They’re all that really matters.
They’re the College Football Playoff rankings, and after all the regular season and conference championship fun is over – with the bizarre exception of Army vs Navy, which happens a week after the bowls and CFP are set – did your team finish high enough in the top 25?
Along with our predicted final College Football Playoff rankings (scroll down for the full Top 25), here’s where each of the 138 teams stands in the race coming into the season.
26 for ’26, No. 2: 2026-2027 College Football Playoff Rankings Predictions
Group of Six Teams That Need a Miracle
All 138 FBS college football teams have some sort of a chance to make the CFP. For these programs from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt, they all need to be close to perfect.
They also need to be far, far better than projected. That includes UConn, an independent team that (almost certainly) won’t go unbeaten.
Last 5 26 for 2026: 7. Teams About to Surprise, 6. 10 New Superstars, 5. Top Quarterback Battles, 4. Top 26 Transfers, 3. Heisman Watch List
Advertisement
American
Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, Temple, Tulsa, UAB
Conference USA
Delaware, FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, WKU
MAC
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio, Sacramento State, Toledo, UMass
Mountain West
Air Force, Nevada, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, UTEP, Wyoming
Pac-12
Colorado State, Oregon State, Texas State, Utah State, Washington State
Sun Belt
App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, ULM
Advertisement
Group of Six Teams With a Real Shot
The highest-ranked Group of Six conference champion in the final College Football Playoff rankings is automatically in. These teams are all good enough to not just win their respective conference titles, but also be deep in the mix for that CFP spot.
American
Army, East Carolina, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA
Conference USA
No Conference USA teams are projected to be good enough to be in the College Football Playoff mix.
MAC
Miami University, Western Michigan
Mountain West
Pac-12
Sun Belt
The top Sun Belt team is projected to be in the final College Football Playoff Top 25. No team other than James Madison is predicted to be close.
Advertisement
Power Four Programs Unlikely to Reach the CFP
To get into the College Football Playoff as a Power Four program, you need to either win your conference title or (realistically) go at least 10-2. Anything is possible, but … these teams (probably) aren’t winning more than nine games.
ACC
Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Big Ten
Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
Big 12
Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, UCF, West Virginia
SEC
Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State
Advertisement
Power Four Programs With a Shot
These teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC will have great seasons and need several breaks and the right mix of good fortune and timely wins to be in the mix.
ACC
Cal, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, Pitt, SMU, Virginia
Big Ten
Big 12
SEC
Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Preseason Prediction of the Final 2026 College Football Playoff Top 25
Our preseason prediction for what the final College Football Playoff rankings will be – along with how we think each team will get there.
Advertisement
1. Ohio State (13-0*)
The Buckeyes, even with the murderous schedule, rip through it, win the Big Ten title, and are the easy No. 1 seed.
2. Georgia (12-1*)
There’s a loss along the way, but another year, another SEC Championship.
3. Notre Dame (11-1)
The loss to BYU is blown off thanks to a win over Miami to get the Irish the third spot.
4. Miami (11-2*)
Winning the ACC Championship for the first time might not carry too much weight overall, but the loss at Notre Dame will be acceptable enough to get the top four spot.
5. Texas Tech (11-2*)
The Red Raider schedule won’t be good enough to earn a top-four spot, but a win over BYU for the Big 12 Championship earns the top five spot.
Advertisement
6. Indiana (10-3)
It might not be the dominant season of 2025, but the Hoosiers are great again, and two losses to Ohio State are enough to get the respect of a ranking this high.
7. BYU (11-2)
A win over Notre Dame put the Cougars in a position for a top three spot, but a loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship will end that.
8. Oregon (10-2)
Missing out on playing for the Big Ten title keeps the Ducks out of a top ranking, but they at least get a first round home game.
9. Texas (10-3)
Losing to Georgia for the SEC Championship hurts, but a win over Oklahoma puts it easily into the top ten.
10. Oklahoma (10-2)
Like last year, the Sooners will look like they’re in big trouble, and then comes the winning run to close out the season. They end up behind Texas in the head-to-head loss.
Advertisement
11. LSU (10-2)
The last of the projected Power Four ten-win teams, Lane Kiffin’s Tigers get the coveted 11th spot as the last at-large option to get in.
12. Michigan (9-3)
The Wolverines will go into the Ohio State game with a shot to get into the top 11 with a win, but a loss puts them in the most unfortunate ranking in sports – the 12 in the final CFP rankings. They’ll get shoved out by the top Group of Six champion.
13. Utah (10-2)
Another year with a 10-2 record, and another year without a spot in the CFP. It’ll be a timing thing with the losses coming in November against BYU and at Arizona.
Advertisement
14. USC (9-3)
A win over Oregon helps push the Trojans high into the mix, but with three losses to Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State, they won’t come all that close to the top 11.
15. Texas A&M (9-3)
Deep in the College Football Playoff hunt almost all season long, losses at Oklahoma and against Texas in the final two games will end the fun.
16. Alabama (9-3)
A great start will provide hope, but a rough midsection – with losses to Georgia ftp, Texas A&M, and LSU – will keep the Tide out.
17. Penn State (9-3)
It’ll be a good first year under Matt Campbell, and some will want the Nittany Lions higher with a win over USC, but a tough loss at Northwestern will drag down the final ranking.
Advertisement
18. Kansas State (9-3)
The overall lack of respect for the Big 12 will prove costly, but the Wildcats will be high in the first few rounds of the rankings. Late-season losses at TCU and Iowa State will be a killer.
19. Arizona (9-3)
A pure head-to-head ranking, Arizona slides in behind Kansas State after a loss in the second-to-last game of the season.
20. Houston (9-3)
There won’t be enough impressive wins to get too much higher than this, but a 4-0 November will be enough to get the Cougars into the top 20.
21. Boise State (10-3*)
(Full disclosure, we’ve been waffling with this call all offseason.) The Broncos will lose early on to Oregon and will drop a few Pac-12 games in the middle of the season, but a late five-game winning streak and a conference title will get them just ahead of the other top Group of Six champs – but barely.
Advertisement
22. Hawaii (10-3*)
Will the Pac-12 or Mountain West be seen as a stronger conference? It will be a massive debate. Even with a six-game winning streak and a Mountain West title, the Rainbow Warriors will slide in just behind the Pac-12 champ.
23. Navy (9-3*)
At Air Force. Navy will lose in Colorado Springs in early October, and that will be just enough for the metrics and committee to give the Mountain West a little more respect than the American. Making this super-funky is that Navy will be 9-3 with a conference championship when the CFP rankings are released, and it’ll still have the Army game to play.
Advertisement
24. James Madison (11-2*)
The Dukes will have the best record of all the Group of Six champions, but there won’t be any wins over a Power Four team. A loss at San Diego State will only boost the Pac-12’s strength, and a loss to any Sun Belt team will be among the worst of any of the Group of Six champs.
25. Ole Miss (8-4)
There will be a whole slew of 8-4 Power Four programs close to the final College Football Playoff Top 25. Out of the bunch, the Rebels will have the strongest collection of wins.
26 for 2026
26: Winningest Programs Yet To Make the CFP
25: ACC Key Questions
24: Big 12 Key Questions
23: Big Ten Key Questions
22: Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects
21: SEC Key Questions
20: What’s Next in Realignment?
19. Ranking all 30 New Head Coaches
18. Who Has the Easiest Schedules?
17. Who Has the Hardest Schedules?
16. Who Might Be the Next Indiana?
15. Group of Six Teams with Best CFP Shot
14. 5 Teams Due For a Letdown
13. 5 Programs Under the Most Pressure
12. 26 Bold Predictions
11. 5 Teams We’re Disrespecting
10. 5 Hottest Head Coaching Prospects
9. Biggest Games of the Season
8. Coaches On Hot Seat
