Miami opens No. 1 in first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings
The gist
Miami (FL) is No. 1 at 8-0 in the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings, ahead of Georgia.
Five more rankings releases follow before the final bracket on Dec. 6.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026First CFP rankings released: Miami (FL) No. 1 at 8-0, followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama; Tennessee No. 13 and Texas Tech No. 15.
- Nov 10, 2026Second rankings released at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, after the Michigan State-Duke game.
- Nov 17, 2026Third rankings release, 9 p.m. ET.
Key terms
- College Football Playoff rankings
- An annual single-elimination tournament determining the national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football.
- bracket
- A tree-like diagram showing the series of games in a knockout tournament.
- pod
- The practice of separating the most skilled competitors in a tournament bracket so they do not meet in early rounds.
Source: Wikipedia