College Football Playoff Rankings prediction: Miami on top, surprise SEC team begins in top four

The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the 2026 season are finally almost here.

On Tuesday night, the CFP Selection Committee will unveil its first rankings. Outside of the final rankings, the first are the most interesting because they establish a baseline for the rest of the season.

There are new selection committee members (hello, Jeff Tedford and Gus Malzahn) and new metrics (strength of conference) that could lead to a new-look ranking from what we've seen in the past. It's why the first rankings are the hardest to predict because even when you know the metrics the committee focuses on, each group full of new members every year could prioritize some over others.

CBS Sports has taken on the yeoman's work of predicting what the committee will do each week in its 1 through 25 rankings.

The Hurricanes are the No. 1 team unless they lose. A win over Notre Dame this weekend would fortify this spot for Miami.

The best team in the SEC should get a first-round bye if it wins the conference.

The frontrunner to win the Big 12 could really solidify its position for a first-round bye with a win over BYU this weekend.

Kentucky…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/