Two-loss Alabama ranks fifth despite a good portion of the nation watching Tennessee pound the Crimson Tide not too long ago. Notre Dame is seven spots below where it ranks in the AP poll and really better beat Miami this weekend. And of course, the College Football Playoff committee is once again refusing to watch the Group of 6. Or Wake Forest. My goodness, watch Wake Forest.
The first CFP rankings of the 2026 season are out, and there are plenty of surprises and sources of epic frustration. Then again, none of this matters much because, of the 25 teams on this list, at least 24 will either fall short of a CFP berth or fall short in the playoff.