The second College Football Playoff rankings were revealed this week. The selection committee ranked its top 25 teams after the Week 11 action and will revisit its rankings on a weekly basis until the end of the regular season.
For the second year in a row, the CFP will include 12 teams, and with the way this season is shaping up there could be—and almost certainly will be—some newcomers making their debuts in the CFP. After the latest updated rankings from the CFP committee, let’s take a look at some teams that could be on the verge of making their first-ever playoff appearances.
Texas A&M
Somewhat surprisingly, the Aggies have never reached the playoff, despite their status as one of the premier college football programs in the nation. This season, they’re in great position to qualify. Texas A&M is 9–0 and received the No. 3 ranking by the CFP committee for the second straight week.
The team has key wins in big games against the likes of Notre Dame and LSU, and also took care of business against conference foes such as Florida and Auburn. They’re slated for their toughest test of the year when they face No. 10 Texas in their season finale. That’s a game that will undoubtedly have major implications on the CFP, but as it stands, the Aggies should cruise into the CFP, regardless of that result.
Ole Miss
Ole Miss is knocking on the door of its first CFP appearance in program history. Lane Kiffin’s squad took care of business against The Citadel on Saturday, winning in a 49–0 blowout to improve to 9–1 on the year.
Ole Miss has one of the best offenses in the country. It ranks fourth in the nation in yards per game (489.4) and the passing attack led by senior Trinidad Chambliss averages the eighth most yards per game (305.5). Its 37.5 points per game is also in the top-15 in the nation. This offense is built for the bright lights of the CFP, if it can punch its ticket.
Despite winning comfortably this weekend, Ole Miss was bumped down to No. 7 in the rankings, with Texas Tech moving to No. 6 after beating BYU. The Rebels close the season out with matchups against Florida and Mississippi State, and barring an upset in one of those games, the team will certainly be bound for the College Football Playoff. Then again, losses to unranked teams have plagued Ole Miss in previous seasons, and the team will need to ensure it doesn’t stumble at the finish line this year if they want to qualify.
BYU
A loss to Texas Tech wasn’t the end of the world for the Cougars. BYU received a favorable ranking in the CFP Top 25, sitting at No. 12, and is still very much alive in the race for a playoff spot. That said, they’re trending downwards and can’t afford another hiccup if they’re to remain in the mix.
Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has impressed all year, and he could have the program on the verge of its first-ever CFP appearance. After winning 11 games and still missing out last year, BYU is hoping to land on the more favorable side of the bubble this time around. To do so, they’ll need wins against TCU and No. 22 Cincinnati in the final two weeks of the season.
Miami
The Hurricanes still haven’t reached the College Football Playoff, but they have a chance to do so this year. Mario Cristobal’s team moved up to No. 15 in the latest CFP rankings, firmly on the bubble, and they’ll need to win out in order to be truly considered by the committee.
At 7–2, Miami has lost two of its last four games. They close out the season with matchups against NC State and Virginia Tech. It goes without saying that those are must-win games for the Canes, who are one loss away from being completely out of the mix.
Miami’s defense does a good job of keeping opponents off the scoreboard. Opposing teams average just 15.0 points against the Hurricanes, which is the 10th-best mark in the nation. They’ll lean on that unit, as well as quarterback Carson Beck, as they look to win big in their final two games this year.
Georgia Tech
Both Virginia and Louisville lost on Saturday, meaning suddenly, Georgia Tech stands as the ACC’s lone one-loss team. In terms of their position in the top 25, the Yellowjackets moved into No. 16, but they’re still behind Miami (No. 15) out of the ACC.
Georgia Tech has an immensely difficult final stretch of the season. The team is slated to play three games, and two of the three are against ranked opponents, including their finale against Georgia. It’s not too likely that the Yellowjackets win out, but if they’re able to stun the Bulldogs and defeat No. 23 Pittsburgh, they will have done enough to cement their place in the playoffs.
USC
USC is still in the hunt to potentially sneak their way into the CFP, which would be their first time ever in the CFP. They earned the No. 17 ranking after Week 11, sitting at 7–2 on the season and tied with Oregon at 5–1 in conference play. Lincoln Riley’s squad suffered losses against Notre Dame and a then-ranked Illinois team, but have earned impressive wins over the likes of Michigan and Nebraska.
They have more work to do if they want to move up into the top 12, and they’ll take on Iowa and Oregon in consecutive weeks. A win against the Ducks could certainly strengthen USC’s case to make the CFP, but leaving Autzen Stadium with a victory is easier said than done.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has cooled off for the Trojans a bit after a sensational start to the year, with four touchdowns and four interceptions in his last three games. But if he can re-discover the form he displayed previously, the high-flying USC offense that ranks second in yards per game in the nation (503.2 YPG) will be tough to stop.
Utah
The Utes didn’t play this past week, but they’re still very much in the running to represent the Big 12 in this year’s CFP. Last time they took the field, Utah dismantled a ranked Cincinnati team, and with BYU losing badly to Texas Tech, there is certainly an opportunity for the Utes to move up the rankings.
Utah’s offense, led by standout quarterback Devin Dampier and a multi-faceted rushing attack, scores the eighth-most points in the nation (39.6) and averages the third-most rushing yards in the country (267.1).
Of course, Utah lost to both Texas Tech and BYU earlier this year, but if they can close out the season on a high note against Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State, they will be on the bubble to crack the top 12. Utah is ranked at No. 13 in the latest poll, so now they just need to win out.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt has been one of the best stories of this college football season, led by quarterback Diego Pavia, who has become a fan favorite. The Commodores escaped with an overtime win with against Auburn to improve to 8–2 on the year and are now No. 14 in the CFP rankings.
They will not be playing this week, but resume action against Kentucky on Nov. 22 and close out the season with a crucial showdown against Tennessee. Winning both those games could be enough to put Vanderbilt into the CFP for the first time in program history.
One of the nation’s most high-powered offenses, Vanderbilt’s 38.3 points per game ranks 11th in the nation. They may not have the smothering defenses of other CFP hopefuls, but Pavia has been terrific, throwing for 21 touchdowns and five interceptions on the year.
There are some other teams that also have outside chances at sneaking into the CFP, including No. 19 Virginia, No. 20 Louisville, No. 24 South Florida, No. 22 Pitt, and No. 21 Iowa, but they’ll need to vault up the rankings in order to truly be in consideration.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eight Teams Who Could Make First CFP Appearance in 2026.
