B/R's 2026 College Football Playoff Bracket Projections and Predictions After Week 9

Outside of Ohio State's loss at USC, Week 9 was largely about survival for the highest-ranked college football teams.

Notre Dame struggled early before pulling away from Navy. Minnesota put a scare into Indiana, but the reigning national champs found a way to win in overtime. Miami walked out of North Carolina with an uncomfortable victory, as well.

Most importantly, though, they all avoided a loss.

But the pressure to win is only increasing. The first edition of the 2026 College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the Week 10 slate is packed full of headline-worthy games.

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

Key Results in Week 9

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J'Koby Williams

Texas Tech 34, Arizona 26

After a surprising loss at Cincinnati, Texas Tech benched Will Hammond in favor of Thomas Castellanos. His mobility provided the offense with a new element, and the Red Raiders racked up 328 yards on the ground. Castellanos—who also threw for 144 yards and two scores—scampered for 117 yards and a touchdown as J'Koby Williams notched a career-best 175 rushing yards.

Syracuse 30, SMU 27

Steve Angeli returned last weekend and propelled Syracuse to an overtime triumph at North Carolina. For an encore, Angeli's last-minute touchdown pass to Noah Meyers allowed Cuse to stun 19th-ranked SMU. The result put a major dent in SMU's hopes of a second CFP trip in three seasons, although the 6-2 Mustangs aren't completely out of the conversation just yet.

USC 30, Ohio State 18

In the first game without QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State stumbled. Prior to halftime, all three drives that reached USC's 25-yard line ended with a field goal. Add in a fumble near USC's 30 during the third quarter, and it's no surprise the Buckeyes had fallen into a 27-9 hole. Ohio State has zero margin for error left in its CFP pursuit.

B/R's Top 25 After Week 9

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Devon Dampier

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

Post-Week 9 CFP Picture

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

Power 4 Champions and Top Group of 6 Team

1. Miami (ACC)
2. Georgia (SEC)
3. Utah (Big 12)
4. Indiana (Big Ten)
5. Boise State (Pac-12)

At-Large Bids

1. UCLA (Big Ten)
2. BYU (Big 12)
3. Notre Dame (Independent)
4. Kentucky (SEC)
5. LSU (SEC)
6. Tennessee (SEC)
7. Alabama (SEC)

Teams Set for Initial CFP Top 25

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In all likelihood, Miami will be ranked No. 1 when the College Football Playoff rankings are unveiled on Tuesday night. Georgia and Utah, in some order, should be second and third, as well.

Beyond that, it gets rather interesting.

Remember last season, when the selection committee kept Notre Dame above Miami despite the latter's head-to-head win until the bitter end, making for a fully avoidable controversy? Will the 7-1 Fighting Irish be ranked ahead of 7-1 BYU despite losing the recent matchup in Provo?

How about the SEC, which is a lovely disaster? Kentucky lost to Alabama but defeated LSU. Alabama beat Kentucky but lost to Tennessee. Texas has quality wins over Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss but also fell to Oklahoma and Florida. Ole Miss toppled LSU but dropped games at UF and Texas.

In the latter half of the ranking, we'll be tracking which Group of Six programs crack the poll. Boise State, New Mexico and UTSA are prime candidates.

Don't get terribly hung up about a specific order. We have a month remaining in the regular season, and changes are inevitable.

Still, this is a valuable first look at the committee's early perceptions.

Impact Games in Week 10

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BYU at Utah

Although it's an atrocious kickoff time locally—10 a.m., seriously—the Holy War is a stellar way to open Saturday's action. BYU owns a three-game winning streak in the series, but Utah is unbeaten in 2026 and playing at home. This should be a massively important result in the Big 12 standings.

Texas at Missouri

Alabama at LSU

Kentucky at Tennessee

Georgia at Ole Miss

What a day in the SEC, huh? Within the league, two programs—Kentucky and Georgia—have exactly one conference loss. The six teams with a pair of SEC setbacks, wildly enough, are everyone else in this group. Essentially, that means the eight schools with legitimate SEC aspirations are in action opposite each other. It's safe to say we'll have a few takeaways on Saturday.

Miami at Notre Dame

Sharing the prime-time spotlight with Georgia and Ole Miss, top-ranked Miami travels north to Notre Dame. Last season, Miami pulled out a 27-24 victory that ultimately pushed ND to the wrong side of the CFP bubble. As if a top-10 showdown weren't important enough, there are plenty of emotions here, too.