Alabama Climbs to No. 3 in Second Playoff Ranking

Alabama rose two spots to No. 3 in the second College Football Playoff ranking of the 2026 season, released on November 10. The Crimson Tide beat LSU 31-13 on the road Saturday, improving to 7-2 and strengthening its position in the race for a place in the 12-team playoff field, set to be announced December 6.

Georgia, at 8-1, leads the ranking, followed by unbeaten Utah. Alabama is the highest-ranked team with two losses. UCLA is fourth and Notre Dame fifth. Miami fell to seventh after losing to Notre Dame, while Indiana, which did not play, is ninth.

Alabama has ranked wins over Kentucky, South Carolina and LSU. Its win over Mississippi is also regarded as a quality result, despite Mississippi’s 4-5 record, because the team’s defeats came after Kamario Taylor was lost. The Tide has no wins over a top-10 team and lost to both top-10 opponents it faced: Georgia and Tennessee. LSU, now 6-3, dropped to No. 21.

The committee will issue a new top-25 ranking each Tuesday night before revealing the playoff field. The first-round games are scheduled for December 18 and 19 at campus sites; those venues will be announced on Selection Day. The national championship is scheduled for January 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.