The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes got some concerning injury news on Wednesday when star receiver Malachi Toney suffered an ankle injury in practice. Sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz that Toney is expected to undergo surgery to fix the ankle, but there is hope within the program that the injury won’t be season-ending.
Toney is the Hurricanes’ biggest offensive weapon with 73 catches, 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, and his production for the nation’s top team has made him one of the Heisman Trophy favorites alongside his quarterback, Darian Mensah.
Losing Toney the week of Miami’s biggest game would be a disaster for the Hurricanes, as the Miami offense looks for ways to create explosive plays against a talented Notre Dame defense.
Toney’s importance to the Miami offense
Last year’s win over Notre Dame was Toney’s breakout performance as a freshman, as he caught six passes for 82 yards and one touchdown in Miami’s 27-24 victory to open the season. Toney is the top threat the Irish have to game-plan and account for with multiple defenders, and any limitations on his ability to get downfield or move in space would be a significant loss for Miami.
Toney accounts for 35.1% of Miami’s receptions, 38.6% of receiving yards and 46.4% of receiving touchdowns this season. Cooper Barkate is second on the team in all of those categories with 28 catches for 372 yards and four touchdowns, and while talented, doesn’t provide the same dynamic as Toney.
The Hurricanes use Toney in myriad ways, and his ability to move around formations and alignments allows Shannon Dawson to attack different soft spots of defenses and prevents easy adjustments to what Miami is doing because of their variation. If Toney isn’t as dynamic (or isn’t in the lineup), it allows the defense to focus more on slowing down Miami’s run game.
The Hurricanes are 21st in the country in rushing offense at 202.5 yards per game and are 10th in yards per attempt at 5.49. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory make up one of the nation’s best running back tandems, but they’re made all the more effective by the respect defenses have to give to the big-play threat the passing game always presents when Toney is on the field.
Notre Dame’s defense figured to face the difficult choice of sending more bodies into the box to slow the run or keep help over the top to prevent Toney from getting loose. The ripple effects extend well beyond the Hurricanes’ passing game.
Heisman Trophy implications
Beyond the impact Toney’s injury will have on Miami’s biggest game of the season, Saturday’s game against Notre Dame figured to be Toney (and Mensah’s) best opportunity to author a Heisman moment on a big national stage.
Toney was second in the Heisman Trophy odds coming into the week at +290 at FanDuel Sportsbook — only trailing Mensah at +170. After the injury news was reported on Wednesday, Toney dropped all the way to +800, which is now fourth on the odds sheet. Toney’s injury could also impact Darian Mensah’s Heisman chances, as his passing productivity would likely take a hit if his best receiver can’t play or is limited.
As a result, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith is back to the top spot in the odds at +170, Mensah has slipped a touch to +200, and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr jumps to +700 as the Irish have moved out to a 6.5-point favorite over the Hurricanes.
CBS Sports will continue to provide updates on Toney’s status as the week progresses and more information becomes available.

Injured linebacker Jack Campbell said in a statement released by the Detroit Lions on Wednesday, Nov. 4, that he has “full movement” in his lower body, is “continuing to make progress with movement” in his upper body and remains “very optimistic” about his recovery.
“My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers and support we’ve received over the past few days,” the statement read. “It means more to us than words can express.”
Campbell was injured making a tackle on tight end T.J. Hockenson on the first play of the fourth quarter of the Lions’ win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Campbell’s head appeared to hit Hockenson’s left hip on the play. He fell face-first to the ground after making the stop and was motionless on the turf as doctors loaded him onto a backboard and took him to a waiting ambulance by medical cart.
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes, and Ford Field sat silent while players from both teams surrounded the scene on a knee in prayer.
Campbell remains in the hospital, and he said in his statement he’s “incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time.”
“I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body,” the statement said. “I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
The Lions rallied to beat the Vikings after Campbell’s injury, getting a stop on a key fourth-and-5 play on the next snap. Minnesota scored on its next possession to take a 15-12 lead, before the Lions scored the game-winning touchdown.
After the game, Dan Campbell led an emotional locker room in prayer, and players said the win was dedicated to Jack Campbell.
“Just seeing something like that, him being down for so long, yeah, I think from that moment on we really – it was for 4-6, man,” defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. “And again, we don’t really know the status, but we’re praying for him.”
In his statement, Jack Campbell thanked Lions trainers for their quick response, the doctors in charge of his recovery at Henry Ford Hospital and fans for keeping him in their minds.
“My faith in God has never been stronger,” the statement said. “I know He has a plan for me, and I trust in that plan. I know there may be challenges ahead, but with my faith, my family, and so many people in my corner, I know we’ll get through this.”
The entire statement can be read below:
My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and support we’ve received over the past few days. It means more to us than words can express.
I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time. I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.
My faith in God has never been stronger. I know He has a plan for me, and I trust in that plan. I know there may be challenges ahead, but with my faith, my family, and so many people in my corner, I know we’ll get through this.
I especially want to thank the athletic trainers and medical personnel who responded and cared for me on the field. I know those were difficult moments, and I’m incredibly grateful for the professionalism, compassion, and care you showed me. The way you handled everything and looked after me when I needed it most is something I’ll never forget. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I also can’t say enough about the incredible care I’ve received from the medical team at Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Lions medical staff. They’ve been amazing to me and my family throughout this process, and I’m truly grateful for everything they’ve done.
To my teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Lions organization, I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. This team is a family to me, and the way everyone has been there for me means everything. I’m proud to be a Detroit Lion and couldn’t ask to be surrounded by a better group of people.
One thing I’ve learned about Detroit is that this city is built on toughness, resilience, and grit. That’s exactly how I’m going to approach this challenge.
Please continue to keep me and my family in your prayers. We feel the love, and I can’t thank everyone enough.
God is good. My faith is strong.
Jack Campbell
Lions coach Dan Campbell will speak to the media again on Wednesday afternoon and could provide a further update on Campbell’s progress.
Here’s more of what we know so far:
Scottie Montgomery: ‘We’re preparing like [Campbell] prepares’
Detroit Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery spoke at the Lions training facility in Allen Park on Wednesday, saying the “human element” came into play when facing Campbell’s injury on Sunday.
“It’s very difficult, of course, emotionally, to be in a game like that and have a situation like that happen. But we do have to talk about it. We can’t ignore it, we have that open dialogue,” he said. “And at the same time, we’re honoring him by the way that we prepare. We’re preparing like he prepares. That’s what we’re talking to each other about as players, as coaches, we’re going to prepare like he prepared. Play like he plays.
“There’s no way around anybody in that locker room not feeling a certain way about it. But that same feeling that causes pain, it causes us to pursue the excellence of what Jack would want us to do in this situation.”
Dan Campbell: ‘The status is changing every eight hours, 10 hours, in a good way’
Lions coach Dan Campbell spoke briefly on the linebacker’s injury in his Wednesday news conference, saying that it was “powerful” to hear Campbell’s update from his family.
“That always helps, to know that he’s improving,” he said. “The status is changing every eight hours, 10 hours, in a good way.”
Campbell also revealed that the Lions have mental health resources that some players are using during this time.
Amon-Ra St. Brown shares thoughts
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown shared his thoughts on Jack Campbell on his podcast, talking about how hard it was to flip the switch back to playing football after seeing his teammate down on the field.
Dan Campbell to speak today
Lions coach Dan Campbell will speak to the media at 1 p.m. ET today. You can watch his news conference below.
Aidan Hutchinson on Jack Campbell injury: ‘Just the weirdest feeling’
A few Lions players have shared their feelings on Campbell’s injury, with quarterback Jared Goff and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson both speaking in radio interviews on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Hutchinson revealed that he has had “the weirdest feeling” in the days after the Campbell injury, while Lions coach Dan Campbell expressed that his players should be thinking about the injured linebacker while also focusing on their jobs.
What happened to Jack Campbell?
Campbell was injured making a tackle on Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson on the first play of the fourth quarter. Campbell’s head appeared to hit Hockenson’s left hip on the play.
He fell face first to the ground after making the stop and laid motionless on the turf as doctors loaded him on a backboard and took him to a waiting ambulance by medical cart.
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes, and Ford Field sat silent while players from both teams surrounded the scene on a knee in prayer. Several Lions players, including Aidan Hutchinson, Jared Goff, Derrick Barnes, Levi Onwuzurike and Chuck Clark, approached the cart and appeared to say something to Campbell before it left the field, and Barnes said he was headed to the hospital, where Campbell remained overnight, after the game.
“He’s got a wife; I know they’re worried because I was worried,” Barnes said. “I can only imagine how they feel in those types of moments. Forget football, it’s about the person. Football was the last thing on my mind when that happened. It was all about Jack.”
The Lions forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-5 one play after Campbell’s injury, and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard gathered his unit on the sideline between series.
After the Vikings took a 15-12 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions rallied for the winning touchdown. After the game, players said Campbell was on their mind during the comeback.
“I’ve never really been through something like that, like right when they wheel him off, you go back into it,” Hutchinson said. “It was just weird. You got to get back in football mode immediately, but I think we really did a good job of directing the energy and directing that game. … We were just trying to get the job done with the guys we had for the guys we lost.”
How did Jack Campbell get hurt? Video of injury
Here’s the video of the injury. It seemed to show Campbell getting bent back on the tackle.
Who is Jack Campbell on the Lions?
Campbell was the No. 18 overall pick by the Lions in 2023 out of Iowa.
Campbell, a 2025 first-team All-Pro selection, is considered one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL, and he’s one of the highest-paid now.
Jack Campbell contract
The Lions signed Campbell, 26, in May to a four-year contract worth $81 million with $51.4 million guaranteed, keeping him in Detroit through the 2030 season.
This story will be updated.
Need to catch up on the news during breakfast? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

Even after years of watching College Football Playoff Selection Committee chairmen attempt to explain the unexplainable, what transpired Tuesday night was stunning.
In what’s been a particularly chaotic season, you knew the first CFP Rankings had the chance to be extra wonky. There were new selection committee members, new metrics to consider, such as a new strength-of-conference data point, and lots of results that muddled understanding.
And yet the committee still somehow delivered one of the most questionable first rankings we’ve ever seen. That feels like hyperbole, but the lack of consistency down the rankings defies belief. In some cases, the committee valued head-to-head results (Alabama vs. Kentucky); in others, it didn’t (Alabama vs. Tennessee). In some situations, a weak schedule was punished (Notre Dame, UCLA), and in others it wasn’t (Indiana).
It’s a great development for content creators everywhere who can capitalize on the outrage over the rankings, but tough for those who wanted a more cohesive and clear approach from the committee.
The good news is a lot can change between Nov. 3 and Dec. 6 when we get the final CFP Rankings. This weekend alone could have a dramatic impact on the next rankings with a stacked slate that includes No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU, No. 9 BYU at No. 3 Utah and No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee.
Before we consider what future rankings might look like, though, here are the big winners and losers from the first edition of the 2026 College Football Playoff Rankings.
College Football Playoff bracket: What 12-team field would look like after first 2026 CFP rankings
Shehan Jeyarajah
Winner — Alabama
Alabama given more credit than expected, wider playoff path
The stunner of the night came when 6-2 Alabama landed at the No. 5 spot.
A sampling of teams Alabama is ranked ahead of:
No. 7 Texas (6-2)
No. 8 UCLA (8-0)
No. 9 BYU (7-1)
No. 10 Ole Miss (6-2)
No. 13 Tennessee (6-2)
You could make an argument that any and all of those teams should be ranked ahead of Alabama. Let’s focus on the SEC teams, given there are more common opponents. Texas has three top-25 wins, which include a road win over the same Tennessee team that manhandled Alabama, 26-10. It’s only a two-spot difference, but Texas clearly has a better resume right now than Alabama.
Tennessee has a head-to-head win over Alabama and yet is eight spots below the Tide in the rankings. The selection committee gets around the issue by claiming that Alabama and Tennessee are in different pods and thus not directly comparable, so head-to-head would not come into play. If Tennessee wins this weekend, however, it should make that argument moot.
Alabama has two top-25 wins (Kentucky, South Carolina) but the committee is intent on giving it credit for a third. CFP chair Hunter Yurachek referenced Alabama beating Mississippi State on the road when the Bulldogs were 4-0 and ranked No. 16.
“They were 4-0,” Yurachek said on a teleconference about Mississippi State. “They had gone on the road and really dismantled a Minnesota team and looked very good doing so. I think maybe ‘GameDay’ had gone to that. It was a big game to play Alabama at home, and Alabama went in there and really took care of business and dominated that game. The committee, I think, will always view that as a quality game regardless of what the computer may say about the strength of that game.”
It’s a compliment to Mississippi State, which is now 4-4, that the committee will always treat it as a quality win for Alabama regardless of whether it finishes above .500. It is worth noting, however, that star quarterback Kamario Taylor was already injured by that point and wasn’t playing at full strength in a game Alabama won 56-23. Taylor has since been ruled out for the season after undergoing foot surgery.
Coming into the week, it felt like Alabama vs. LSU was a playoff eliminator type game. But Alabama now has more cushion than expected and could still make the field at 9-3 even if it loses to the Tigers this weekend.
Loser — Notre Dame
Fighting Irish’s playoff outlook takes major hit
We’ve been beating the drum since Saturday that Notre Dame was potentially in trouble, but Tuesday night’s rankings were even more dire than expected. Despite being ranked No. 4 in the AP poll, Notre Dame landed at No. 11 in the CFP Rankings. That leaves zero margin of error moving forward.
If the Fighting Irish can’t beat Miami, they will almost certainly not be in the field. There simply isn’t a marquee win opportunity left on the schedule after Miami, and it is clear that the committee values strength of schedule more than efficiency statistics that rate ND highly. Notre Dame has zero top-25 wins, and without one over No. 1 Miami, it will finish without one. SMU losing to Syracuse last weekend was incredibly damaging.
Notre Dame is your biggest loser in the first rankings.
Winner — SEC
The committee values SEC schedules and résumés
Alabama was the night’s biggest winner, but the SEC has to be happy with what it saw. The conference put seven teams in the CFP top 15 and would have five teams in the playoff field if the season ended today.
The SEC hasn’t hidden its frustration in recent years with what the selection committee prioritized in picking the field. It was especially bad with the 2024 field, but there was frustration again a year ago when 9-3 Texas and 10-2 Vanderbilt both missed the cut. The SEC didn’t think CFP selection committee members did a good enough job properly taking into account just how hard it was to play an SEC schedule week in and week out.
The message seemed to be heard loud and clear in the CFP’s first 2026 rankings. There appeared to be a greater emphasis on strength of schedule, a metric that benefits the SEC’s top teams. It was also interesting to hear Yurachek note, “I know the SEC is 10-2 in those games” about Power Four versus non-conference Power Four opponents while also claiming those weren’t taken into account collectively for the conference. The new strength-of-conference metric is vague but would seem to take a statistic like that into account.
The SEC is the clear best Power Four conference this season, and that was well reflected in these rankings. There will be a shake-up after all the top 25 games involving SEC teams this weekend, but the conference is well-positioned to have a sizable number of teams in the official field. It begs the question of whether the SEC knew it would be as respected as it seems to be so far this season, and whether it would have been as inclined to go along with a playoff expansion to 24 teams.
Loser — Big Ten
Several contenders were ranked lower than expected
The conference that has won the last three national championships got the benefit of the doubt with Indiana, but that was it. There is now a very real possibility the Big Ten is only a two-bid league, which would have seemed inconceivable at the start of the season when Ohio State and Oregon were ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively. The No. 23 Ducks (5-3) are now, at best, a long shot to make the field. No. 12 Ohio State is the first team out and must beat Oregon this weekend to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Ohio State sure seems to be getting heavily penalized for losing quarterback Julian Sayin. Yurachek referenced the defense giving up some explosive plays as part of the rationale for the Buckeyes’ ranking. Frankly, it’s a nonsensical data point, given that Ohio State gives up fewer explosive plays than five teams ranked ahead of it. No. 11 Ole Miss, for instance, ranks 104th nationally in explosive play rate allowed compared to Ohio State’s No. 37. Ohio State has one of the best wins of the country (Indiana) and yet doesn’t seem to be getting much credit for it.
It was a bit surprising, too, to see undefeated UCLA land at No. 8. The Bruins’ resume is lacking — just one top-25 win — but it’s still a tough pill to swallow for the Big Ten to see two 2-loss SEC teams ranked ahead of its lone undefeated squad. It also sets the stage for UCLA to possibly drop out of the field in the Big Ten’s ultimate doomsday scenario if the Bruins lose a game or two down the stretch. USC, coming off a win over Ohio State, feels about four or five spots too low at No. 20, too.
Winner — Indiana
Hoosiers rewarded for their record despite a lack of marquee wins
The Hoosiers are getting a lot of benefit from their record against “quality” opponents with better-than-.500 records. On paper, Indiana hasn’t beaten anyone of note. The Hoosiers don’t have a single win over a team ranked in the CFP top 25. Even worse, Indiana hasn’t passed the “eye test” at any point this season and has struggled against lesser opponents. But the Hoosiers do have five wins over teams that have winning records, a statistic the committee evidently greatly values.
That was enough to get Indiana ranked No. 4 and in line for a first-round bye. That’s eight spots better than an Ohio State team that the Hoosiers lost to earlier this season. The Hoosiers have a great strength of record (No. 5) and a solid strength of schedule (No. 32) but have rarely looked like an elite team this season. Indiana easily could have lost to three unranked opponents this season — Northwestern, Nebraska and Minnesota.
If Indiana wins out and wins the Big Ten Championship, this No. 4 slot would make a lot of sense. But as things stand in early November, this ranking is a reach.
Loser — Texas Tech
Only loss hurting Red Raiders’ chances
The 7-1 Red Raiders have to be disappointed to be starting out at No. 15. Texas Tech has wins over two top-25 teams, headlined by No. 17 Houston, and yet is behind a two-loss LSU team that has zero. “I think you’ll have to really lean on the loss that (Texas Tech) had at Cincinnati two weeks ago for that reason,” Yurachek said.
It is fair to hold the Cincinnati loss against Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders deserve to be ranked a little better. Landing at No. 15 makes the path to getting into the field more challenging with zero opportunities to add a marquee win in the regular season. The remaining schedule is very manageable, making an 11-1 finish possible for Texas Tech and likely a requirement if it wants to make the field.
With three teams ranked in the top 15, we could see two or more Big 12 teams get in. It’ll be very interesting to see what happens in next week’s rankings if BYU beats Utah this weekend. The CBS Sports forecasting model still prefers Texas Tech’s playoff chances (62.7%) to BYU’s (48.4%), but a Cougars win could keep both BYU and Utah ahead of the Red Raiders.

Judging by the chaos we have already seen across college football this season, it should come as no surprise that the first CFP rankings were just as unpredictable as the product on the field.
The only certainty entering Tuesday night’s rankings reveal was that Miami would sit atop the polls after a difficult outing against North Carolina.
Now, with a showdown against No. 8 Notre Dame looming this weekend, this is shaping up to be an elimination game for the No. 11 ranked Fighting Irish.
And let me make it clear for folks out there that are not following on a weekly basis: don’t freak out yet, just give it a few weeks.
But yes, you have my permission to start getting extremely nervous about the upcoming weekend, Notre Dame fans. It’s clear that the CFP committee is telling Marcus Freeman’s squad that they better beat No. 1 Miami on Saturday, or their chances of making the postseason will be hinging on others losing.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS: MIAMI TAKES TOP SPOT, INDIANA CRACKS TOP FIVE IN FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE
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Don’t forget, this is the final season for a twelve-team playoff, with an expansion to 24-teams coming next year as ESPN and CFP finalize their new television agreement.
Well, the Southeastern Conference has to be feeling good with rankings
As for what happens within the SEC, well they came out smelling pretty nice after spending the entire offseason emphasizing strength of schedule metrics. Now, the conference has to be feeling fantastic on Wednesday morning, with Georgia sitting at No. 2 in the first polls.
Alabama coming in at No. 5 and Kentucky being ranked No. 6 gives them a pretty solid landing spot if either one of those teams were to catch another loss.
Realistically, if Kentucky beats No. 13 Tennessee this weekend in Knoxville, the Cats’ can afford an additional loss and still secure a playoff bid.
But, why in the world is Alabama ranked eight spots ahead of Tennessee if the Vols won the head-to-head matchup last month?
“The head to head matchup between Tennessee and Alabama is not going to come into play at this point becuase of where those two teams are viewed in the rankings process,” CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek explained.
No. 7 Texas is the only current team in the country with wins against three ranked teams, with a number of others including Kentucky, BYU, Alabama, Ole Miss and Ohio State being ones with two wins on the season so far.
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How many spots could the Big Ten rack up? Buckeyes on brink of ouster
It was undefeated No. 8 UCLA that came in behind No. 4 Indiana, after the Hoosiers hung on for dear life against Minnesota this past weekend, as the committee came off as confusing given the Hoosiers strength of schedule.
We could be witnessing a year in which the Big Ten might only get two teams into the College Football Playoff, especially if No. 12 Ohio State cannot figure out life without Julian Sayin.
OHIO STATE’S NATIONAL TITLE HOPES ARE RIGHTFULLY FADING AFTER USC DELIVERS REALITY CHECK IN SHOCKING UPSET
The Buckeyes, in my opinion, deserved to be ranked in this area. But the argument over head-to-head matchups was not even discussed by the committee due to Ohio State not being in the same pod of teams, according to chairman Hunter Yurachek.
“They didn’t look like the same Ohio State team this past weekend against Southern Cal”
And, it’s not hard to argue that the Buckeyes deserved to work for their spot. Obviously, they have time to prove to the world that they are a better football team than what we saw against USC, even though Hunter Yurachek pointed towards their defense more than offensive output.
Indiana has zero ranked wins this season, and have four of their five wins over power conference schools coming by one score.
What in the world has Indiana done to be ranked so high? And now, with USC being ranked 20th in the first poll, this could also give the Big Ten a spot at gaining a spot if the Trojans were to win out, while Indiana might not drop as far if they were to lose at home next week to Lincoln Riley’s squad.
We see you, Big 12. This could get very entertaining
The Big 12 could be in an even more interesting position.
No. 3 Utah is the highest-ranked team from the conference, but No. 9 BYU has a chance to change the entire playoff picture when the two teams meet in Saturday’s “Holy War.”
The Big 12 could potentially receive as many playoff bids as the Big Ten, although there is still a full month of the regular season remaining.
If the conference wants to place three teams in the College Football Playoff, BYU would likely need to win out, while No. 15 Texas Tech would need to finish the regular season undefeated. Utah would then most likely need to defeat BYU in the conference championship game.
That scenario would give BYU a legitimate argument for inclusion in the final CFP rankings, while Utah would receive the automatic bid and Texas Tech could make a strong case with only one loss.
ESPN FUMBLES THE HOLY WAR BY FORCING UTAH AND BYU INTO A DREADED EARLY-MORNING KICKOFF FOR FANS
The College Football Playoff Top-25 has fans talking
While in the past we could have countless arguments around the shenanigans that come with the CFP committee’s rankings, this season might actually call for a little grace.
Having to make these types of decisions, based off the pure madness we’ve seen over the past eight weeks, certainly made life difficult for committee members.
“We still believe as a committee there is going to be a significant amount of movement within the entire Top-25 ranking, and we’re looking forward to the task at hand,” CFP chairman Hunter Yurachek said after the rankings show.
“It will be a difficult task..This weekend is huge for college football”
Now, there is always something to nitpick, but this year has proven that any given Saturday could result in something wild transpiring within the Top-25.
Is their truly an elite team this season? We’re about to find out over the next month.
1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Utah
4. Indiana
5. Alabama
6. Kentucky
7. Texas
8. UCLA
9. BYU
10. Ole Miss
11. Notre Dame
12. Ohio State
13. Tennessee
14. LSU
15. Texas Tech
16. Wake Forest
17. Houston
18. Missouri
19. Iowa
20. USC
21. South Carolina
22. Arizona
23. Oregon
24. Florida
25. Boise State
What the first round would look like today, and quarterfinals
Now that we know that the field looks like as of November 3rd, we can asses what the first round will look like with on-campus games.
No. 12 Ohio State at No. 5 Alabama
No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Kentucky
No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Texas
No. 9 BYU at No. 8 UCLA
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Quarterfinals (Fiesta, Peach, Rose, Cotton Bowls)
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8/No. 9 winner
No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7/No. 10 winner
No. 3 Utah vs. No. 6/No. 11 winner
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5/No. 12 winner
We are in for one crazy month of November, and there will be plenty of nervous folks across the country tuning in over the next four weeks.
One thing that we learned after the first CFP rankings of the 2026 season is that there will be plenty of chaotic moments coming, but Notre Dame had better win this weekend if they plan on spending their December preparing for the playoffs.

Germany is considering withdrawing as host of the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship after multiple European federations said they would refuse to play Russia, following a court ruling that overturned a four-year ban on Russian national teams.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on 30 October that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) must allow Russian national teams of all age groups to compete internationally, including at the 2027 World Championship scheduled for May in Germany. The IIHF said it disagreed with the ruling but would comply.
German ice hockey federation DEB chair Frank H Lutz said the ruling “fundamentally changes the situation” for the tournament.
“Our position remains unchanged: we reject the return of Russian national teams to international ice hockey tournaments,” Lutz said.
“Allowing Russia to participate would have serious consequences for us as the host country in terms of security, as well as politically and economically,” Lutz said, adding that DEB was analysing the decision with the IIHF and would provide further information on next steps.
A two-day meeting of the IIHF executive body centred around the ruling began on Monday.
Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Denmark and Sweden have all announced they will not play Russia at the 2027 championship. Austria said it is considering joining them. USA Hockey did not respond to a request for comment.
Finland’s Ice Hockey Federation said it would not play Russia until the country ended the ongoing all-out war against Ukraine.
Chair Heikki Hietanen said Finland was working to coordinate a joint position among as many countries as possible to tell the IIHF that “none of us will play against Russia” in the current situation.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that “Russian athletes will not be welcome in Finland next year if Russia continues its aggressive war.”
“I will inform my EU colleagues that we intend to restrict the access of Russian athletes to the entire Schengen area,” Valtonen said.
Czech Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said the CAS ruling did not oblige the Czech Republic to issue visas to Russian nationals, as a decree banning short-term visas for Russian citizens remained in force.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that Russia would not be permitted to compete at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, to be held in Alberta from late December.
The CAS ruling does not apply to the Women’s World Championship, which begins this week in Denmark and will proceed without Russia.
Two tournament sponsors said they would withdraw if Russia competed. AJ Products, a Swedish office furniture company that has backed the championship since 1989, said it would ask for its logo not to be displayed if Russia takes part in a “protest against Russia,” chief executive David Bray said.
Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres said that “continuing sponsorship in the event of Russia’s participation would contradict our values.”
‘Staining the ice with Ukrainian blood’
The European Commission said on Tuesday that while sports federations have the right to determine how they organise their competitions, “both federations and member states must comply with EU sanctions and restrictive measures.”
“Sport should not serve as a tool of propaganda, and normalising the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions while the war in Ukraine continues is not something we want to support,” spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said.
Hrncirova said the Commission also did not support the use of Russian anthems, symbols and flags at European sporting events.
The Commission noted that the European Council had decided in October that there should be no normalisation until a just and lasting peace was established in Ukraine.
Twenty-one members of the European Parliament separately called for sanctions and visa restrictions against Russia following the CAS ruling.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha‎ said there were no grounds for Russia’s return to international sport while the war continued.
“By letting Russian hockey back, CAS is staining the ice with Ukrainian blood,” Sybiha‎ said. “Letting them back now would hand Moscow the international legitimacy it craves.”
“Russia’s war must have consequences, including in international sport,” Sybiha concluded.
Russia has used prominent athletes as political figures since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022.
Ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a campaign video for the ruling United Russia party alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in September.
Hundreds of Ukrainian sports facilities have been destroyed by Russian strikes since 2022, and many Ukrainian athletes have been killed.