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Deacons Daily

Reaction From Wake Forest's Place in First CFP Ranking

The Demon Deacons come in at 16 in the inital CFP rankings for the 2026 season
Justin Kontul|
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Detailed view of the CFP championship trophy on the sidelines during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Detailed view of the CFP championship trophy on the sidelines during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Wake Forest is officially featured in the first CFP rankings of the 2026 season. They come in at #16 overall despite having just a lone loss to the committee's number-one overall team and winning their past five games, with the last four being in especially dominant fashion.

They are just ahead of the Houston Cougars and Missouri Tigers and just below the Texas Tech Red Raiders and LSU Tigers. Wake is one of two ACC teams in the initial rankings, joined only by the Miami Hurricanes, who are the top overall team.

It is the first time Wake Forest has been featured in the CFP Rankings since the 2022 season. Their highest ranking ever in the CFP was back in 2021, when they started at nine in the initial CFP rankings release.

Background Info

In addition to their CFP ranking spot, the Deacs are ranked 14th in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. They did not move from their 14th-place spot in the AP Poll after last weekend's blowout victory over Virginia. This marks the fourth straight week that Wake has been featured in the AP Poll. The Deacs currently sit at 7-1 on the season, with their only loss coming at the hands of the #1 overall-ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Deacon Domination

Over the past four games, Wake has been blowing out ACC teams, with a dominant 187-31 scoring margin. They have put up 50-plus points twice during this span, and the last time Wake did that in a season was in 2018.

Wake Forest is the ninth-ranked overall team according to Pro Football Focus, with the sixth-most efficient passing game in the nation.

According to ESPN, Wake is the 11th-highest team in the Football Power Index with the seventh-most efficient offense. They also have the 11th-best Strength of Record, ahead of Notre Dame and BYU, and the 11th-highest Game Control Rating. The only thing dragging the Deacs' resume down is their modest 43rd Strength of Schedule, still ahead of BYU, Notre Dame, and Miami at the moment.

Overall, this ranking may be a bit lower than Deacon fans were hoping for, but it is worth mentioning that a path to the CFP is still right in front of this team. If Wake wins their remaining four games, they will be playing in the ACC Championship Game, likely a rematch against Miami. A win in this game would give the Deacs an automatic spot in the playoff.

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Justin Kontul
JUSTIN KONTUL

Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.

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