After the first few games on Conference Championship Weekend, it seemed like we’d get all chalk outcomes with the last spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings coming down to Miami versus Notre Dame while Ohio State held the No. 1 seed. Then, things got interesting.
The Indiana Hoosiers pulled off the stunner, beating the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten Championship Game. Meanwhile, in the ACC Championship Game, Virginia needed a game-tying drive in the final seconds just to take five-loss Duke to overtime. Then, Duke delivered the chaos that most of the college football world had begged the football gods for.
Let’s dive into our projected College Football Playoff rankings after Conference Championship Weekend. At the end, we’ve included what the potential first round College Football Playoff matchups will be.
1. Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the Big Ten Champions, the only undefeated team in college football and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Curt Cignetti is a miracle worker. The transformation this program has undergone in just a few short years is unmatched in the history of sports. Indiana is the best team in college football right now and with the way both Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers are playing, they should be the favorite to win it all.
Related: Winners, Losers from Big Ten Championship Game
2. Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs didn’t just beat Alabama, they took the Crimson Tide behind the proverbial woodshed and thrashed them. This game meant a lot to Kirby Smart and his entire team showed that in the SEC Championship Game, especially the defense (-3 rushing yards by Alabama). The Bulldogs have earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and their defense has been a leading force in the second half of the season, all the while the rushing attack is improving.
Related: Winners, Losers from SEC Championship Game
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Maybe Ryan Day believes the Ohio State Buckeyes have to lose a game during the season to go undefeated during the College Football Playoff. That, or Brian Hartline being a little too focused on his new head-coaching job, would help explain how bad the Buckeyes offense looked in the Big Ten Championship Game. This is still likely the second-best team in college football on paper, but the issues that Ohio State’s offensive line had on Saturday raise some concerns about a playoff matchup versus Texas Tech, Indiana, or Georgia.
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders left no doubt about who was the best team in the Big 12 Conference this season. In two matchups against BYU, at home and on neutral ground, Texas Tech outscored BYU 63-14, with its defense often looking like a top-five unit in the entire nation. Texas Tech has earned that first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, and we’re excited to see this defense against even better competition in the second round of the College Football Playoff. Don’t sleep on the Red Raiders, who became just the third FBS team—2018 Alabama Crimson Tide and 2013 Florida State Seminoles—to win 12 games by 20-plus points and the conference championship game.
Related: Winners, Losers from Big 12 Championship Game
5. Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks will be the highest-ranked ‘wild card’ team in the College Football Playoff Rankings. Oregon’s only blemish this season is a home loss to Indiana, though that did come after an emotional two-overtime victory at Penn State. It’s worth highlighting that the Ducks defense allowed just 14.5 points per game in its final six contests and Dante Moore looks like a quarterback who might be worth the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. As the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff bracket, Oregon will host James Madison.
Related: Dynasty Rookie Rankings 2026, including Pair of Oregon Stars
6. Ole Miss Rebels
It’s fair to say the Ole Miss Rebels’ players love new head coach Pete Golding, and there will be some continuity with the offense since Charlie Weis Jr. will be sticking around for the College Football Playoff. The question is how focused Weis will be on the job versus his new duties at LSU and whether or not this team is entirely focused after Lane Kiffin’s exit. The good news for Mississippi? Of note entering the first-round matchup, Ole Miss beat Tulane in a 45-10 dismantling in September.
Read More: Grading College Football Coaching Hires
7. Texas A&M Aggies
Kyle Field will be hosting a playoff game, with the Texas A&M Aggies earning the No. 7 seed this season. The real question is, just how good is Texas A&M? It does have a huge victory at Notre Dame, but that’s the only team in the top 25 college football rankings at the end of the season that the Aggies beat. As the N. 7 seed, we’ll either get a rematch between Texas A&M versus Notre Dame or the Aggies versus Alabama. Either way, a great first-round matchup.
Read More: 2026 NFL Mock Draft, including Texas Tech Star, including College Football Playoff Stars
8. Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners defense absolutely earned this playoff spot. In victories over Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, Oklahoma allowed just 18 points per game and it held eight opponents under 10 points this season. How far the Sooners can go all comes down to quarterback John Mateer can return to the caliber of quarterback we saw in September. If he can’t, losing in Normal feels very much on the table.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
If Alabama lost the SEC title game close, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish presumably aren’t in the College Football Playoff. Now? This is a two-loss team on a 10-game winning streak versus an Alabama program that lost twice in the last month and narrowly avoided an upset in the Iron Bowl. We’re excited to watch the Fighting Irish, because now we get to see C.J. Carr and Jeremiyah Love right as this offense is playing at its best. Don’t sleep on Notre Dame making a deep playoff run.
10. Alabam Crimson Tide
Deserve has nothing to do with it. The Alabama Crimson Tide got trounced in the SEC title game, picking up their third loss of the season and the second by two scores. Will the College Football Playoff committee drop them completely for competing in the conference championship game? It’s unlikely. Whatever odds there were of just that happening, with Miami taking Alabama’s place, was ended when Duke beat Virginia and provided the CFP committee with all the reason they needed to keep the ACC out entirely.
11. Tulane Green Wave
Are the Tulane Green Wave better than the Vanderbilt Commodores or Miami Hurricanes? No. In fact, the Green Wave would probably be a two-score underdog if matched up against either program. With that said, winning the American Conference with a 34-21 victory over North Texas locks Tulane into the College Football Playoff. Tulane will get blown out in the first round of the playoffs, but at least the team made it here.
12. James Madison Dukes
Technically, the Billy Napier era has begun with the James Madison Dukes making the College Football Playoff. Who would’ve ever predicted that JMU reached the 12-team playoff before the Florida Gators did. In all seriousness, the Dukes are the Sun Belt Champions and the College Football Playoff committee finally ranked them this past week. So, while Miami, Vanderbilt and even Duke are superior teams, it will be the conference champions at James Madison who get that playoff nod.
Projected College Football Playoff Matchups
Below is what the College Football Playoff bracket would look like if the committee has the aforementioned rankings.
- (1) Indiana Hoosiers – BYE
- (2) Georgia Bulldogs – BYE
- (3) Ohio State Buckeyes – BYE
- (4) Texas Tech Red Raiders – BYE
- (12) James Madison Dukes @ (5) Oregon Ducks
- (11) Tulane Green Wave @ (6) Ole Miss Rebels
- (10) Alabama Crimson Tide @ (7) Texas A&M Aggies
- (9) Notre Dame Crimson Tide @ (8) Oklahoma Sooners
