Georgia surged to No. 1 in the second College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season, leading a projected bracket that awards first-round byes to the Bulldogs, No. 2 Utah, No. 3 Alabama, and No. 4 UCLA.
The biggest movement came at the top of the first-round host spots. Notre Dame jumped from the last at-large berth to No. 5 after defeating then-No. 1 Miami, positioning the Fighting Irish to host No. 12 Boise State. No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Miami, and No. 8 Tennessee round out the first-round hosts.
Reigning national champion Indiana fell five spots to No. 9 despite a bye week, dropping from a first-round bye to a road game at Tennessee. The Hoosiers' decline reflects a string of losses by teams they previously defeated.
The Big 12 Conference improved its standing. No. 10 BYU remains comfortably inside the field, while No. 12 Texas Tech sits just outside as the first team out. No. 14 Houston, No. 23 Arizona, and No. 25 Oklahoma State provide additional depth. The conference has yet to produce an at-large CFP team in the 12-team era.
No. 11 Kentucky claims the final playoff spot, with No. 13 Wake Forest also on the bubble.
