Georgia tops second CFP rankings as Maryland rebuilds nearby

Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, Nov. 10, jumping past Miami after the Bulldogs routed Ole Miss and the Hurricanes lost to Notre Dame.

The CFP Selection Committee's second rankings of the 2026 season, reflecting games played through Nov. 7, placed undefeated Utah (9-0) at No. 2, two-loss Alabama (7-2) at No. 3 and undefeated UCLA (9-0) at No. 4. Those four teams would earn first-round byes if the playoff bracket were set from these standings.

No team from the Bethesda area cracked the Top 25. The Maryland Terrapins sit at 3-6 and are playing under interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, a Washington, D.C., native who took over after the university and coach Michael Locksley parted ways in October following a five-game losing streak, as NBC Washington reported.

A local bright spot at Maryland

One reason for Terrapins fans to keep watching: freshman linebacker Zion Elee. ESPN ranked Elee 16th among the nation's top 40 freshmen this season. A product of Baltimore's St. Frances Academy, Elee was the No. 2 recruit in the 2026 class and became Maryland's highest-rated signee ever, surpassing Stefon Diggs, according to ESPN.

Through eight games, Elee had recorded 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, including a strip sack of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. ESPN noted he has generated more pressure than his sack totals suggest.

Big movers in the rankings

Notre Dame made CFP history, jumping from No. 11 to No. 5 after beating then-No. 1 Miami. It marked the first time a team leaped from outside the top 10 into the top five in a single week, according to the CFP.

CFP Selection Committee chair Hunter Yurachek told CBS Sports that the committee had "a lot of respect" for Notre Dame heading into the week. "They looked like the Notre Dame team that should be ranked No. 5," Yurachek said. "They were up 24-3" on Miami.

Miami dropped six spots to No. 7. Indiana fell five places to No. 9 despite not playing, as the committee re-evaluated the Hoosiers' strength of schedule after several of their past opponents lost.

Alabama's rise to No. 3 marked the earliest a two-loss team has appeared in the top four in CFP history, according to the committee.

Playoff picture

Under the 12-team format, the top four seeds earn first-round byes. Seeds five through 12 play first-round games at the higher seed's campus. The five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids.

As of these rankings, No. 24 Boise State (8-1) holds the automatic bid reserved for the highest-ranked team from a Group of Six conference, according to NCAA.com. Texas Tech (No. 12) and Wake Forest (No. 13) are the first two teams outside the projected bracket.

Oklahoma State (6-3) entered the rankings at No. 25. Florida dropped out.