3 College Football Powerhouses Facing Potential CFP Elimination With Week 10 Losses

Coming into the final month of the 2026 college football regular season, and with the selection committee already delivering an early verdict on who is a contender and who is a pretender, a few teams come into Week 10 facing potential elimination scenarios.

The release of the first College Football Playoff rankings has set the stage for a possibly explosive Saturday of games. Several brand-name programs are sitting on the bubble, and this weekend’s results could drastically reshape the national picture once again.

Which teams are on the verge of elimination coming into Saturday?

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

3 College Football Powerhouses Facing Potential CFP Elimination With Week 10 Losses — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This weekend: Hosts No. 1 Miami.

The situation: Despite being ranked No. 4 in the AP poll, the committee handed the one-loss Irish a wake-up call by ranking them No. 11. Because they’re independent and can’t win a conference title auto-bid or first-round bye, Notre Dame basically has no margin for error.

If they win: Then the Irish would solidify their status in the top dozen and secure arguably the highest-profile win in the country by beating the No. 1 team in the rankings. The good news? That became more likely as Miami’s top wideout Malachi Toney won’t be on the field with a new ankle injury.

If they lose: Their playoff hopes would be essentially finished. A second loss, combined with a loss to ranked BYU, combined with an unchallenging past and future schedule, leaves them with basically no way to climb back the committee’s board.

Ohio State Buckeyes

This weekend: Hosts No. 23 Oregon.

The situation: The preseason No. 1 got dumped to No. 12 by the committee after a loss at USC amid an injury-induced quarterback change. That puts the Buckeyes as the projected first team out as of right now, as G6 rep Boise State would take the 12 seed.

If they win: Thanks to Oregon’s own late-season resurgence, getting a place in the selectors’ first poll, the Buckeyes would bounce back immediately. A quality win puts them at around 80 percent likelihood of making the final dozen.

If they lose: Those playoff chances plunge to about 35 percent. A third loss in early November is historically costly for any at-large safety net. Especially for a team that is technically out of the bracket going in.

LSU Tigers

This weekend: Hosts No. 5 Alabama.

The situation: The committee does not regard the Tigers as a playoff team, placing them at No. 14 in the initial rankings. Clearly, the selectors are not fond of this team’s resume, nor its 0-2 record against CFP ranked opponents (Ole Miss, Kentucky).

If they win: Given how fond the committee is of Alabama, a win over them would immediately constitute an argument that LSU belongs in the top dozen. Especially given their remaining schedule ranks as the third-toughest in the country.

If they lose: It’s not out of the picture a three-loss SEC team makes the field, and the selectors would regard LSU’s losses as being of high quality. But any lingering chance they have would depend on also beating Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas to close out with no mistakes.

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