The Week 11 AP Top 25 landed Sunday night, and it reshuffles the top of our projected College Football Playoff field. Georgia reclaimed the No. 1 spot, unbeaten Utah moved up to No. 2, Notre Dame climbed to No. 3, and Ohio State slid all the way to No. 21. Here is where the 12-team bracket stands if the season ended today, built from this week’s new AP poll, plus how the national bracketologists see it and where the bowl picture is heading. The College Football Playoff committee releases its next rankings Tuesday, November 10 at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN, and we update this bracket right after.
How we build these projections
Between committee reveals we anchor this bracket to the newest AP Top 25, the freshest national ranking available on a Sunday night. Five of the twelve spots are automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions: the top-ranked team from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, plus the highest-ranked Group of Five team. The other seven are at-large bids for the next highest-ranked teams, with Notre Dame eligible as an independent. We then seed all twelve straight by ranking, with one exception: the Group of Five champion is placed at the lowest seed it qualifies for, which is almost always the 12. The top four seeds earn a first-round bye, and seeds 5 through 12 meet in first-round games on the higher seed’s home campus. For a full rundown of the current format and this season’s rule changes, see our 2026 college football rule changes and CFP format cheat sheet.
Projected 12-team bracket (Week 11)
| Seed | Team | Conference | How they get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | SEC | SEC champion (automatic bid) |
| 2 | Utah | Big 12 | Big 12 champion (automatic bid) |
| 3 | Notre Dame | Independent | At-large bid |
| 4 | UCLA | Big Ten | Big Ten champion (automatic bid) |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | ACC | ACC champion (automatic bid) |
| 6 | Indiana | Big Ten | At-large bid |
| 7 | Alabama | SEC | At-large bid |
| 8 | Texas | SEC | At-large bid |
| 9 | Tennessee | SEC | At-large bid |
| 10 | Texas Tech | Big 12 | At-large bid |
| 11 | Wake Forest | ACC | At-large bid |
| 12 | Boise State | Mountain West | Group of Five champion (automatic bid) |
First round (on the higher seed’s campus)
- No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Miami (FL)
- No. 11 Wake Forest at No. 6 Indiana
- No. 10 Texas Tech at No. 7 Alabama
- No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas
Quarterfinal pairings
The top four seeds wait in the quarterfinals with no reseeding, so the bracket is set as soon as the first round ends:
- No. 1 Georgia vs the winner of No. 8 Texas and No. 9 Tennessee
- No. 2 Utah vs the winner of No. 7 Alabama and No. 10 Texas Tech
- No. 3 Notre Dame vs the winner of No. 6 Indiana and No. 11 Wake Forest
- No. 4 UCLA vs the winner of No. 5 Miami (FL) and No. 12 Boise State
Projected conference champions
Four power-conference champions and one Group of Five champion claim the automatic bids:
- SEC: Georgia (No. 1)
- Big Ten: UCLA (No. 4)
- Big 12: Utah (No. 2)
- ACC: Miami (FL) (No. 5)
- Group of Five: Boise State (No. 17, Mountain West)
First teams out
The next four teams in the AP Top 25 are the closest to the field and the first to watch if a seeded team stumbles:
- No. 12 BYU
- No. 13 Kentucky
- No. 14 Houston
- No. 15 USC
How the national bracketologists see it
National projections entering Week 11 agree on the broad shape of the field even where the seeding differs. Georgia, the unbeaten pair of Utah and Notre Dame, and a deep SEC group headline nearly every 12-team bracket, while Boise State is the popular pick for the Group of Five’s automatic bid. The main split is the input: outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report lean on the College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings from November 3, which slotted the field a little differently than the AP voters did. The committee’s next reveal arrives Tuesday, November 10, and expect the consensus brackets to converge once those numbers are out.
Bowl picture
The four first-round byes send the top seeds straight into the New Year’s Six quarterfinals, while the first-round winners advance to join them. The rest of the postseason slate fills in around the playoff, from the New Year’s Six games down through the full bowl lineup. Two handy references: our 2026-27 college football bowl schedule (printable) and the 2026-27 College Football Playoff bracket and schedule.
Print this week’s bracket
Want a copy to fill in as the season plays out? Download this week’s projected bracket, print it, and track how the field shifts week to week.
More from Sports Brackets
- 2026 College Football AP Top 25: Week 10 rankings, movers and printable ballot
- 2026-27 College Football Playoff bracket and schedule
Frequently asked questions
How is the 12-team playoff field decided?
Five spots are automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions, four from the power conferences and one from the Group of Five. The remaining seven are at-large bids for the next highest-ranked teams, Notre Dame included as an independent.
Do conference champions still get a first-round bye?
Not automatically. Under the current format the four byes go to the top four seeds by ranking, not to the top four conference champions. A champion seeded fifth or lower plays in the first round like any other team, which is why Miami lands on the 5 line this week despite projecting as the ACC champion.
Why is the Group of Five champion seeded 12th?
The Group of Five earns one guaranteed bid through its highest-ranked champion, but that team is placed at the lowest seed it qualifies for, usually the 12, rather than slotted by its raw ranking. This week that is Boise State.
Do these projections use the AP poll or the CFP committee rankings?
Both, in sequence. The College Football Playoff committee’s Top 25 is the official seeding input once it is out, and we update the bracket after every Tuesday reveal. Between reveals, like this Sunday night, we use the newest AP Top 25 as the best available proxy so the field reflects the latest results.
How often is this updated?
Every Sunday night after the new poll, and again after the Tuesday CFP committee rankings during the stretch run. Bookmark this page and check back each week as the bracket takes shape.
