. ET.
🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Utah vs. BYU on RallyFuel
🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for LSU vs. Alabama on RallyFuel
Looking for more college football reading? Our full Big Ten running backs leaderboard and AP Top 25 breakdown give more context on how the polls compare. You can also browse every game on the Week 10 predictions page.
Key dates for the rest of the season
ESPN announces each set of rankings on Tuesday nights. The remaining dates are Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, with the final field announced Sunday, Dec. 6. Each update is a chance for teams to move up or down based on the weekend’s results, so the order above is a snapshot, not a bracket.
FAQ
Who is No. 1 in the first CFP rankings?
Miami (Fla.) is No. 1 at 8-0, ahead of Georgia, Utah and Indiana.
When are the next CFP rankings?
The next release is Tuesday, Nov. 10, followed by Nov. 17, Nov. 24 and Dec. 1. The final field comes Sunday, Dec. 6.
Which conference has the most teams in the top 25?
The SEC has 10 teams in the first top 25. The Big Ten has six and the Big 12 has five.
Where can I follow college football on RallyFuel?
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