College football rankings: What Notre Dame's win over Miami means for CFP

College football rankings: What Notre Dame's win over Miami means for CFP originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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All year, college football fans have been waiting for Week 10, a slate circled on calendars by many. With a collection of elite matchups, the CFP race got some significant shake-ups.

While Utah, Alabama and Texas avoided any chaotic scenarios by claiming wins and keeping their momentum going toward the playoff, Miami, Kentucky and BYU face more questions after all losing on Saturday.

One way or another, Notre Dame vs. Miami was bound to have lasting CFP consequences — and the Irish's 31-24 win will certainly result in some changes from the committee this week.

Here's a look at how Notre Dame beat Miami and an updated look at the CFP race after the significant Week 10 slate. 

MORE: Updated look at Big Ten standings after Oregon, UCLA wins

Notre Dame takes down Miami

From the first whistle on Saturday night in South Bend, Notre Dame set the tone in front of its home fans on both sides of the ball.

The Irish defense stifled Darian Mensah and the Hurricanes' offense in the first half, bringing pressureand leaving Mensah scrambling in the absence of star receiver Malachi Toney. Meanwhile, CJ Carr had one of the best performances of his career, especially given the circumstances.

Carr had two touchdown passes in the second quarter, then added another in the third quarter as Notre Dame began to rout Miami.

A masterclass drive by the Notre Dame offense ends with a TOUCHDOWN! 📺 Notre Dame Football on NBC & Peacock https://t.co/cRgmdbmjIl

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 8, 2026

However, things got interesting late. Mensah came storming back, throwing three touchdown passes himself in the late quarters to cut the Notre Dame deficit to one score on multiple occasions. But on a massive fourth-down play, what appeared to be a touchdown catch for Elija Lofton was instead broken up at the last second, leaving the Irish to drain most of the clock and hold on for an upset win.

GAME. CHANGER. #GoIrish☘️ | @LukeTalich 📺: NBC https://t.co/lsAZfE9xMU

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026

MORE:Breaking down Oregon's path to CFP after upset win over Buckeyes

How projected CFP teams fared in Week 10

Of the projected CFP teams from last week's rankings, four lost, three of which were losses to fellow projected playoff teams.

Here's a look at how Week 10 went for the previously projected playoff teams, and which teams could fall out of the projected bracket this coming Tuesday.

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No. 1 Miami 

Down went the Hurricanes. In terms of Miami's CFP outlook, it will be fine, assuming the team closes out the year with wins over Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College. The Hurricanes are in position to win the ACC title, and even if they don't, they've been dominant enough this season to deserve consideration with one regular-season loss.

Barring a massive collapse, Miami will still be playing in the CFP this season — but it may not be with a first-round bye as anticipated.

No. 2 Georgia 

Until another team proves otherwise, Georgia is looking more like the favorite to be the No. 1 seed in the CFP. The Bulldogs handed it to Ole Miss in Week 10, and unless Missouri or South Carolina can pull off a major upset in the next two weeks, Kirby Smart's team will likely be playing in the SEC Championship.

Nothing's guaranteed yet, but Georgia should take over as the No. 1-ranked team by the committee with Miami's loss. The only blemish on the Bulldogs' resume is a three-point loss to Auburn.

No. 3 Utah

The Utes are tracking to make their first-ever College Football Playoff. They got their biggest win of the season yet, taking down BYU 28-20 on Saturday to remain unbeaten.

Utah is easily in position to play in the Big 12 title game, and even if it lost that game, a one-loss Utes team may wind up having a strong enough case for an at-large bid anyway.

No. 4 Indiana

Curt Cignetti's team was sitting pretty during a wild Week 10 slate in college football. But coming off a bye week, Indiana has a huge game against USC awaiting next week.

The Hoosiers likely won't move much, if at all, in the rankings, but they need a win over the Trojans to stay in position to take on UCLA in the Big Ten Championship. If not, the committee may not be very impressed by a two-loss Indiana team that did not beat a single ranked opponent.

No. 5 Alabama

As it turned out, there wasn't much reason to worry about the Crimson Tide in Week 10. They likely ended LSU's playoff chances with a thorough, 31-13 win on the road, a much-needed second win over a ranked opponent.

Assuming Alabama can close out the season with wins over Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn, not only will the Crimson Tide be in the mix for an SEC Championship Game spot, but they're looking safer for an at-large selection.

No. 6 Kentucky

Will Stein and the Wildcats have been riding pretty high this season, but their momentum came to a halt in Week 10, handled with ease by Tennessee. With matchups against Florida and Missouri remaining, it's no guarantee Kentucky can still make the CFP.

The Wildcats will drop in the rankings — and Tennessee should be entering the picture — but if Kentucky wins out, it should still be in a solid spot for an at-large bid.

No. 7 Texas

The Longhorns may be a win over LSU away from surviving their up-and-down season to still make the playoff. Texas' two-score win over Missouri was its third-straight, and with wins over Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss, this is a team with a big-time resume for the committee.

The best thing Texas can do is win out, and it will be in a great spot. One more loss could make things a bit too murky to make the playoff, though.

No. 8 UCLA

Bob Chesney's unit still couldn't be stopped, downing Minnesota in Week 10. The path to the playoff is only getting simpler; should the Bruins beat Illinois and Michigan over the next two weeks, a matchup against USC is the only real test remaining.

UCLA is in prime position to make the Big Ten Championship, and even a one-loss Bruins team should be enough to make the bracket.

No. 9 BYU

One piece of fortunate news for BYU is that it has a light rest-of-season schedule, hoping to surpass Texas Tech in the conference standings for an opportunity to face Utah again in the Big 12 Championship.

Even if the Cougars can't reach that matchup, assuming they win out vs. Baylor, Kansas and Cincinnati, they should have a decent argument to make the bracket thanks to their Oct. 17 win over Notre Dame.

The other piece of fortunate news for BYU is that two of the lingering projected non-playoff teams in Week 10, Ohio State and LSU, both suffered their third losses of the season, essentially ending their respective cases for an at-large bid. As long as they handle business over the coming weeks, the Cougars should still be in a fine spot.

No. 10 Ole Miss

The Rebels are in trouble — their CFP chances took a massive hit in Week 10, and they may not be able to recover.

Three SEC losses means Ole Miss won't be vying for the conference title game, and no three-loss team has ever made the bracket, either. Considering Ole Miss didn't even look competitive against Georgia, the committee isn't likely to do the Rebels any favors, even if they win out against Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State. 

Ole Miss' projected CFP spot will likely be handed over to Tennessee this week.

No. 11 Notre Dame

Prepare to see the Irish make a big jump in the rankings. Notre Dame looked dominant in the first half against Miami on Saturday, and assuming Marcus Freeman's team finishes the season with three more wins, it will be 11-1, which will be plenty safe to make the bracket.

Saturday's win all but locked in Notre Dame's playoff spot, assuming they get the job done over the next few weeks. The Irish get an automatic bid if they finish within the top-12 ranked teams, and they should be in the top-7, at least, after their Week 10 win.

No. 12 Boise State

And of course, the Broncos remain in the driver's seat to claim the Group of 6 automatic bid this year. Boise State grabbed its eight-straight win since its season-opening loss to Oregon, dropping 64 points against Colorado State.

As the lone G6 team to be ranked by the committee last week, at this point, it'd be a surprise if a non-Broncos team winds up claiming the No. 12 seed this year.

MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

• Is LSU out of the CFP with loss to Alabama?
• How Bear Bachmeier's 4-interception day doomed BYU in Holy War loss to Utah
• Will Ohio State bench Luke Fahey after loss to Oregon?

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