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College Football Playoff rankings: Miami leads first rankings of 2026; Notre Dame, Ohio State outside top 10
Yahoo Sports • • general
Key Points:
- Miami Hurricanes hold the No. 1 spot in both the AP Top 25 and the inaugural 2026 College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, remaining undefeated this season.
- Notre Dame is ranked No. 11 by the CFP committee despite being No. 4 in the AP poll, largely due to a perceived lack of signature wins and a weaker strength of schedule.
- The CFP committee values strength of schedule heavily, placing teams like Alabama (No. 5) and other SEC teams with two losses ahead of Notre Dame, even when those teams have more losses.
- Week 10 features several critical ranked matchups, including Miami vs. Notre Dame and Georgia vs. Ole Miss, which could significantly reshape the playoff landscape and rankings.
- The current rankings suggest a possibility that a three-loss SEC team could make the playoff, continuing a trend from last season, reflecting the committee's emphasis on conference strength and schedule difficulty.
