Week 11 College Football Rankings: Utah, Alabama, Tennessee Rise after Statement Wins in Week 10

Week 10 of the 2026 college football season delivered everything we could ask for. With a slate of games on Saturday that included (9) BYU vs (3) Utah, (5) Alabama vs (14) LSU, (7) Texas vs (18) Missouri, (6) Kentucky vs (13) Tennessee, (2) Georgia vs (10) Ole Miss, and (1) Miami vs (11) Notre Dame, it is much clearer now who the best college football teams are.

Let’s dive into our Week 11 college football rankings. Of note, this is not an attempt at projecting the College Football Playoff rankings after Week 10. Given how the committee’s rankings looked, we couldn’t begin to comprehend their rationale used for ranking teams.

1. Georgia Bulldogs (2)

The Georgia Bulldogs are the best team in college football. Nate Frazier looked outstanding in the first half at Ole Miss, leading a ground game that put up over 180 yards and averaged 7 yards per carry in the first two quarters. When you can run the football both that effectively and explosively, the passing game gets opened up even more for Gunner Stockton. Plus, Georgia’s defense is its best unit, and it showcased that again on Saturday night by shutting down Trinidad Chambliss. In a wide-open 2026 college football season, the Bulldogs are the team we’re picking to win the national championship.

2. Utah Utes (4)

That’s Devon Dampier, ladies and gentlemen. He carried the team to an early 14-0 lead in the Holy War and then rallied them back in the second half with another 14 unanswered points to deliver the 28-20 victory over BYU. Equally as impressive as the four-touchdown performance by Dampier, the undefeated Utah Utes (9-0) still haven’t played a complete game all season. Utah feels like an effective lock for the College Football Playoff at this point, assuming it can close out the season with wins over Arizona, TCU, and West Virginia.

Related: Winners, Losers from Holy War 2026

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3)

Unlike the CFP committee, we already ranked the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as one of the best college football teams in 2026. Saturday’s first-half dominance against previously top-ranked Miami showed what the Fighting Irish are capable of at their best. C.J. Carr’s peaks are impressive, and Notre Dame’s defense looked particularly crisp in the first half. As the second half tonight and the BYU game showed, though, this program can also go through ups and downs. So, Notre Dame stays at the No. 3 spot behind Georgia and undefeated Utah. The most important thing for Marcus Freeman is that his program now has a 90-plus percent chance of making the College Football Playoff.

Related: Winners, Losers from Miami Hurricanes vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish

4. UCLA Bruins (6)

Since the season-ending Nico Iamaleava injury, the UCLA Bruins (9-0) have been winning games because of their defense and run game. Wayne Knight (109 scrimmage yards and one touchdown) certainly did his thing in Saturday’s 34-20 win at Minnesota, but transfer quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (303 passing yards, 3-1 TD-INT ratio on six completions) had a special connection with wideout Aidan Mizell (150 yards and two touchdowns) as well. Flying across the country to play at 9 AM PT and beat a quality Minnesota team, one that took Indiana to overtime, should count as a resume-building win for UCLA.

5. Indiana Hoosiers (5)

The reigning national champions haven’t really ever looked like a true threat to win back-to-back titles at any point this season. Maybe a potential quarterback change helps the Indiana Hoosiers, or perhaps Curt Cignetti lit a fire under his offense during the bye and we see a different unit than the one that averaged just 17.8 points per game in its last four contests. The Hoosiers defense is unquestionably good enough to almost single-handedly beat USC in Week 11, but we’re just not all that sold on this being in the elite tier of teams.

6. Texas Longhorns (9)

Without his standout left tackle and No. 1 receiver, Arch Manning might’ve had his best performance of the 2026 college football season. The Texas Longhorns quarterback posted his highest completion rate (73.7 percent) of the season in a game with 30-plus pass attempts, putting up 293 passing yards and delivering his second consecutive three-touchdown performance. Doing that on the road against an SEC defense will always be admirable. It’s also a bit of a statement win for Texas, defeating Missouri 34-10, because it pulled it off despite so many key starters being sidelined. Consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Florida are still blemishes on the Longhorns’ resume, but they now have three wins over top-20 teams (Ohio State, Tennessee, and Mizzou) with a shot at a fourth if they can go into Death Valley next week and beat LSU.

7. Tennessee Volunteers (16)

The Tennessee Volunteers got three explosive plays from their offense on Saturday night against Kentucky. That’s all they needed because of this defense. Daune Morris’ 66-yard touchdown run opened up the scoring in the first quarter. With Josh Heupel’s offense unable to do much after that, it was Faizon Brandon coming off the bench in the second half with a 29-yard run into Kentucky territory that set up a field goal, and then a quick toss to Mike Matthews on an end-around in the fourth quarter made it a 20-6 game. On the next possession, DeSean Bishop put the game on ice with a score. On a night when Jim Knowles’ defense forced three takeaways, those big plays were truly all Tennessee (7-2) needed to beat Kentucky again.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide (15)

We’re not ready to call the Alabama Crimson Tide one of the five best college football teams right now, not when they have losses to Georgia (20-17) and Tennessee (26-10). With that said, there’s a better case to be made now that the loss at Neyland Stadium was a byproduct of this team being worn down from its matchup against the Bulldogs. At LSU in Week 10, quarterback Keelon Russell looked like he did during the team’s five-game win streak, and Alabama’s defense delivered its best performance of the season on Saturday night. We seem to be destined for an Alabama vs. Georgia rematch in the SEC Championship Game.

Related:Winners, Losers from Alabama vs LSU

9. Miami Hurricanes (1)

Dropping the Miami Hurricanes this many spots in our college football rankings is entirely a reflection on the defense. Quarterback Darian Mensah struggled early without his All-American receiver, but he settled in and rallied the Hurricanes back to 21 second-half points on his way to over 300 total yards with three touchdowns. However, that wasn’t enough because Miami’s defense is allowing 30-plus points and 400-plus total yards per game like it’s playing in the Big 12 Conference. We have zero faith in the Hurricanes defensively, and while this unit shouldn’t necessarily lead them to losing next week versus Duke, it’s worth remembering it almost did against Florida State (43-35) and North Carolina (38-35).

10. BYU Cougars (8)

The victory over Notre Dame now feels like it happened a year ago. The BYU Cougars have now lost two of their last three games, both on the road, with quarterback Bear Bachmeier combining for five interceptions in those defeats. While BYU welcomed back running back LJ Martin in Week 10, it was apparent (2.7 yards per carry) that he was nowhere near 100 percent. The Cougars should be favored in their final three games—Baylor, Kansas, and Cincinnati—but a 10-2 record without a Big 12 Championship Game appearance certainly complicates BYU’s path to the College Football Playoff.

11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (13)

Updated after West Virginia vs Texas Tech (9:30 PM ET kickoff)

12. Kentucky Wildcats (7)

Turning it over three times at Neyland Stadium, four if you include the turnover on downs, is almost always going to be a recipe for losing at Neyland Stadium. Will Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats (7-2) deserve a little credit for keeping this thing a one-score game, 13-6, heading into the fourth quarter. Ultimately, Tennessee buried Kentucky as it always had in this rivalry series. The good news for the Wildcats is that they still have victories over South Carolina and LSU. Plus, with how well this team has played for a majority of the season, they could strengthen the resume a bit if they can beat FLorida and Missouri in the next two weeks.

13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (12)

Why are the Wake Forest Demon Deacons dropping multiple spots in our Week 11 college football rankings despite a blowout win on Saturday? Multiple teams right behind them defeated ranked opponents on Saturday, which carries far more weight than what quarterback Steele Pizzella (Gio Lopez held out for precaution) and this Wake Forest roster did against Merrimack. Beat SMU next week, then we can take the Demon Deacons seriously.

Related: Early College Football Coaching Carousel Predictions 2026-27, including Jake Dickert

14. Iowa Hawkeyes (21)

Here come the Iowa Hawkeyes surging back into the College Football Playoff picture. Beating Northwestern on the road absolutely counts as a quality win, giving Iowa (7-2) something its resume needed. With the way the Hawkeyes have looked on both sides of the ball in these last two weeks, particularly offensively, we have all the confidence in the world that the momentum carries over into victories against Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska. If that happens, it’s a 10-win season for Iowa and that would be its first since 2023.

15. Houston Cougars (19)

The Houston Cougars survived on Saturday. Things looked great in the first quarter, with Conner Weigman leading the program to an early 14-0 lead. Cincinnati outscored Houston 24-10 until late in the fourth quarter, when running back Re’Shaun Sanford II ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run that snapped the tie and put the Cougars ahead for good. Houston (7-2) certainly would’ve benefited from a few more style points in the win, but BYU losing in Week 10 keeps the door open to a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.

16. Ole Miss Rebels (10)

Now is when the Ole Miss Rebels‘ strength of resume, or lack thereof, starts to come under fire. Mississippi’s biggest wins this year—LSU and Missouri—now don’t look quite as strong on paper, considering that both Tigers programs probably aren’t even top-20 teams at this point and they could be outside the top 25 college football rankings after Week 11. Unfortunately for Trinidad Chambliss and company, beating the likes of Oklahoma, Wofford, and Mississippi State to close out the season won’t change anything.

17. Oregon Ducks (Unranked)

A proverbial tip of the cap to Dylan Raiola and Dan Lanning for salvaging the Oregon Ducks‘ season. After losing on the road to Illinois, falling to 4-3, it stood to reason that the Ducks would lose their next two games against Northwestern and Ohio State. Instead, the Ducks rallied from a 20-6 deficit to beat Northwestern and then dug out of a 14-0 hole at Ohio State to beat the Buckeyes. Ranking these three-loss teams is difficult, but Oregon has momentum on its side.

18. USC Trojans (17)

The USC Trojans got to rest in their Week 10 bye, but it is easy to envision the College Football Playoff committee weighing that victory over Ohio State a bit less after what happened on Saturday versus Oregon. A win is still a win, and Lincoln Riley’s program sits at 7-2 ahead of its road trip to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Riley’s track record on the road would lead us to believe USC will join the growing list of prominent Power 4 programs with three losses after next week.

19. Boise State Broncos (18)

No Maddux Madsen, no problem. The Boise State Broncos were forced to play without their star quarterback in Week 10 due to a minor knee injury. That just opened the door for backup Max Cutforth to make a bit of a name for himself. In the first half alone versus Colorado State, Cutforth had more passing touchdowns (three) than incompletions (two), and he put up an absurd 236 passing yards (16.9 yards per attempt) en route to a 29-point first half by Boise State. The issue for the Broncos, of course, was their defense allowing over 500 total yards to Colorado State. We’re simply counting down the days now to Oregon State at Boise State next Saturday night.

20. South Carolina Gamecocks (Unranked)

LaNorris Sellers is incredible. The South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback has been carrying this team during its four-game winning streak, but it felt even more literal on Saturday versus Texas A&M. Clearly hobbled by a leg injury impacting his effectiveness, Sellers’ 41-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter turned a tight game into a decisive one (17-9). Shane Beamer owes his quarterback a massive thank-you, because that hot seat has now turned ice cold.

21. Ohio State Buckeyes (12)

Let’s make no mistake here, the Oregon Ducks (6-3) have not exactly been a good football team this season. What happened on Saturday at Ohio Stadium says so much more about how drastic the fall has been for this Ohio State Buckeyes defense in year two under Matt Patricia. Ohio State’s defense surrendered 41 points and 358 total yards in the final three quarters on Saturday to the Ducks. Equally embarrassing, this was a 38-14 game before garbage-time touchdowns in the fourth quarter made it a little closer on the scoreboard. This team has given up and when the effort looks that bad versus a ranked opponent, you deserve to plummet in the college football rankings because that mentality isn’t going away.

Related: Latest Julian Sayin Injury Return Timeline for Ohio State Buckeyes

22. LSU Tigers (14)

Who have the LSU Tigers beaten in 2026 that we should truly view as great competition? Texas A&M is now a five-loss team, Auburn (5-4) barely beat Arkansas this week, and Mississippi State (4-5) has been winless since Kamario Taylor got hurt. In losses to Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Alabama, the Tigers have lost by a combined 27 points. Barring a win next Saturday against Texas, which is far from a given considering Lane Kiffin’s track record versus top-10 teams, there honestly might not even be an argument for LSU to make the College Football Playoff if it expanded to 24 teams this season.

23. Arizona Wildcats (23)

The Arizona Wildcats (7-2) trailed 28-20 midway through the fourth quarter on Friday against a four-win TCU team. Not exactly the kind of position you expect Noah Fifita to be in. Fortunately for the Wildcats, the senior quarterback engineered an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. After the two-point conversion failed, Arizona attempted an onside kick with 104 seconds left and recovered it, then Michael Salgado-Medina drilled the game-deciding field goal for a nail-biting 29-28 win. It’s not a confidence-inspiring win, but Arizona will have a chance to make a statement to the College Football Playoff committee at home next Saturday against Utah.

24. New Mexico Lobos (24)

We know we’re not going to see the New Mexico Lobos in the College Football Playoff rankings anytime soon. No matter, what Jason Eck has accomplished this fall can get credit from others. The Lobos jumped out to a 14-3 lead on Friday night at Nevada, and thanks to a defense that allowed just 97 total yards with a 13.3 percent third-down conversion rate, that alone would’ve been good enough to win. New Mexico added a few more points for good measure, heading home with a 31-3 victory before UNLV comes to town.

25. Missouri Tigers (20)

The Missouri Tigers give the SEC another representative in the top 25 rankings, but it will be short-lived. Eli Drinkwitz’s program has now lost consecutive games against ranked opponents, with the defeats to Ole Miss and Texas decided by 42 points. Up next on Missouri’s schedule is a road trip to Athens followed by hosting Kentucky. After an impressive start to the season, the Tigers are quickly spiraling toward a .500 record. On the bright side, at least Austin Simmons is re-signed for 2027 and Drinkwitz isn’t going to Florida State.