Phil Steele releases his weekly Vegas Power Rankings, showing how Las Vegas oddsmakers rank the 138 FBS teams. Entering Week 10, Georgia tops the list with a 135.87 Vegas Rating, narrowly ahead of Notre Dame (134.42) and LSU (131.98). The rankings, based solely on neutral‑field betting favorability, differ from AP, Coaches and CFP polls. Steele also provides the full top‑25, from Georgia down to Nebraska, giving fans a betting‑centric view of the 2026 college football landscape.
Miami announced Wednesday that star wideout Malachi Toney injured his ankle during practice ahead of Saturday’s clash with Notre Dame. The sophomore has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, accounting for over a third of the Hurricanes’ offense and helping Miami sit 8‑0 and atop the CFP rankings. Notre Dame sits 7‑1 at No. 11, making Toney’s availability a key factor for Miami’s bid for a ninth straight win. The school says he is under medical evaluation, with no timeline provided. The game kicks off 7:30 p.m. ET at South Bend.
College football heads into its final stretch as the regular season winds down. Purdue announces a two‑year pause in its 90‑game series with Notre Dame, citing schedule flexibility for the new 24‑team playoff. Howard suffers a blow, losing starting QB Ja’Shawn Scroggins to a season‑ending injury before the South Carolina State matchup, with Isaiah Freeman set to take over. In the FCS, Alabama A&M returns to the Top‑25 at No. 24 after a 7‑2 start, while Northern Arizona climbs to No. 6—their highest rank since 1996—and eyes an 8‑2 finish. Tennessee Tech, fresh in the Southern Conference, sits at No. 9 with an 8‑1 record, poised to contend for the league title.
Rutgers’ season is spiraling toward a 2‑3 record, prompting speculation that head coach Greg Schiano—whose $17 million buyout looms—could be on the chopping block. Athletic Director Keli Zinn and President William Tate are rumored to consider high‑profile names like former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, despite his costly LSU exit, or LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who carries no buyout. Other candidates include defensive guru Corey Hetherman (Minnesota/Miami), former James Madison coaches Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney, and ex‑SEC hands Dan Mullen or Billy Napier. The article weighs each option against Rutgers’ financial strain and on‑field needs, outlining why some choices may or may not fit.
ESPN700’s Week 9 CFP Resume Rankings rank teams solely by their strength of schedule, using a point system that rewards wins over ranked, Power‑4 and Group‑6 opponents while penalizing losses. Texas tops the list with 9 points (wins over Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss), followed by Kentucky (7.5) and Miami (7). Ohio State, Indiana, Utah, Oregon, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Texas Tech, BYU and others fill the top‑12, each earning points from marquee victories. The column also notes teams like Notre Dame (7‑1, 1 point) and Boise State (7‑1, 3 points) that are playoff‑eligible but sit outside the top‑12 resume ranking.
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The College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee unveiled its inaugural Top 25 rankings of the 2026 season on
The post Initial CFP Rankings: SEC Dominates Top 10, Ohio State Left Out, and Notre Dame Faces Do-or-Die Weekend appeared first on We Never Stop .
The CFP committee ranks one‑loss Indiana at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 11 because Indiana boasts a tougher schedule and more wins against .500‑plus opponents. Chair Hunter Yurachek explains Indiana is 5‑1 against quality teams, while Notre Dame has only two such games (1‑1). ESPN’s FPI lists Indiana’s strength of schedule at 31st versus Notre Dame’s 55th, and the strength‑of‑record metric places IU at No. 4 and the Irish at No. 13. Notre Dame must defeat No. 1 Miami this weekend for a signature win, while IU (8‑1) faces No. 20 USC next week, with a second loss endangering its CFP hopes.
The inaugural College Football Playoff rankings for 2026 put No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Georgia atop a list dominated by the SEC, which snagged five top‑10 spots and half of all top‑25 slots. The Big Ten only managed Indiana (4) and UCLA (8), while the Big 12 placed Utah (3) and BYU (9) ahead of Notre Dame, which falls to No. 11 and faces a make‑or‑break game against Miami. Critics highlight puzzling gaps: unbeaten UCLA sits below two‑loss SEC teams, Alabama (5) leaps ahead of Tennessee despite a head‑to‑head loss, and Indiana outranks Ohio State. The bottom tier includes three‑loss Oregon, sparking talk of a possible 9‑3 at‑large bid.
Notre Dame, sitting at 7‑1 and No. 4 in the AP poll, drops to No. 11 in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings, according to CFP chair Hunter Yurachek. Yurachek cites the Irish’s weak resume—only one win against a .500+ opponent and a 28‑24 loss to BYU—as the reason they missed the top ten. With a 35‑13 win over Navy, Notre Dame now faces a pivotal primetime home game against No. 1 Miami, the sole remaining ranked opponent on their schedule, to improve their playoff chances.
Ohio State drops to No. 12 in the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings after a 30-18 loss to USC, leaving the Buckeyes at 6-2 and on the fringe of a playoff spot. With Boise State poised to take the final berth, OSU must win its remaining four games—including a home showdown with No. 23 Oregon—to secure a 10-2 record and a CFP ticket. The team sits just behind Notre Dame (No. 11) and ahead of Tennessee, LSU, and Texas Tech, while the Big Ten fields six ranked teams. A fourth straight win could lock the Buckeyes in, but another loss likely ends their championship hopes.
Notre Dame faces a must-win test, Alabama has room to stumble and Ohio State is on the outside looking in after the committee’s first rankings
Week 10 of the 2026 college football season delivers a marquee Saturday night showdown as Miami faces Notre Dame on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET, called by Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge. ABC rolls out a strong early slate with the BYU‑Utah ‘Holy War’ (Dave Pasch/Dusty Dvoracek) and a classic SEC clash as No. 5 Alabama meets No. 14 LSU in Baton Rouge (Chris Fowler/Kirk Herbstreit). The ABC triple‑header caps with Georgia vs. Ole Miss (Sean McDonough/Greg McElroy). The schedule also lists weekday games across ESPN, Fox, CBS Sports Network and streaming platforms, detailing announcer pairings for each matchup. This comprehensive announcer guide helps fans know who’s on‑air for every game.
The first College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday, and naturally, there were a few decisions to be explained by the committee.
The first College Football Playoff rankings for 2026 place Alabama at No. 5, making it the highest‑ranked two‑loss team and ahead of one‑loss squads like Kentucky and Notre Dame. Miami tops the list, followed by Georgia and Utah. The committee cited Alabama’s “signature wins” over Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi State as key factors, while Tennessee slipped despite a head‑to‑head victory. Alabama now sits with a straight path to the playoffs if it wins out, and Fanduel lists the Tide as the fourth‑best playoff prospect at -360 odds. The rankings also spark debate over UCLA’s low placement and Georgia’s loss to Auburn.
The College Football Playoff committee releases its first 2026 Top‑25, placing BYU at No. 9—two spots below its AP ranking—while Utah sits at No. 3, setting up a high‑stakes showdown this weekend. Notre Dame drops to No. 11, reflecting the committee’s view on its lack of top‑25 wins. BYU’s recent victories over Arizona and Notre Dame keep its CFP hopes alive; a win at Utah could secure an at‑large bid, whereas a loss would jeopardize both the Big 12 title race and CFP positioning. FanDuel lists BYU at +160, the 14th‑best odds for a playoff spot.
The College Football Playoff releases its first 2026 rankings on November 3, placing Notre Dame at #11—a surprise dip for the Irish. The team must finish the season ranked #12 or higher to secure a spot in the final 12‑team playoff, and a loss in their upcoming Saturday game could jeopardize that chance. Odds from FanDuel list the Irish at -340 to make the playoff and +500 to win the national title. With the 12‑team format concluding this year, the Irish’s position remains precarious as the season unfolds.
The inaugural College Football Playoff rankings drop Alabama surprisingly at No. 5 despite a 6‑2 record, while Notre Dame slips to No. 11 even though it’s 7‑1. Miami (FL) leads at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Utah, and Indiana. Ohio State falls after a second loss to USC, and Texas and UCLA also land in the top ten. The committee’s choices spark debate ahead of Week 10’s slate of seven ranked matchups, including Ohio State vs. Oregon and Notre Dame vs. Miami.
Indiana University football lands a No. 4 spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, joining Miami (FL), Georgia and Utah in the top three. The 12-team playoff field—now featuring Indiana ahead of Alabama, Kentucky, Texas and others—will be finalized later in the season. This breakthrough ranking underscores Hoosiers’ surge and sets the stage for a potential playoff run.
Brian Kelly signals interest in the vacant Florida State head‑coaching job, stating it would be “an honor” to return to a program where he has history. The Seminoles, who fired Mike Norvell after a 10‑22 stretch post‑2023 CFP miss, are the ACC’s most high‑profile opening. Kelly, fresh off a 29‑10 record in his first three seasons at LSU and seven double‑digit win campaigns at Notre Dame, sees the ACC as a more navigable path to the College Football Playoff. Florida State faces Boston College in Week 10.
The old math doesn’t give us many surprises, but produces a dream matchup and gives UCLA a top-4 seed.
Week 9 saw several AP Top 25 teams stumble—Miami edged a win, Ohio State fell without QB Julian Sayin, and Indiana needed OT thanks to Charlie Becker—while Georgia, Notre Dame and others cruised. The article then spotlights three college players who could bolster Washington’s Commanders: SMU’s 6‑foot, 195‑lb redshirt senior QB Kevin Jennings, who tossed 352 yards and two TDs despite a loss to Syracuse and shows quick release and accuracy; Cincinnati RB Cole Tabb, a 5‑8, 200‑lb bursty back with 131 yards and a TD against Utah and elite speed; and Wake Forest WR Carlos Hernandez, a 6‑foot, 190‑lb reliable hands man leading a strong Wake Forest offense. The piece invites fan input on these prospects.
Former LSU and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly reveals his personal Top 12 college football teams ahead of the CFP committee’s first poll. He crowns Miami (FL) as No. 1, places Georgia at No. 2 and Utah third, while ranking UCLA seventh behind two‑loss Ole Miss. Kelly includes five SEC schools (including Ole Miss, LSU, Texas, Kentucky and Indiana is omitted) and three Big 12 teams (Utah, BYU, Texas Tech), with Ohio State as his sole Big Ten pick. The official CFP Top 25 drops tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Wisconsin’s 2026 football season shows stark offensive inconsistency. The Badgers explode with 54 points against Eastern Michigan and 31 versus Michigan State, but stall against top defenses, suffering a 41‑13 loss to Notre Dame, a 17‑7 win over UCLA, and a 30‑0 shutout at Iowa. Averaging 23.6 points and 318.3 total yards per game, they rank 127th nationally, while their defense keeps them competitive, holding USC to –18 rushing yards and winning close games like a 24‑20 upset over Penn State. The piece argues the Badgers must develop a reliable offense to complement their strong defense before Big Ten play intensifies.
The ACC Power Rankings after Week 9 place unbeaten Miami (8‑0, 6‑0 ACC) atop the conference following a 38‑35 thriller over North Carolina, with a marquee clash at Notre Dame next. Wake Forest sits second (7‑1, 5‑1) after a dominant 51‑7 win over Virginia, while SMU and Virginia Tech tie for third at 6‑2 each, heading into a Friday showdown. Louisville (5‑3) and Duke (6‑2) round out the top six, each facing tough road games. The list drops to Pitt, Syracuse, North Carolina, Clemson, and others, highlighting surprise results like Syracuse’s 30‑27 win over SMU and Clemson’s 36‑24 victory over Florida State. The rankings set the stage for rivalry week and the race to the College Football Playoff.
College football’s biggest showdown lands Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 PM EST on NBC: No. 4 Notre Dame hosts No. 1 Miami at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. The Fighting Irish honor Lou Holtz with former captains serving as flag presenters and a halftime tribute, while FanDuel lists Notre Dame as a 5.5‑point favorite and the game’s over/under at 57.5 points. This primetime matchup will heavily influence the first playoff rankings released Tuesday.