Welcome to college football's biggest week. BYU-Utah lived up to the billing with the Utes surviving a frantic comeback bid from the Cougars. Utah got its first win in the series since 2019. Primetime's headliner between Notre Dame and Miami started big for the Irish before the Canes came back. The Irish held on with some strong fourth-quarter defense and knocked off the No. 1 team.
After seven games featuring teams ranked in the top 25 of the CFP rankings, there could be a lot of changes for the second rankings, which will be announced Tuesday.
We tracked the top moments and highlights from each game with CFP analysis from ESPN's Heather Dinich.
CFP takeaways
Notre Dame 31, Miami 24
Notre Dame kept its playoff hopes alive with Saturday's win against No. 1 Miami, but the Irish are unlikely to vault to the top because of their overall schedule, which held them back in the first ranking. With the loss at Notre Dame, Miami will fall out of the committee's top spot, but it still has the best chance of any team in the ACC to reach the conference championship game, and the Canes will be a lock for a CFP spot as the ACC champs. Miami's chance at a top-four seed and first-round bye took a hit, though, and the Canes could be looking up at two-loss SEC teams Alabama and Texas on Tuesday night. There shouldn't be any question this year, though, about whether the committee honors Saturday's night head-to-head win. The question for the committee is where Notre Dame and Miami fall in relation to Indiana, which was on a bye and the committee's No. 4 team.
Georgia 42, Ole Miss 7
With Miami's loss at Notre Dame, and Georgia's convincing win at Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have a strong case to be No. 1 on Tuesday night. Georgia's Oct. 10 win at Alabama looks even better after the Tide beat LSU on Saturday night and further cemented its place as the committee's top two-loss team. Georgia has the best chance to reach the SEC title game, where its most likely opponent will be a rematch with Alabama. Georgia has some margin for error down the stretch but faces back-to-back ranked opponents in Missouri and South Carolina. If Georgia loses to Alabama in the SEC title game, it still has a great chance to get in as the runner-up because it could claim a regular-season victory against the eventual SEC champs. With its third loss, Ole Miss is likely to drop out of the top 12 because it doesn't have enough on its résumé to compensate for such a lopsided loss, even if it is to the best team in the country. And the Rebels probably won't face another ranked opponent on their schedule, so they need to beat Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State with some style points and hope more teams above them lose to have a chance.
Tennessee 34, Kentucky 6
Tennessee likely pushed itself off the bubble and into the top 12 with Saturday's convincing triumph against Kentucky, especially assuming Ohio State and Ole Miss both fall out with their third losses. Tennessee's 26-10 win against Alabama on Oct. 17 will continue to boost its résumé, especially with the Tide as the committee's top two-loss team. And the narrow loss at South Carolina doesn't look as bad, considering the Gamecocks are a CFP top 25 team and have been on a hot streak. Tennessee could crack the top 10, and its head-to-head win should keep it ahead of Kentucky, but the Wildcats aren't necessarily out (yet) as a two-loss team. There's not much margin for error, though, with games against Florida, Missouri and Louisville looming.
Oregon 41, Ohio State 28
Three-loss Ohio State will almost certainly fall out of the committee's top 12 on Tuesday night following its convincing home loss to Oregon -- its second straight defensive collapse in back-to-back defeats. This is one of the most impactful results among the earlier games because it essentially eliminates Ohio State, opens the door for a bubble team to enter the conversation and changes the whole Big Ten race. Ohio State's loss increases the chances of undefeated UCLA reaching the conference championship game. At No. 12, Ohio State was already out of the playoff field if it were set today because the Buckeyes would have been bumped out for Boise State, the highest-ranked Group of 6 team. Now, Ohio State's chances of locking up a playoff bid as the Big Ten champion have plummeted with consecutive conference losses to Oregon and USC. It's not impossible for a three-loss team to reach the CFP, but only two teams have done it and they both played in their conference championship game (Alabama earned a spot as the SEC runner-up last year and three-loss Clemson earned a spot as the ACC champion in 2024). The Buckeyes aren't going to reach the Big Ten title game now, though, without running the table and getting significant help. And if they're not in the Big Ten championship, the selection committee already made it clear it doesn't believe the Buckeyes are a playoff team. Saturday's result validated that.
Alabama 31, LSU 13
Alabama validated its position as the committee's top two-loss team in Saturday's win over LSU, though Texas could also make a case following its fourth victory against a CFP top-25 team. Alabama and Texas, though, now have strong enough résumés that they could leapfrog No. 4 Indiana in the second ranking on Tuesday night. Alabama's résumé will be impacted slightly by how Kentucky fares against Tennessee, as that Sept. 12 road win over UK was one of its résumé highlights, but the Tide passed the eye test on Saturday at LSU. It helped Alabama that South Carolina also won Saturday, as that's another CFP top-25 triumph that impressed the committee, along with its Oct. 3 win at Mississippi State. Alabama just passed its toughest remaining test and should be favored in each of its three remaining games: at Vanderbilt and home against Chattanooga and rival Auburn. With three losses, LSU is under pressure to run the table, which will be difficult with remaining games against Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas. It helps LSU that Ohio State lost and should tumble out of the top 12, but the way LSU lost to Alabama leaves doubt about whether it is a top-12 team, and the Tigers right now don't have enough on their résumé to prove it.
Utah 28, BYU 20
Utah's win against BYU keeps the undefeated Utes on track for a top-four seed and a first-round bye, while the loss might spell disaster for BYU. The selection committee was already stuck on BYU's defeat at UCF, and a second setback could drop it out of the top 12 entirely Tuesday, depending on what happens around it. The Big 12 can still get two teams in the CFP, though, as the most likely matchup in the Big 12 title game heading into Saturday was Texas Tech and Utah. Assuming the Red Raiders beat West Virginia later Saturday, that won't change. It's going to be difficult for BYU to compensate for these two losses, as it's unlikely to play another ranked opponent during the regular season. (BYU faces Baylor, Kansas and Cincinnati). And without a conference title, BYU's two-loss résumé probably won't measure up against other two-loss teams that have more impressive wins -- particularly from the SEC. BYU's résumé will also be impacted by how Notre Dame fares Saturday night against Miami. If Miami and Georgia both lose Saturday, Utah would have a strong case for the top spot. The Utes have margin for error with back-to-back road trips looming at Arizona and TCU before ending the season at home against West Virginia.
UCLA 34, Minnesota 20
Undefeated UCLA's win against Minnesota should keep it in position to host a first-round CFP game (awarded to teams seeded 5 to 8), but it is still unlikely to usurp undefeated Utah simply because the committee thinks Utah is better. "I think as we looked at those two teams and evaluated them while watching their games, felt like Utah was above UCLA and just a better team when we watch them play," committee chair Hunter Yurachek said. How high is UCLA's ceiling in the second ranking Tuesday night? It depends on what happens above them later Saturday, but statistically, the Bruins don't stand out on paper, with an average offense to complement a standout defense. UCLA's strength of schedule (currently No. 78) is also one of the worst among the CFP contenders. That was UCLA's fourth road win, though, and those carry more weight in the committee meeting room. It was also another victory against a team above .500, which will give UCLA's résumé another boost. UCLA has some much-needed margin for error heading into the final stretch, as ESPN's FPI gives the Bruins less than a 50% chance to beat both Michigan and USC, their final two opponents of the regular season.
Texas 34, Missouri 20
Texas further bolstered its case to be the top two-loss team in the country, depending on how Alabama fares against LSU. Texas now has one of the best résumés in the country, with wins against Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri. It also gives Texas a little bit of a cushion heading into a Week 11 game at LSU. Even with a third loss, Texas would still have a case for a CFP spot, but some of that could depend on how the game against LSU unfolds. Texas keeps finding ways to win in spite of itself, as penalties and turnovers continue to be a storyline. While it's still a little too early to rule Missouri out of the playoff conversation entirely, the Tigers' hopes are dire, but they still have opportunities to impress the committee the next two weeks against Georgia and Kentucky. Going 2-0 against them -- especially if they both win today -- could make for an interesting debate. Without them, though, Missouri probably doesn't have enough on its résumé to compensate for a third loss. The Tigers' best win is against Florida.
