The College Football Playoff selection committee released its first rankings of the season Tuesday night, and the first look at the 12-team field has a few surprises. Miami is No. 1, Georgia is No. 2 despite a loss to Auburn, and Ohio State is on the outside looking in after a loss at USC. From now through Selection Day on Dec. 6, I will have a post every Tuesday night breaking down the new rankings.
The Top 12
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | 8-0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 7-1 |
| 3 | Utah | 8-0 |
| 4 | Indiana | 8-1 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6-2 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 6-2 |
| 8 | UCLA | 8-0 |
| 9 | BYU | 7-1 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 6-2 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 7-1 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-2 |
The rest of the Top 25: 13. Tennessee, 14. LSU, 15. Texas Tech, 16. Wake Forest, 17. Houston, 18. Missouri, 19. Iowa, 20. USC, 21. South Carolina, 22. Arizona, 23. Oregon, 24. Florida, 25. Boise State.
Biggest Surprises
- Alabama at No. 5: The Crimson Tide are the highest-ranked two-loss team, ahead of one-loss Kentucky, a team Alabama beat.
- Georgia at No. 2: Georgia’s only loss was 27-24 at home to Auburn, which is unranked. The committee gave the Bulldogs credit for their 20-17 win at Alabama. For a look at Auburn’s home, here is my visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
- Ohio State at No. 12: The Buckeyes lost 30-18 at USC on Saturday and sit eight spots behind Indiana, a team they beat 19-15 in Bloomington.
- Undefeated UCLA at No. 8: The Bruins are 8-0 but start behind three two-loss teams.
- Notre Dame at No. 11: The Irish are 7-1 but have no wins over ranked teams.
Saturday’s Results That Mattered
- USC 30, Ohio State 18: The loss dropped the Buckeyes to the edge of the field.
- Miami 38, North Carolina 35: The Hurricanes stayed perfect, but it was close.
- Georgia 27, Florida 8: Georgia handled its rival to stay in the top two.
- Boise State 46, Texas State 45: Boise State survived by one point, and it matters. The Broncos are the only Group of Five team in the rankings.
- Indiana 23, Minnesota 16 and Texas 31, Mississippi State 3: Wins that kept both in the field.
If the Season Ended Today
The top four teams get first-round byes, and the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion gets an automatic bid. Based on these rankings, the bracket would look like this:
- Byes: No. 1 Miami, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah, No. 4 Indiana
- First round (higher seed hosts): No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Kentucky, No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Texas, No. 9 BYU at No. 8 UCLA
- First teams out: Ohio State and Tennessee
The SEC has 10 teams in the Top 25, including five in the top 10.
Games to Watch This Saturday
- No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Miami: The Irish need a signature win, and Miami’s perfect season is on the line.
- No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss: A top-10 SEC matchup Saturday night in Oxford.
- No. 12 Ohio State at No. 23 Oregon: Another loss would put the Buckeyes in real trouble.
I will be back next Tuesday night with the second rankings.
Featured photo: Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr., January 2026 by Bobak Ha’Eri, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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