2026 Rankings Project 24-Team CFP Field With 8 Byes and 1 Guaranteed Group of Six Spot
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Nov 11
2026 Rankings Project 24-Team CFP Field With 8 Byes and 1 Guaranteed Group of Six Spot
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Nov 11
Summary
Tuesday's second 2026 CFP rankings would produce a 24-team bracket next year, with the top eight seeds earning first-round byes and teams ranked No. 9 through No. 24 opening in eight campus games.
One of the 23 reserved spots would be guaranteed to a Group of Six conference champion, leaving any additional G6 team to qualify only as an at-large selection despite the larger field.
Just two projected first-round matchups would be regular-season rematches: No. 10 BYU vs. No. 23 Arizona and No. 11 Kentucky vs. No. 22 Missouri, which still must play in Week 12.
No. 21 LSU at No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 19 Ole Miss at No. 14 Houston stand out as the most appealing projected first-round games, while possible second-round draws such as LSU at Notre Dame or USC vs. Utah offer the broader intrigue.