Notre Dame landed at No. 11 in the first 2026 CFP rankings despite sitting No. 4 in the AP poll, while 6-2 Ohio State opened at No. 12 outside the top 10.
Hunter Yurachek said Notre Dame lacks a signature win and lost its only top-25 game at BYU, while Ohio State's placement appears hurt by quarterback Julian Sayin's likely season-ending injury.
Alabama debuted at No. 5 ahead of 6-2 Tennessee, which beat the Tide by 16 points, underscoring the committee's heavy emphasis on strength of schedule and SEC résumés.
Week 10 could quickly reshape the field, with No. 1 Miami hosting No. 11 Notre Dame and top-15 matchups including Georgia-Ole Miss, BYU-Utah, Alabama-LSU and Tennessee-Kentucky.