864479144 1644764840681689 5843660559364022992 N — (University of Alabama Athletics)

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season have arrived as fans get their first look at what this year’s playoff bracket could look like.

Alabama is currently the highest ranked two-loss team in the most recent Associated Press poll, coming in at No. 9. But the selection committee is even higher on Kalen DeBoer’s team, ranking the Crimson Tide at No. 5 with four weeks to go in the regular season.

During an interview on ESPN, CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yuracheck pointed to Alabama’s quality wins including Kentucky, South Carolina and even Mississippi State.

Keep reading to see the full top 25, the projected field of 12 + Alabama’s history in the CFP rankings.

2026 College Football Playoff projected bracket

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The full top 25 was released but remember, this year’s playoff will still feature just 12 teams prior to expanding the field to 24 teams starting in 2027.

This year’s field will have five automatic qualifiers including the conference champion from the Power 4 conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC) and one other conference champion from the Group of 6. Notre Dame will also receive an automatic bid if they are ranked in the top 12.

So here’s what the playoff seeding would like based on Tuesday night’s rankings:

Miami
Georgia
Utah
Indiana
Alabama
Kentucky
Texas
UCLA
BYU
Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Boise State

Ohio State and Tennessee are currently considered the first two teams left out of the field.

Alabama, who has a 2-2 record against teams currently ranked, is one of 10 SEC teams in the top 25 and one of five ranked in the top 10. The Tide will play No. 14 LSU this weekend.

If the regular season ended today, Alabama would host Boise State in the first round with the winner facing Indiana in the quarterfinals. The final bracket will be revealed Dec. 6.

Alabama’s history in the College Football Playoff rankings

Deboer Black Hoodie E1760030756446 — Kalen DeBoer’s black hoodie has become a good luck charm for the Tide. (University of Alabama Athletics)

The Crimson Tide are now one of two teams to feature in all 73 rankings since the College Football Playoff committee was created in 2014. Ohio State, who was ranked 12th this week, is the other team.

This is ninth time Alabama has appeared in the top 5 in the debut rankings. They made the final playoff in seven of the previous seasons when ranked in the top 5 of a season’s initial rankings.

Here’s where the team ranked in the first rankings of previous seasons and if they made the final College Football Playoff that year: