The opening CFP rankings set 3 records
CFP rankings, Nov. 3, 2026
Key stats
- Notre Dame: #4 in the AP poll, #11 in the committee's ranking. The biggest gap ever for an AP top-5 team.
- Alabama: #5 with two losses. No two-loss team had been ranked higher than #8 in the opening rankings.
- SEC: 10 teams in the top 25, the most in any CFP ranking.
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A record day for the SEC
Every team the committee dropped below its AP spot is outside the SEC, and at least one SEC team jumped each one.
- The committee ranked 10 SEC teams, the most for any conference in any CFP ranking.
- SEC teams sit a combined 19 spots higher than in the AP poll. That's also a record for any CFP ranking.
- 9 SEC teams moved up. Georgia held at #2, and none moved down.
Notre Dame's slide
Notre Dame was #4 in the AP poll and #11 in the committee's ranking. Four of the 7 teams that passed it are in the SEC: Alabama, Kentucky, Texas and Ole Miss. BYU, which beat Notre Dame 28-24 on Oct. 17, also passed it.
Alabama's two-loss record
Texas (6-2) at #7 also beats Wisconsin's old mark of #8. Alabama's two losses came against #2 Georgia and #13 Tennessee.
The data
Data for chart
The 10 SEC teams
| Team | CFP | AP | Moved | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | #2 | #2 | Same | 7-1 |
| Alabama | #5 | #9 | ▲4 | 6-2 |
| Kentucky | #6 | #8 | ▲2 | 7-1 |
| Texas | #7 | #10 | ▲3 | 6-2 |
| Ole Miss | #10 | #12 | ▲2 | 6-2 |
| Tennessee | #13 | #16 | ▲3 | 6-2 |
| LSU | #14 | #15 | ▲1 | 6-2 |
| Missouri | #18 | #19 | ▲1 | 6-2 |
| South Carolina | #21 | #23 | ▲2 | 5-3 |
| Florida | #24 | #25 | ▲1 | 5-3 |
| Total | ▲19 | |||
Teams the committee ranked lower than the AP
| Team | CFP | AP | Moved | SEC teams that passed them |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | #8 | #5 | ▼3 | Alabama, Kentucky, Texas |
| BYU | #9 | #7 | ▼2 | Alabama, Kentucky, Texas |
| Notre Dame | #11 | #4 | ▼7 | Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Ole Miss |
| Ohio State | #12 | #11 | ▼1 | Ole Miss |
| Texas Tech | #15 | #13 | ▼2 | Tennessee, LSU |
| Wake Forest | #16 | #14 | ▼2 | Tennessee, LSU |
| USC | #20 | #18 | ▼2 | Missouri |
| Boise State | #25 | #20 | ▼5 | South Carolina, Florida |
CFP is the committee's rank. Moved is the AP rank minus the committee rank. Both lists count games through Oct. 31. Two teams made only one list: New Mexico (#22 AP, not in the committee's top 25) and Oregon (#23 committee, unranked in the AP poll). Sources: committee rankings, AP poll, Week 10 (ESPN).
Source: College Football Playoff committee rankings, Nov. 3, 2026, vs. the AP poll of Nov. 1. Compared with all 72 CFP rankings from 2014 to 2025.
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