Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the College Football Playoff Rankings This Week?

Pollsters have been split as to who deserves to be the No. 1 team in the college football rankings, with four teams having earned that honor already so far in 2026.

Now, as the College Football Playoff selection committee prepares to meet for the first time and reveal their inaugural rankings, could they have a change in mind, too?

Do the Hurricanes deserve the No. 1 ranking?

Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the First College Football Playoff Rankings? — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Losses by Ohio State to Texas, then Texas to Oklahoma, then Georgia to Auburn, eventually paved the way for Miami to take over the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll.

But will that translate to the top spot in the College Football Playoff committee room?

They could argue that being undefeated and a big brand doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the best team in college football.

Key arguments would be Miami’s relatively weak schedule, a resume that lacks high-end tests and marquee wins, with just one against a ranked opponent in Wake Forest.

The Hurricanes have frequently played down to the level of their competition, needing double overtime to beat a struggling Florida State and a late fourth quarter rally to edge out North Carolina.

The committee will also likely bring up Miami’s defensive vulnerabilities. While this offense can outscore just about anybody, their defense has shown major cracks.

A banged up secondary and recurring lapses have allowed inferior opponents to stay competitive.

Georgia has a case for No. 1

Looking over a field where just about everyone looks beatable, the reigning SEC champion still comes out of the confusion looking like the most consistent team in the country.

But even the Bulldogs have their own puzzling loss, at home to unranked Auburn, which came a week after a performance the selectors may consider the best of any team this season, going on the road to beat Alabama.

That gives them an edge over Kentucky, which is tied for first place with Georgia atop the SEC standings, but their one loss was an ugly one to that Crimson Tide team that the Bulldogs beat.

What about the undefeated Big 12 contender?

Could we be in for a big surprise at the top of the first rankings? Utah moved to 8-0 with a convincing win against Cincinnati and jumped to No. 3 in the latest AP rankings.

The Utes own the nation’s longest win streak at 14 games and sit in first place in the Big 12, with seemingly a straight line to a conference championship. Will that be enough to sway the selectors to do something radical at the top of the poll?

Who gets the No. 1 ranking?

Ultimately, the selection committee will almost certainly concur with the AP voters.

Not having a loss will mean more to them than having a better win combined with a loss, and that gives Miami the clinching advantage over Georgia.

That could end up being good news for Notre Dame, which hosts the Hurricanes this week. If they can win that game, the Irish could argue they have the best victory in the country and save their playoff hopes.

More: Projecting the First College Football Playoff Rankings

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