The College Football Playoff selection committee released its first Top 25 rankings of the 2026 season on Tuesday, sparking immediate debate over the placement of several teams. The new strength-of-conference metric appears to have lifted SEC teams significantly, with all six two-loss SEC teams ranked higher than in the AP and coaches polls.
Notre Dame debuted at No. 11, seven spots lower than in the AP poll, drawing criticism for lacking a signature win. The Fighting Irish face No. 1 Miami this week with no margin for error. Meanwhile, two-loss Alabama sits at No. 5 despite a questionable resume, while undefeated UCLA sits at No. 8 behind undefeated Utah at No. 3 despite a stronger schedule.
Ohio State, which defeated reigning champion Indiana on the road, finds itself at No. 12 and first team out of the playoff field. Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek acknowledged that head-to-head results are not weighed as heavily as assumed. New Mexico, ranked 22nd in the AP poll, was omitted entirely from the CFP Top 25.
The committee's reliance on proprietary metrics that are not publicly available continues to fuel controversy, with the SEC's lobbying for new metrics appearing to have succeeded in this initial ranking.
