B/R's 2026 College Football Playoff Bracket Projections and Predictions after Week 5

The beauty of college football is usually also a cause of pain.

One week after Florida's statement win over Ole Miss, the Gators promptly lost at Missouri in a total blowout. Florida's ascent into the College Football Playoff picture was rapid, and its departure has been just as fast.

Upsets—from a neutral perspective, at least—are often the most entertaining part of the season. The unexpected results shift the CFP outlook in a hurry, too.

The projected bracket is a reflection of B/R's Top 25 dropped into the organization of the official CFP format.

One of the best stories this season has been Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor. Alabama, though, hit the brakes on that hype machine in a dominant road victory. Keelon Russell totaled 301 yards and four touchdowns, lifting the Tide to 5-0.

Didn't see that coming! What a difference one week makes. Florida rolled Ole Miss last Saturday but turned around and lost badly at Mizzou, which had just fallen to Mississippi State. Most impressively, the Tigers generated 11 tackles for loss and limited star UF back Jadan Baugh to 13 yards on 12 carries.

The record-setting run continues for Jeremiah Smith, who surpassed the program marks for career receptions and touchdowns in this win. He torched the Iowa secondary with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores.

1. Georgia 2. Texas 3. Notre Dame 4. Miami 5. Alabama 6. Indiana 7. Ohio State 8. BYU 9. LSU 10. Ole Miss 11. Utah 12. Missouri 13. Texas Tech 14. Florida 15. Tennessee 16. Duke 17. Mississippi State 18. UCLA 19. USC 20. Nebraska 21. Oklahoma State 22. Pitt 23. Iowa 24. Oregon 25. Boise State

Seeding is a reflection of how B/R's Top 25 would shape the bracket.

Power 4 Champions and Top Group of 6 Team

Miami is really good. Darian Mensah is a Heisman Trophy front-runner, Malachi Toney remains an incredible wide receiver and so on. Saturday's 41-13 demolition of Clemson was an impressive win.

Does anyone want to chase down the 'Canes?

Pitt is 5-0, but quarterback Mason Heintschel is now sidelined for the season due to a torn right ACL. Louisville picked up a valuable win over SMU, then immediately wasted that victory with losses to Wake Forest and NC State. Virginia looked awesome early but just fell 38-7 to a shaky Florida State team.

As of today, it appears Duke is Miami's top challenger. Still, the Blue Devils' best wins are against Tulane and Illinois—not exactly high-end competition.

Miami may lose. Don't crown the Hurricanes just yet.

But if this level of nonsense keeps up within the ACC, the rest of the league is only helping Miami's hopes of chasing a national title.

How about a matchup of 5-0 teams? You know, the typical storyline for a clash between IU and Nebraska. Indiana is a sizable favorite, but playing on the road adds a layer of unpredictability. Regardless, it's a huge opportunity for Nebraska in the fourth year of the Matt Rhule era.

Texas vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas) UCLA at Oregon

Thanks to Texas being a top-ranked team, the Red River rivalry is the headline game. However, the former Pac-8/10/12 tilt in Oregon is a potential breakout moment for UCLA. First-year coach Bob Chesney has orchestrated a 4-0 start, already surpassing the Bruins' three victories from 2025.

Kentucky just stormed back from a 17-0 deficit to clip South Carolina in overtime, jumping to 4-1 and setting up a showdown with LSU. But there's no question most eyeballs will be locked on the Top Five battle between UGA and Bama.