College Football Playoff 12-Team Projections After Week 2

Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan projects the College Football Playoff after Week 2.

by Steven Lassan

Sep 14, 2026

Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan projects the College Football Playoff after Week 2.

Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

With Week 2 of the 2026 college football season in the books, it’s never too early to project how the 12-team playoff will look by December.

The projected field saw its first significant change of the year following Texas’ comeback victory to beat Ohio State. The Longhorns moved to No. 1, with Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and the Buckeyes rounding out the projected top five spots.

Oregon dropped out of the playoff field following a road loss at Oklahoma State. However, don’t count out the Ducks from playoff contention just yet. With 10 games remaining, including a few high-profile showdowns in Big Ten play, coach Dan Lanning’s team has plenty of time to play their way back into the 12-team field.

Although the season is just two weeks old, the impact of every game isn’t limited to just the top teams. Instead, each contest takes on an increased role due to eight additional spots in the playoff, as well as seeding, and the automatic bids for conference champions.

As a refresher: 12 teams — four champions from the power conferences, the highest-ranked Group of 6 team and seven highest-ranked at-large selections by the selection committee — will receive berths to the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame is also locked into the field if it finishes in the top 12 in the selection committee’s final rankings.

The top four highest-ranked teams receive a bye, with the first-round games slated to be played at the home sites of the higher seeds. Beginning with the quarterfinals, all games through the national championship will be played at bowl or neutral sites.

With Week 2 completed, Athlon Sports projects the CFP field for 2026:

College Football Playoff 12-Team Preseason Projections After Week 2

The Projected Field for 2026-27

Ranking All 138 College Football Teams for 2026

1. Texas (Projected SEC Champion)
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Indiana (Projected Big Ten Champion)
5. Ohio State
6. Miami (Projected ACC Champion)
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. Ole Miss
10. USC
11. Texas Tech (Projected Big 12 Champion)
12. Boise State (Projected Highest G6 Champion)

Bubble Watch After Week 2

Alabama (2-0)
Penn State (2-0)
Tennessee (2-0)
Utah (2-0)
Missouri (2-0)
BYU (2-0)
SMU (2-0)
Houston (2-0)
Michigan (2-0)
Oklahoma (1-1)
Oregon (1-1)
Washington (2-0)

G6 Playoff Contenders

Projected Conference Champions:Boise State, Memphis, North Dakota State, Liberty, Western Michigan, James Madison

Other G6 Teams in the Mix: New Mexico, UNLV, Air Force, San Diego State, Fresno State, Navy, Army, UTSA, Miami (Ohio), Delaware, Western Kentucky, Kennesaw State, Troy, Hawaii

College Football Playoff First Round

Sep 6, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) throws downfield against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Games to be played on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19. Contests will be played at home site of higher-ranked team.

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Miami vs. No. 11 Texas Tech
No. 7 LSU vs. No. 10 USC
No. 8 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 Ole Miss

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Sep 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah (10) stands in the pocket against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Second-round games will be played at bowl sites and will take place from Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.

Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 30)
Projection: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Miami

Peach Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 LSU

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 9 Ole Miss

Cotton Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Ohio State