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In a 2026 college football season full of surprise upsets and drastic changes all across the rankings, the last weekend of October provided its own brand of chaos.
For the first time since 2011, Ohio State has lost two games before November. This time, USC handed out the honors, besting the Big Ten’s national title favorites and giving the College Football Playoff selectors something else to consider this week.
What does the updated bracket projection look like after what happened at the Coliseum?
No. 1 Georgia
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Still our No. 1 ranked team as they have been much of the season, the Bulldogs are our favorite to win the SEC championship after beating up on Florida. We’ll know more after they take on Ole Miss on the road next Saturday.
No. 2 Miami
Our projected ACC champion stayed undefeated after winning at North Carolina, but there are questions around if this defense can keep this team perfect. We think it will, but the committee may still like a one-loss SEC champ more.
No. 3 Utah
The Utes’ offense stacked up 42 points in the first half at Cincinnati and cruised to a win to stay undefeated. Still locked in first place in the Big 12, that position will be challenged against one-loss rival BYU in a very consequential Holy War.
No. 4 Indiana
Our new projected Big Ten champ after the Ohio State loss, but the Hoosiers’ offense is definitely a work in progress after needing overtime to get past Minnesota.
No. 5 Kentucky
We think the Wildcats will play for, but lose, the SEC championship to Georgia. Not bad for Will Stein in his first season. And more than enough to make the playoff.
No. 6 LSU
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Lane Kiffin’s squad was off this week, but improved its position with wins against Mississippi State and Auburn. Even the loss to Kentucky looks better. We’ll know more when they play Alabama next week.
No. 7 UCLA
The Bruins are still undefeated and very well could be at the end of the regular season, but we think they’ll lose to the Hoosiers for the Big Ten championship.
No. 8 Ohio State
We demoted the Buckeyes from projected Big Ten champion to an at-large selection after the loss to USC that exposed real structural issues on this roster. It’s not only the quarterback change; this defense looked out of sorts against the Trojans, too.
No. 9 Texas Tech
We’re putting the Red Raiders back in the Big 12 title game after an important win against Arizona. But we think they’ll lose to Utah in Arlington.
No. 10 Alabama
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It’s not out of the picture that a three-loss SEC team makes the playoff. Even if it loses to LSU, the Crimson Tide would fit that bill, provided it dominates the rest of the schedule.
No. 11 Ole Miss
We expect Notre Dame will lose to Miami next week, effectively putting them on the wrong side of the bubble, and enabling the Rebels to take their place, especially if they beat Georgia next Saturday.
No. 12 Boise State
The Broncos are still the class of the Group of Six, but the selection committee will keep a very close eye on how they perform against Oregon State.
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