CFP Rankings 2026: Georgia No. 1 as Notre Dame Jumps to 5th

Georgia are the new No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The selection committee’s second rankings of 2026, released on Tuesday night (10 November US time), moved the Bulldogs up one place after previous No. 1 Miami lost 31-24 at Notre Dame. Undefeated Utah are No. 2, Alabama climbed to No. 3 and unbeaten UCLA jumped four places to No. 4. Notre Dame made history by leaping from No. 11 to No. 5.

With three weeks of the regular season left, here is the full top 12, what the rankings mean for the bracket and the games that could shake things up this weekend.

What Are the CFP Rankings This Week?

The official CFP rankings top 12 after Week 10 are:

• 1. Georgia (8-1)
• 2. Utah (9-0)
• 3. Alabama (7-2)
• 4. UCLA (9-0)
• 5. Notre Dame (8-1)
• 6. Texas (7-2)
• 7. Miami (8-1)
• 8. Tennessee (7-2)
• 9. Indiana (8-1)
• 10. BYU (7-2)
• 11. Kentucky (7-2)
• 12. Texas Tech (8-1)

Further down, Wake Forest are No. 13, Houston reached a programme-best No. 14, Oregon rose seven places to No. 16, Ohio State fell eight places to No. 20, Boise State are No. 24 and Oklahoma State returned at No. 25 for the first time since 2023, according to the CFP and NCAA.com.

Why Did Georgia Move to No. 1?

Georgia beat Ole Miss by 35 points on the road in Oxford, CBS Sports reported, and have looked dominant since an upset loss to Auburn on 17 October. It is the Bulldogs’ 16th week at No. 1 in the CFP era, second only to Alabama’s 24, the CFP said. Georgia still face Missouri, South Carolina and Georgia Tech, plus a possible SEC Championship Game.

How Did Notre Dame Jump From No. 11 to No. 5?

By beating the No. 1 team. Notre Dame led Miami 24-3 before winning 31-24, and the CFP said the Fighting Irish are the first team in playoff history to jump from outside the top 10 into the top five in one week. “We talked last week that Notre Dame had a lot of respect from the committee, a dominant team, but had yet to have the signature win,” committee chair Hunter Yurachek said. Notre Dame are guaranteed a place if they finish in the top 12 of the final rankings. They face Boston College, SMU and Syracuse to finish the season.

What Would the Playoff Bracket Look Like Today?

In a change from the first 12-team season, the four highest-ranked teams now earn the top four seeds and first-round byes whether or not they win their conferences. If the season ended now, Georgia, Utah, Alabama and UCLA would get byes, NCAA.com said.

Seeds 5 to 12 would play first-round games at the higher seed’s campus. As the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences, No. 24 Boise State would take the 12th seed, pushing No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 13 Wake Forest out of the field. Our explainer on how the College Football Playoff works covers the format, byes and automatic bids in more detail.

What Were the Biggest Surprises?

• Indiana fell five places to No. 9 despite not playing, because their earlier opponents lost last weekend. They host USC on Saturday.
• Miami dropped six places to No. 7 after the loss in South Bend, a fall CBS Sports called hard to justify.
• Alabama at No. 3 became the earliest two-loss team to reach the top four in CFP history.
• Ole Miss and Ohio State both fell sharply after third losses, to No. 19 and No. 20.

Which Games Matter Most in Week 11?

• No. 22 Missouri at No. 1 Georgia
• No. 18 USC at No. 9 Indiana
• No. 12 Texas Tech at No. 25 Oklahoma State
• Illinois at No. 4 UCLA (Friday night)
• No. 3 Alabama’s run-in against Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn
• Utah’s road trip to Arizona

When Are the Next CFP Rankings?

This was the second of six weekly rankings. The next release is expected next Tuesday, with the final rankings setting the field after the conference championship games. First-round games are scheduled for 18 and 19 December 2026, according to the CFP’s schedule. For a different sporting angle this week, see our coverage of the Kirk Cousins trade.

Featured image: Sanford Stadium, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, by BullDawg2021 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. File photo.

• College Football Playoff — CFP Selection Committee Releases Second Rankings of 2026 (10 November 2026).
• ESPN — Georgia takes CFP’s top spot, Notre Dame leaps up to No. 5 (10 November 2026).
• CBS Sports — College Football Playoff Rankings: Georgia moves to No. 1 as Alabama, UCLA join top four in second release (10 November 2026).
• NCAA.com — Georgia, Utah lead the second College Football Playoff rankings of 2026 (10 November 2026).