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Georgia has surged to the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings, while lower movement has completely reshaped the projected 12-team bracket. Alabama jumped to No. 3 following its victory over LSU, and UCLA climbed to No. 4, joining the Bulldogs and No. 2 Utah as the four projected top seeds with byes.
Notre Dame Surges After Win
Last week, Notre Dame sat as the 11-seed and final at-large team in the College Football Playoff rankings. Following a win over then-No. 1 Miami, the Fighting Irish jumped to No. 5 to project as a first-round host against 12-seed Boise State. That setup would lead toward a second-round matchup against No. 4 UCLA before potentially facing No. 1 Georgia.
Indiana Drops Despite Bye Week
Even though they did not play during a bye week, reigning national champion Indiana fell five spots to the No. 9 seed, tumbling from a first-round bye down to a position where they do not even host a playoff game. The Hoosiers have struggled in recent weeks, and their previous quality wins suffered additional losses to hurt their standing. Instead of a second straight first-round bye, Indiana faces a tough road game at Neyland Stadium against 8-seed Tennessee, with a potential second-round date against 1-seed Georgia.
Big 12 Positions for Postseason
The Big 12 rebounded strongly in the second batch of rankings after suffering in the initial release. Despite a loss to Utah, No. 10 BYU received credit for defeating a highly ranked Notre Dame squad, keeping them safely inside the rankings. Contingency plans remain strong for the conference as No. 12 Texas Tech sits just outside the bubble as the first team out, while No. 14 Houston remains within striking distance alongside No. 23 Arizona and No. 25 Oklahoma State. The Big 12 has not produced an at-large CFP team in the 12-team era, standing as the only Power Four league failing to do so.
Behind the top four seeds, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Miami, and No. 8 Tennessee are projected as the four first-round hosts, while No. 11 Kentucky stands as the final team currently inside the field.
