Notre Dame knocked off the AP’s No. 1 team, Georgia dominated, and Tennessee exposed Kentucky’s weaknesses. The 2026 College Football Power Rankings Week 11 arrive after a consequential Saturday. The margin between contenders keeps shrinking as pressure grows.
The Irish beat Miami 31–24 behind CJ Carr’s three touchdown passes, while Georgia overwhelmed Ole Miss 42–7 on the road. Utah and UCLA stayed unbeaten. Kentucky couldn’t find the end zone at Tennessee, and Ohio State suffered another damaging loss, this time at home against Oregon. Texas and Alabama strengthened their cases with ranked road victories.
TFE Times weighs those performances independently rather than reproducing the AP Top 25. This week’s games carry the greatest weight, balanced against opponent quality, the season’s results and significant personnel changes. All records reflect completed games through November 7; AP positions come from the November 8 poll. Movement compares these rankings with TFE’s Week 10 list.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 1 | Previous TFE: No. 1 ↔
Georgia keeps No. 1 after beating Ole Miss 42–7 in Oxford, ending the Rebels’ 16-game home winning streak. Gunner Stockton accounted for five touchdowns, and the Bulldogs rushed for 295 yards.
That combination of offensive efficiency and defensive control against a ranked road opponent outweighs the Auburn loss. Nobody supplied a stronger championship argument this weekend.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 3 | Previous TFE: No. 5 ↑ 3
CJ Carr delivered 319 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 31–24 victory over Miami. Luke Talich supplied an interception and a crucial breakup when the Hurricanes threatened late.
Beating the unbeaten AP leader answers the résumé question that followed Notre Dame into November. Carr’s performance also gives his Heisman candidacy fresh, nationally relevant substance.
3. Utah Utes (9-0)
AP Rank: No. 2 | Previous TFE: No. 3 ↔
Utah’s 28–20 victory over BYU wasn’t spotless, but it was a meaningful test passed. The Utes overcame a halftime deficit and benefited from four Bear Bachmeier interceptions.
Notre Dame’s signature win narrowly earns the higher position; Utah’s victories over BYU and Houston keep it close. The next examination comes on the road at dangerous Arizona.
4. UCLA Bruins (9-0)
AP Rank: No. 4 | Previous TFE: No. 4 ↔
Ty Dieffenbach found Aidan Mizell for two 75-yard fourth-quarter touchdowns as unbeaten UCLA beat Minnesota 34–20. Dieffenbach finished with 303 passing yards, giving the Bruins explosive answers when the game tightened.
Winning on the road with Nico Iamaleava injured matters. UCLA stays fourth because its late separation was convincing, even if the earlier execution wasn’t.
5. Miami Hurricanes (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 5 | Previous TFE: No. 2 ↓ 3
Miami falls three places after losing 31–24 at Notre Dame, but its response preserves a top-five place. Darian Mensah threw three touchdowns despite Malachi Toney’s absence following ankle surgery.
The missing receiver significantly changes Miami’s offensive outlook moving forward. Still, a seven-point road loss against an elite opponent doesn’t erase eight wins or championship potential.
6. Texas Longhorns (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 8 | Previous TFE: No. 9 ↑ 3
Texas turned a 20–13 deficit into a 34–20 road win over Missouri, another demonstration of its growing late-game finishing strength. The Longhorns scored the game’s final 21 points.
Three straight victories earn a three-place promotion. Texas gets the edge over Tennessee partly because it won their meeting; the upcoming trip to LSU offers another test.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 9 | Previous TFE: No. 17 ↑ 10
Tennessee’s 34–6 dismantling of Kentucky demands a ten-place jump. The Volunteers kept the Wildcats out of the end zone, forced three turnovers and scored 24 unanswered points after halftime.
Arion Carter’s 13 tackles and two sacks underline that impact. With wins over Kentucky and Alabama, Tennessee has increasingly compelling evidence supporting its renewed top-ten standing.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 7 | Previous TFE: No. 13 ↑ 5
Alabama’s 31–13 victory at LSU earns a five-place rise, although Tennessee’s head-to-head win keeps the Tide behind the Volunteers. Keelon Russell threw three touchdown passes in Baton Rouge.
LSU generated 457 yards, so this wasn’t defensive perfection. Alabama’s critical stops and finishing nevertheless strengthen its case. The margin rewards execution rather than simply accumulating yardage.
9. Indiana Hoosiers (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 6 | Previous TFE: No. 6 ↓ 3
Indiana was idle, staying 8–1 while Texas, Tennessee and Alabama added ranked victories. The Hoosiers slide three places as those competing national cases strengthened.
The 23–16 overtime escape against Minnesota belongs to the previous weekend, not this one. Hosting USC now gives Indiana an opportunity to replace narrow survival with a more persuasive overall performance.
10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 10 | Previous TFE: No. 12 ↑ 2
Texas Tech survived West Virginia 53–48 behind five touchdown passes from Thomas Castellanos. The offense delivers; the concern is surrendering 48 points to a 5–4 opponent.
The Red Raiders rise two places as others falter, but a place in the top ten carries reservations. They need fewer shootouts and more defensive resistance to look championship-ready.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 11 | Previous TFE: No. 14 ↑ 3
Wake Forest flattened Merrimack 77–0, handling an FCS opponent authoritatively. The margin demonstrates execution, although it doesn’t carry the value of a ranked victory.
The Demon Deacons climb three places without leapfrogging teams that faced tougher tests. Their 5–1 ACC record makes the trip to SMU a revealing assignment against considerably more demanding conference opposition.
12. BYU Cougars (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 12 | Previous TFE: No. 11 ↓ 1
BYU lost 28–20 at Utah despite outgaining the Utes 391–328. Four interceptions from Bear Bachmeier explain why the Cougars couldn’t convert its superior yardage into a victory.
The earlier win over Notre Dame remains valuable, limiting the drop to one place. But recent inconsistency prevents BYU from borrowing the Irish’s momentum to excuse its own mistakes.
13. USC Trojans (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 15 | Previous TFE: No. 16 ↑ 3
USC had an open weekend after beating Ohio State 30–18 on October 31. That conference win remains meaningful in November, although the Buckeyes’ subsequent loss takes some shine off the opponent.
A three-place rise recognizes USC’s position as several teams above it stumble. Winning at Indiana would provide much stronger support for another substantial climb.
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 16 | Previous TFE: No. 19 ↑ 5
Iowa beat Northwestern 24–10 with six sacks while allowing one conversion in 11 third-down attempts. L.J. Phillips Jr. added 128 rushing yards, while Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
That’s defensive pressure, rushing production and special teams working together. A five-place jump rewards a road performance with several dependable ways to win.
15. Kentucky Wildcats (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 13 | Previous TFE: No. 7 ↓ 8
Kentucky’s six-game winning streak ended with a 34–6 loss at Tennessee. Three turnovers and no touchdowns make this more damaging than a respectable road defeat against another contender.
The Wildcats drop eight spots, retaining credit for seven wins while surrendering momentum. Their 5–2 conference record preserves a relevant SEC position, but the offense needs answers.
16. Houston Cougars (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 14 | Previous TFE: No. 20 ↑ 4
Re’Shaun Sanford’s 51-yard touchdown run broke a fourth-quarter tie in Houston’s 31–24 win over Cincinnati. Sanford rushed for 126 yards, and Conner Weigman accounted for three touchdowns.
Cincinnati erased an early deficit, so this wasn’t sustained control. Houston rises four places, with its competitive road loss at unbeaten Utah providing useful context for its ceiling.
17. Oregon Ducks (6-3)
AP Rank: No. 18 | Previous TFE: Unranked — New
Oregon enters after winning 41–28 at Ohio State, following its victory over Northwestern. The Ducks turned a difficult start into a decisive win against our previous No. 8.
Three losses restrict the promotion, but consecutive wins over credible Big Ten opponents signal improvement. Oregon belongs ahead of the Buckeyes on both immediate form and head-to-head evidence.
18. Boise State Broncos (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 17 | Previous TFE: No. 21 ↑ 3
Boise State scored 64 points at Colorado State, winning by 26 and extending its winning streak to eight games. That earns a three-place rise.
Allowing 38 points still matters against a 3–6 opponent. The Broncos remain a serious playoff contender from the rebuilt Pac-12, but their defense leaves less room for error than the record suggests.
19. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3)
AP Rank: No. 20 | Previous TFE: Unranked — New
South Carolina joins the rankings after beating Texas A&M 17–9, its fourth straight win. The Gamecocks denied the Aggies a touchdown and scored the final ten points.
This wasn’t an offensive showcase against a 4–5 opponent. Combined with the recent win over Tennessee, however, it supplies enough evidence to displace teams now moving backward.
20. New Mexico Lobos (8-1)
AP Rank: No. 23 | Previous TFE: No. 25 ↑ 5
New Mexico’s 31–3 win at Nevada featured a defense that allowed only 97 yards, including six after halftime. Scottre Humphrey rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
The opponent limits the result’s weight, but that control merits a five-place rise. At 5–0 in Mountain West play, the Lobos have turned consistency into a convincing position.
21. SMU Mustangs (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 25 | Previous TFE: No. 24 ↑ 3
SMU rebounded from its Syracuse defeat by beating Virginia Tech 51–28 on Friday. The Hokies arrived 6–2, making this a substantial recovery against an opponent with genuine remaining conference ambitions.
The Mustangs climb three places because the response was emphatic. Hosting Wake Forest now offers a direct comparison with an ACC contender ten spots higher.
22. Arizona Wildcats (7-2)
AP Rank: No. 22 | Previous TFE: No. 22 ↔
Arizona needed a recovered onside kick and Michael Salgado-Medina’s late field goal to escape TCU 29–28. The Wildcats found a way to win after their failed two-point attempt threatened defeat.
That resourcefulness preserves their position, but a home escape against a 4–5 opponent doesn’t justify promotion. Unbeaten Utah’s visit will test Arizona’s margin for error immediately.
23. Ole Miss Rebels (6-3)
AP Rank: No. 19 | Previous TFE: No. 10 ↓ 13
Ole Miss drops 13 places after Georgia won 42–7 in Oxford. The Rebels managed 252 yards and didn’t score until the fourth quarter, a reversal for a normally productive offense.
Georgia’s quality prevents treating this like a loss to an ordinary opponent. The scale of the defeat leaves little basis for retaining a top-ten position.
24. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-3)
AP Rank: No. 21 | Previous TFE: No. 8 ↓ 16
Ohio State falls 16 spots after losing 41–28 to Oregon in Columbus, following its USC defeat. Luke Fahey threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns, but production didn’t prevent another decisive defeat.
Julian Sayin’s injury remains important context, not an explanation for everything. Consecutive defensive breakdowns push the Buckeyes down despite their earlier win over Indiana.
25. LSU Tigers (6-3)
AP Rank: No. 24 | Previous TFE: No. 15 ↓ 10
LSU gained 457 yards against Alabama but lost 31–13, exposing its problems finishing possessions. The Tigers briefly led in the third quarter before Alabama took over.
Lane Kiffin’s team drops ten places because its three-loss résumé needs stronger recent evidence. Texas visits next, giving LSU an immediate chance to make this position look too pessimistic.
The Power Five
1. Georgia: The strongest combination of road dominance, rushing production and defensive control keeps the Bulldogs first. That outweighs their loss.
2. Notre Dame: Carr’s command and the victory over Miami supply the signature performance the Irish needed.
3. Utah: Unbeaten and tested against BYU and Houston, the Utes combine consistency with conference wins. Arizona presents the next challenge.
4. UCLA: The Bruins win despite quarterback disruption. Their finish at Minnesota demonstrated resilience.
5. Miami: A narrow road defeat leaves the Hurricanes among the favorites, although adjusting without Toney is central.
Georgia sets the standard, but Notre Dame has tightened the argument. Utah at Arizona, Texas at LSU, USC at Indiana and Wake Forest at SMU give Week 11 consequences. The next CFP rankings will reflect this weekend. November’s work is far from finished.
