It feels like just yesterday that the college football season began, but now we have just five weeks left until conference championship weekend. We also are just six weeks away from the final 2026 College Football Playoff bracket being revealed, but the committee's first rankings will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 3 next week.
Knowing that the CFP rankings are about to come out, here is the first projection of what the 2026 College Football Playoff bracket could look like.
Projecting the full 12-team CFP field
This is a projection of what the final rankings could look like, not what they would be today.
Seed | Team | Selection Criteria |
|---|---|---|
1 | Miami (13-0) | ACC Champ |
2 | Ohio State (12-1) | Big Ten Champ |
3 | Georgia (12-1) | SEC Champ |
4 | Notre Dame (11-1) | At-Large |
5 | Indiana (11-1) | At-Large |
6 | Utah (12-1) | Big 12 Champ |
7 | Alabama (10-2) | At-Large |
8 | UCLA (12-1) | At-Large |
9 | Kentucky (11-2) | At-Large |
10 | Texas Tech (11-2) | At-Large |
11 | BYU (10-2) | At-Large |
12 | Boise State (12-1) | Group of Six bid |
2026 College Football Playoff will be missing some juggernauts
Entering the season there were a handful of teams many believed were locks to make the playoff this season. Just like every other year though there are some teams who don't live up to expectations, and that will happen again this season.
Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas were three teams with great odds to make the playoff at the start of the season, but they all fell on unexpected hard times. Oregon already has three losses and are out of the playoff hunt, but both Ole Miss and Texas could still make the field as they currently sit with two losses. Ole Miss will lose to Georgia next week though and Texas will lose to LSU in a few weeks to knock them out.
Speaking of LSU, they were another team some thought could make the playoff. They however have two losses already this season too and still have to play Alabama, Texas and Tennesse. Good luck Lane Kiffin.
2026 CFP will be top heavy
It isn't surprising seeing any of the teams at the top of this playoff projection. Miami, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Indiana and Texas Tech figured to be in contention for a national title at the start of the season, and they lived up to the hype when others couldn't. After those seven teams though there are four other schools who weren't expected to make the playoff along with Boise State who is the team who snagged the Group of Six's automatic bid.
Utah just lost their long time head coach, but they've found themselves as the front runner to win the Big 12. Kentucky has been the surprise team in the SEC as they are one of just two teams in the conference with only one loss so far this season. Then there is BYU and UCLA who would be first timers in the playoff as well who nobody thought had a chance to get to the playoff this year.
This is what makes the 12-team playoff so great. The elite programs still have to go out and earn their spot in the field while other less successful programs still have a chance to have a great season and grab a playoff spot. The playoff however is getting closer to expanding to 24 teams, so the big programs like Texas and LSU who might just barely miss the playoff this season will still make it after having below average seasons.
This season could end up being the last 12-team playoff we ever get, and this would be an exciting bracket that features some of the best programs of all time along with some new faces ready to make a splash after unexpectedly making the playoff this year.
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