The second College Football Playoff rankings are out, and believe me, they gave us *plenty* to talk about. How about this for an absolute head-scratcher: Indiana just dropped five spots, going from No. 4 all the way to No. 9, and guess what? They did it on their off week! You can’t make this stuff up. That has to sting when you are watching from the couch.
Who’s Shaking Up the Top 25 Already?
Georgia still sits at the top of the CFP Top 25, a spot they earned after Notre Dame took down Miami. Speaking of Miami, that loss sent them tumbling six spots, a brutal hit for sure. But the real stunner was Indiana’s fall without even playing. Now, their upcoming game against USC, currently at No. 18, just got a whole lot more consequential, didn’t it?
We saw some Friday night action that kept things interesting too. No. 4 UCLA picked up a gritty 22-14 win over Illinois to stay undefeated. Huge sigh of relief there, especially after quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, already stepping in for the injured Nico Iamaleava, had a major injury scare. Over in Boulder, Colorado pulled off a massive upset, taking down No. 14 Houston. That loss absolutely dealt a blow to the Big 12’s hopes of getting multiple teams into that 12-team playoff field. Ouch.
ACC Sends a Message, Key Matchups Ahead
Saturday’s early games saw the ACC take center stage, and they did not disappoint. Miami bounced back from that Notre Dame loss, beating Duke 36-25, showing they are not out of it yet. But the real showstopper? Wake Forest. They didn’t just win against SMU, they absolutely *slapped* them with a 49-7 victory. If that doesn’t send a message to the CFP committee, I don’t know what will. It is time to take those Demon Deacons seriously!
Looking ahead, several other games this weekend are going to play a major role in how these rankings shake out on Tuesday. We have No. 2 Utah facing No. 23 Arizona in a huge Big 12 showdown. Can the Utes avoid a letdown after their big Holy War win? Then there’s the SEC battle of Texas-LSU, with Lane Kiffin getting his night game at Death Valley. Will the Longhorns put the Tigers’ playoff hopes to bed? Every snap matters right now.
Here’s a quick look at where things stand right now in the projected Week 11 rankings:
- Georgia (8-1) , vs. Missouri
- Utah (9-0) , at Arizona
- Alabama (8-2) , beat Vanderbilt, 21-6
- UCLA (10-0) , beat Illinois, 22-14, Friday
- Notre Dame (8-1) , vs. Boston College
- Texas (7-2) , at LSU
- Miami (9-1) , beat Duke, 36-25
- Tennessee (7-2) , at Texas A&M
- Indiana (8-1) , vs. USC
- BYU (7-2) , vs. Baylor
- Wake Forest (9-1) , beat SMU, 49-7 ⬆️ 2
- Kentucky (7-2) , vs. Florida ⬇️ 1
- Texas Tech (8-1) , at Oklahoma State ⬇️ 1
- Iowa (7-2) , vs. Purdue ⬆️ 1
- Oregon (6-3) , vs. Michigan ⬆️ 1
- South Carolina (6-3) , at Arkansas ⬆️ 1
- USC (7-2) , at Indiana ⬆️ 1
- Ohio State (7-3) , beat Northwestern, 28-19 ⬆️ 2
- Ole Miss (6-3) , at Oklahoma, Sunday
- LSU (6-3) , vs. Texas ⬆️ 1
- Missouri (6-3) , at Georgia ⬆️ 1
- Arizona (7-2) , vs. Utah ⬆️ 1
- Boise State (8-1) , vs. Oregon State ⬆️ 1
- Oklahoma State (6-3) , vs. Texas Tech ⬆️ 1
- New Mexico (8-1) , vs. UNLV ⬆️ NR
Houston, unfortunately, dropped out of the rankings entirely after their loss to Colorado. That’s a tough pill to swallow.
What’s Next: Tuesday’s Reveal
We do not have to wait long to see how all this weekend’s action shuffles the deck. The next official CFP rankings of the 2026 season are set to drop on Tuesday, November 17, at 9 p.m. ET. You know I will be glued to the screen to see if Wake Forest gets the respect they earned and if Indiana can start climbing back. It’s going to be wild, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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