B/R's 2026 College Football Playoff Bracket Projections and Predictions after Week 10

As the calendar flipped to November, the College Football Playoff outlook was a mess. Only three unbeaten teams remained, and at least half of the Top 25 already had two of three losses.

Week 10 offered a bit of much-needed separation.

Unfortunately for several programs—Ohio State and LSU, for example—that meant a tumble in their CFP aspirations. Utah, Notre Dame and Georgia, on other hand, secured signature wins for their respective résumés.

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

It came down to the final seconds, but Utah survived a nail-biter in the Holy War. Devon Dampier threw for 177 yards, rushed for 89 and totaled four touchdowns, while the defense nabbed four interceptions to keep Utah unbeaten at 9-0 and rolling toward a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Texas 34, Missouri 20 Oregon 41, Ohio State 28 Alabama 31, LSU 13

On the other hand, the losers in these matchups dipped to 6-3. Missouri, Ohio State and LSU desperately need another round of chaos in order to have a chance at back-dooring their way into the CFP. Texas and Alabama will remain in Playoff position as Oregon perhaps creeps into the Top 20.

Georgia 42, Ole Miss 7 Notre Dame 31, Miami 24

So much for a prime-time showdown in Oxford, huh? Georgia roared out to a 35-0 lead—on the road, no less—and cruised to a win at Ole Miss. Miami, which recovered from a 21-point deficit at Notre Dame and nearly tied the game, suffered its first loss of the campaign.

1. Georgia 2. Utah 3. UCLA 4. Notre Dame 5. Miami 6. Indiana 7. Tennessee 8. Texas 9. Alabama 10. Wake Forest 11. Texas Tech 12. BYU 13. Kentucky 14. Boise State 15. Iowa 16. Houston 17. USC 18. Arizona 19. LSU 20. South Carolina 21. Ole Miss 22. Oregon 23. Ohio State 24. New Mexico 25. SMU

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

Power 4 Champions and Top Group of 6 Team

When the CFP selection committee put together its initial ranking, the group landed on Notre Dame as the No. 11 team in the country.

My thought? Ridiculous. Yours perhaps, too.

We don't have any control, though, and the takeaway was clear: The committee had zero respect for ND cruising through its soft schedule, and a victory over top-ranked Miami became an absolute must for the Fighting Irish. With a loss, their path to the CFP could have entirely disappeared.

After surging to a 24-3 lead Saturday night, they made it more interesting than anticipated. Miami clawed back within seven points, and only a minorly controversial non-touchdown for the 'Canes helped Notre Dame seal a 31-24 triumph.

Nevertheless, it was a win. A very good one, at that.

Notre Dame still has a thin margin for error; only a 3-0 mark against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse will be enough for comfort. But the Irish have cleared the most imposing hurdle left on their schedule.

Missouri at Georgia Florida at Kentucky Texas at LSU

As usual, a busy Saturday in the SEC. Georgia is alone atop the standings with one conference loss, while the rest of these programs have either two or three. Georgia can just about lock in a trip to the SEC Championship Game with a win. The others, quite simply, need to avoid a negative result.

Despite the frustration around Lincoln Riley's tenure, USC is 7-2 and within striking distance of the CFP. That absolutely will require a victory at Indiana, although the Hoosiers aren't exactly playing as you'd expect of a fourth-ranked team.

Third time's the charm? Arizona has fallen to Big 12 contenders BYU and Texas Tech this season, but those contests were on the road. Utah, on the other hand, could get awfully close to sealing a spot in the conference championship game if Arizona is unable to spring the upset.