Even after years of watching College Football Playoff Selection Committee chairmen attempt to explain the unexplainable, what transpired Tuesday night was stunning. In what's been a particularly chaotic season, you knew the first CFP Rankings had the chance to be extra wonky. There were new selection committee members, new metrics to consider, such as a new strength-of-conference data point, and lots of results that muddled understanding.
And yet the committee still somehow delivered one of the most questionable first rankings we've ever seen. That feels like hyperbole, but the lack of consistency down the rankings defies belief. In some cases, the committee valued head-to-head results (Alabama vs.
Kentucky); in others, it didn't (Alabama vs. In some situations, a weak schedule was punished (Notre Dame, UCLA), and in others it wasn't (Indiana). It's a great development for content creators everywhere who can capitalize on the outrage over the rankings, but tough for those who wanted a more cohesive and clear approach from the committee.
The good news is a lot can change between Nov. 3 and Dec. 6 when we get the final CFP Rankings. This weekend alone could have a dramatic impact on the next rankings with a stacked slate that includes No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU, No. 9 BYU at No. 3 Utah and No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee. Before we consider what future rankings might look like, though, here are the big winners and losers from the first edition of the 2026 College Football Playoff Rankings.
Alabama given more credit than expected, wider playoff path The stunner of the night came when 6-2 Alabama landed at the No. 5 spot. A sampling of teams Alabama is ranked ahead of: You could make an argument that any and all of those teams should be ranked ahead of Alabama. Let's focus on the SEC teams, given there are more common opponents.
Texas has three top-25 wins, which include a road win over the same Tennessee team that manhandled Alabama, 26-10. It's only a two-spot difference, but Texas clearly has a better resume right now than Alabama. Tennessee has a head-to-head win over Alabama and yet is eight spots below the Tide in the rankings.
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