The College Football Playoff selection committee released its first of six rankings on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the Miami Hurricanes took the top spot. Unbeaten Miami (8-0) was revealed live on ESPN at No. 1 at 7 p.m. ET, ahead of No. 2 Georgia (7-1), No. 3 Utah (8-0) and No. 4 Indiana (8-1).
Those four programs also hold the top four seeds — the projected first-round byes in the 12-team bracket. It is an early advantage worth having: in the 12-team era so far, the top four seeds have gone a combined 1-7 in the quarterfinals, a reminder that a bye guarantees rest, not a win.
Indiana (8-1, 5-1 in the Big Ten) is the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the field and, in the current projection, would meet the winner of the Alabama–Boise State first-round matchup. Alabama sits at No. 5 (6-2), with Kentucky (7-1) at No. 6, Texas (6-2) at No. 7 and unbeaten UCLA (8-0) at No. 8.
Rounding out the top 12 are No. 9 BYU, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Notre Dame (7-1) and No. 12 Ohio State (6-2). No. 25 Boise State (7-1) is the only Group of 6 team in the rankings and is projected as the bracket’s No. 12 seed, while Tennessee at No. 13 is the second team out — its Saturday showdown with No. 6 Kentucky now carries enormous stakes.
The committee will update the rankings every Tuesday through December 1, with the final field announced Sunday, December 6. Miami’s No. 1 debut puts the Hurricanes in the driver’s seat, but with a month of chaos ahead, the order is far from settled.
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Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.