The Week 10 AP Top 25 is in, and the top of the bracket just took a jolt. Miami (FL) holds at No. 1, but Ohio State tumbled nine spots to No. 11 after its loss at USC, Georgia climbed back to No. 2, and unbeaten Utah jumped to No. 3. Here is where the 12-team College Football Playoff field stands if the season ended today, how the national bracketologists see it, and where the bowl picture is heading. This is the last projection built purely on the AP poll: the College Football Playoff Committee releases its first official rankings on Tuesday, November 3, and we switch to those next week.
How we build these projections
The CFP Committee releases its first official rankings on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, so for this final AP-based edition we lean on the AP Top 25 as our weekly proxy. Five berths are automatic bids that go to the five highest-ranked conference champions: four from the power leagues (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) and one from the Group of Five. The other seven spots are at-large bids for the highest-ranked teams left, Notre Dame included as an independent. For the full rulebook, see our College Football Playoff format cheat sheet.
From there we seed all twelve teams straight by their AP ranking, with one twist: the Group of Five champion drops to the lowest seed it qualifies for, usually the 12. The top four seeds earn a first-round bye. Seeds 5 through 12 play first-round games on the higher seed’s home campus, and there is no reseeding afterward, so the bracket locks once the field is set.
Projected 12-team bracket (Week 10)
Here is the full 12-team field as the AP Top 25 would set it this week, with seeds, conferences and how each team earns its place.
| Seed | Team | Conference | How they get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | ACC | ACC champion (auto bid) |
| 2 | Georgia | SEC | SEC champion (auto bid) |
| 3 | Utah | Big 12 | Big 12 champion (auto bid) |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | At-large |
| 5 | UCLA | Big Ten | Big Ten champion (auto bid) |
| 6 | Indiana | Big Ten | At-large |
| 7 | BYU | Big 12 | At-large |
| 8 | Kentucky | SEC | At-large |
| 9 | Alabama | SEC | At-large |
| 10 | Texas | SEC | At-large |
| 11 | Ohio State | Big Ten | At-large |
| 12 | Boise State | Mountain West | Group of Five champion (auto bid) |
First round (on the higher seed’s campus)
- No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 UCLA
- No. 11 Ohio State at No. 6 Indiana
- No. 10 Texas at No. 7 BYU
- No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Kentucky
Quarterfinal pairings (New Year’s Six bowls)
- No. 1 Miami (FL) vs. the winner of No. 8 Kentucky and No. 9 Alabama
- No. 2 Georgia vs. the winner of No. 7 BYU and No. 10 Texas
- No. 3 Utah vs. the winner of No. 6 Indiana and No. 11 Ohio State
- No. 4 Notre Dame vs. the winner of No. 5 UCLA and No. 12 Boise State
Projected conference champions
- SEC: Georgia (No. 2)
- Big Ten: UCLA (No. 5)
- Big 12: Utah (No. 3)
- ACC: Miami (FL) (No. 1)
- Group of Five: Boise State (No. 20, Mountain West)
First teams out
The bubble is where the AP poll gets unforgiving. The first four teams out this week are Ole Miss (No. 12), Texas Tech (No. 13), Wake Forest (No. 14) and LSU (No. 15). None of them currently projects as a conference champion, so each would need to climb the at-large order or win its league to force its way into the field.
How the national bracketologists see it
Most public 12-team projections line up with the AP order at the top this week. Miami, Georgia and Utah headline nearly every bracket, and unbeaten UCLA has played its way into bye-seed conversation. The arguments start just below, where Ohio State’s nine-spot fall reshuffles the at-large order and two-loss teams like Texas and Alabama jockey for position against the one-loss group just outside. In the Group of Five race, Boise State remains the projected auto bid, with New Mexico the closest challenger. Expect the picture to move fast once the CFP Committee issues its first official rankings on Tuesday, November 3.
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: 2026-27 college football bowl schedule (printable) and 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 College Football Playoff rankings: release schedule and printable tracker
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 UCLA lands on the 5 line this week despite projecting as the Big Ten 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.
Why use the AP poll instead of the CFP rankings?
The CFP Committee publishes its first official rankings on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Until they arrive the AP Top 25 is the most widely accepted weekly measure, so we use it as a stand-in and switch to the official rankings the moment they land.
How often is this updated?
Every Sunday night, right after the new AP Top 25 is released, through the end of the regular season and into bowl season.
