The College Football Playoff selection committee is set to unveil its second rankings of the season on Tuesday night, a moment that will provide crucial insight into how the group evaluates blowout losses. The primary focus will be on Kentucky and Ole Miss, both of which were ranked in the top 10 last week but suffered defeats of 28 points or more on Saturday. While the magnitude of the losses is concerning, both teams played against high-quality opponents, with Kentucky falling to No. 2 Georgia and Ole Miss losing to No. 13 Tennessee.
Both the Wildcats and the Rebels are expected to drop in the standings, but the extent of their decline remains a major point of discussion. Kentucky, which holds two wins over top 25 opponents against LSU and South Carolina, maintains a strong standing in strength of record and schedule. These metrics suggest the team should remain in the 12 team field, particularly given the committee's favorable view of the SEC this season. However, a fall outside the top 12 would leave little room for error in a schedule that still includes games against Florida, Missouri, and Louisville.
Ole Miss finds itself in a more precarious position. Although the team has two impressive victories over top 25 opponents, its recent losses are damaging to its playoff resume. The 42-7 defeat to Georgia, combined with an earlier 52-28 loss to Florida, has significantly hurt the Rebels' prospects. If the committee places Ole Miss behind teams like Iowa, USC, and Oregon, its chances of making the playoff will likely be over. CBS Sports' forecasting model currently gives Ole Miss only a 10.3% chance of securing a spot.
Georgia has moved into the No. 1 position following Miami's loss over the weekend. The Bulldogs delivered one of the most impressive performances of the 2026 season by easily handling Ole Miss. Utah holds the No. 2 spot after a 28-20 victory over in-state rival BYU, while Alabama rises to No. 3 with a road win over LSU. Alabama's resume is bolstered by three victories against top 25 teams, including a win over Kentucky.
The race for the remaining top spots is tight. Indiana, which did not play last weekend, sits at No. 4 despite eight of its nine Big Ten opponents losing. Notre Dame has climbed to No. 5 after a resume building win over Miami, while Texas holds the No. 6 position with a strong record of ranked wins. Miami drops to No. 7, and undefeated UCLA is ranked No. 8, though the Bruins have a weak strength of schedule. Tennessee, which crushed Kentucky 34-6, is ranked No. 9, followed by Kentucky at No. 10.
BYU is placed at No. 11, edging out Texas Tech, which sits at No. 12. The committee is likely to weigh BYU's win over Notre Dame heavily, despite a loss to UCF. Wake Forest moves up to No. 13 due to losses by teams above it. Houston and Iowa round out the top 16 at Nos. 15 and 16, respectively, with both teams holding playoff odds above 19%. The bottom of the top 25 includes Oregon, USC, South Carolina, Ohio State, Arizona, LSU, Boise State, Missouri, and Illinois.
The projected playoff bracket features first round games on December 18 and 19, with Boise State visiting Notre Dame, BYU facing Texas, Kentucky playing Miami, and Tennessee taking on UCLA. Quarterfinals are scheduled for December 30 and January 1 in Glendale, Arizona, Atlanta, Arlington, Texas, and Pasadena, California. Georgia is set to face the winner of the Tennessee UCLA matchup, while Utah will play the winner of the Miami Kentucky game.
