Georgia Takes Over No. 1 Spot in Latest College Football Playoff Rankings

Notre Dame, ranked No. 11 in the College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings, handed Miami its first loss of the season in Week 10. The Fighting Irish beat the previously top-ranked Hurricanes at home, shaking up the standings.

Georgia is now college football’s No. 1 team after routing Ole Miss 42-7 on the road. The Bulldogs had started at No. 2, behind Miami, despite an October loss to Auburn.

Miami fell six places to No. 7, while Notre Dame rose six spots to No. 5 after its win. The new rankings also put Alabama at No. 3 following a 31-13 victory over LSU. Utah, still unbeaten, is No. 2, and UCLA—also 9-0—sits at No. 4.

Those placements may fuel debate about how the committee weighs teams from different conferences. Tennessee, which beat Kentucky, is No. 8. The Volunteers and Alabama both have 7-2 records, but Tennessee defeated Alabama 26-10 earlier in the season.

Committee chair Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas’ athletic director, pointed to Alabama’s schedule and résumé to explain its ranking. He said the Crimson Tide were No. 1 in both record strength and schedule strength, and cited four wins the committee considers high quality. One was Alabama’s early-season victory over Mississippi State, which was 4-0 at the time.

Asked why Tennessee wasn’t ranked higher, Yurachek said the committee had placed Alabama in its top group of teams, while Tennessee was outside that group. He also noted the Volunteers’ wins over Kentucky and Alabama.

Texas is No. 6, followed by Miami and Tennessee. Indiana dropped five places to No. 9 despite an 8-1 record, as some of its earlier wins have lost value. BYU is No. 10 after a close, comeback-filled game against Utah that ended in a loss.

Kentucky is ranked No. 11, Texas Tech No. 12, and Wake Forest, Houston and Iowa round out the top 15. Oregon climbed seven spots to No. 16 after beating Ohio State 41-28. Ohio State, now 6-3 after consecutive losses, fell eight places to No. 20. Ole Miss dropped nine spots to No. 19 after its loss to Georgia.

The full rankings:

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)
13. Wake Forest (8-1)
14. Houston (7-2)
15. Iowa (7-2)
16. Oregon (6-3)
17. South Carolina (6-3)
18. USC (7-2)
19. Ole Miss (6-3)
20. Ohio State (6-3)
21. LSU (6-3)
22. Missouri (6-3)
23. Arizona (7-2)
24. Boise State (8-1)
25. Oklahoma State (6-3)