Utah Holds No. 2 in Rankings as Notre Dame Moves to No. 5

The updated top 25 reflects major movement after a weekend of high-stakes college football matchups.

Undefeated Utah holds the No. 2 position, while Alabama moved up two spots to No. 3. Undefeated UCLA climbed four spots to land at No. 4. Meanwhile, Alabama’s position at No. 3 marks the earliest a two-loss team has ever been placed in the top four, surpassing the previous record held by November 28, 2017, Auburn.

The Fighting Irish jumped six spots from No. 11 to No. 5 following a 31-24 victory over previous No. 1 Miami, making Notre Dame the first team in CFP history to make a direct leap from outside the top 10 into the top 5 in a single week.

They were up 24-3 and dominating that game, adding that losses by teams previously positioned ahead of Notre Dame helped clear its path upward.

Texas sits at No. 6 in the new standings. Miami dropped six spots to No. 7 following its first loss of the season. Despite this setback, Miami should still remain in good shape to secure a spot in the CFP field, as the Hurricanes will be favored in their final three games against Duke, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, in addition to being favored if they reach the ACC championship game.

Tennessee jumped five spots to No. 8. Indiana fell five spots to No. 9 despite having an open date.

BYU moved down one spot to No. 10 after falling to Utah 28-20. Kentucky dropped to No. 11 following a 34-6 loss to Tennessee, and Texas Tech rounded out the top 12 at No. 8-1.

Further down the rankings, Oregon moved up seven spots from No. 23 to No. 16 following a victory over Ohio State, securing a head-to-head advantage that places the Ducks one spot above USC at No. 17. At No. 25, Oklahoma State returned to the rankings for the first time since the 2023 season.

The selection committee evaluates teams on a comprehensive body of work rather than a single metric. Factors include strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and results against common opponents without rewarding running up the score, alongside other relevant considerations such as injuries to key players or the unavailability of a coach.

The CFP Selection Committee will meet again on November 16 and 17. The third set of rankings will be revealed on Tuesday, November 17 at approximately 9 p.m. ET live on ESPN and the ESPN app.

Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.