The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the 2026 season are finally almost here. On Tuesday night, the CFP Selection Committee will unveil its first rankings. Outside of the final rankings, the first are the most interesting because they establish a baseline for the rest of the season.
There are new selection committee members (hello, Jeff Tedford and Gus Malzahn) and new metrics (strength of conference) that could lead to a new-look ranking from what we've seen in the past. It's why the first rankings are the hardest to predict because even when you know the metrics the committee focuses on, each group full of new members every year could prioritize some over others. CBS Sports has taken on the yeoman's work of predicting what the committee will do each week in its 1 through 25 rankings.
The Hurricanes are the No. 1 team unless they lose. A win over Notre Dame this weekend would fortify this spot for Miami. The best team in the SEC should get a first-round bye if it wins the conference.
The frontrunner to win the Big 12 could really solidify its position for a first-round bye with a win over BYU this weekend. Kentucky has one of the best resumes in the country. The Wildcats are 2-1 against top-25 opponents, have the nation's No. 2 strength of record and No. 4 strength of schedule.
Kentucky already has a marquee win over LSU and could bolster its case with a win over Tennessee on Saturday. The Cougars have both the best win (Notre Dame) and the worst loss (UCF) of the top five teams. Where the Bruins land in the initial rankings will be one of the more fascinating decisions the committee makes.
The Bruins have a weak schedule but are undefeated and poised to finish 11-1 or 12-0 in the regular season. Not only does Indiana have one of the weaker resumes, but the Hoosiers haven't passed the "eye test" in weeks. Indiana gets dinged for it in the first rankings.
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