Alabama No. 5 in First CFP Rankings: Full 2026 Top 25, SEC Teams and What Saturday at LSU Could Change

Alabama is No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026. The 6-2 Tide are the highest-ranked two-loss team. If the season ended today, Alabama would host No. 12 seed Boise State in the first round. The Tide play at No. 14 LSU on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

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Why is Alabama ranked No. 5?

The committee leaned on Alabama’s wins. Committee chair Hunter Yurachek pointed to road wins at Kentucky, now No. 6, and Mississippi State, plus a win over South Carolina, now No. 21. ESPN Analytics rates Alabama’s schedule as the seventh hardest in the FBS.

The placement surprised many observers. Alabama lost 20-17 to Georgia and 26-10 at Tennessee in back-to-back games in October, and Tennessee sits eight spots lower at No. 13. Yurachek said Tennessee does not have the same level of quality wins. The Tide are No. 9 in the AP Top 25.

What is the full CFP Top 25?

Rank	Team	Record
1	Miami	8-0
2	Georgia	7-1
3	Utah	8-0
4	Indiana	8-1
5	Alabama	6-2
6	Kentucky	7-1
7	Texas	6-2
8	UCLA	8-0
9	BYU	7-1
10	Ole Miss	6-2
11	Notre Dame	7-1
12	Ohio State	6-2
13	Tennessee	6-2
14	LSU	6-2
15	Texas Tech	7-1
16	Wake Forest	7-1
17	Houston	6-2
18	Missouri	6-2
19	Iowa	6-2
20	USC	7-2
21	South Carolina	5-3
22	Arizona	6-2
23	Oregon	5-3
24	Florida	5-3
25	Boise State	7-1

The SEC has 10 teams in the Top 25: Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida.

What would the playoff look like today?

Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana would get first-round byes. Five conference champions get guaranteed spots, so No. 25 Boise State would take the 12 seed and push Ohio State out. First-round games are played on the higher seed’s campus.

Higher seed (host)	Visitor
No. 5 Alabama	No. 12 Boise State
No. 6 Kentucky	No. 11 Notre Dame
No. 7 Texas	No. 10 Ole Miss
No. 8 UCLA	No. 9 BYU

This is only a snapshot. The first round is Dec. 18-19, and the title game is Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Who does Alabama play next?

Alabama (6-2, 4-2 SEC) plays at LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC at Tiger Stadium. One of them will take a third loss. Read our Alabama at LSU preview for the last meetings and series history.

Here are the Saturday SEC games, in Central time. Times come from the published TV list, so confirm before you plan around one.

Time (CT)	Game	TV
11 a.m.	No. 7 Texas at No. 18 Missouri	ESPN
11:45 a.m.	Arkansas at Auburn	SEC Network
2 p.m.	Texas A&M at No. 21 South Carolina	ESPN
2:30 p.m.	No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU	ABC
3:15 p.m.	Vanderbilt at Mississippi State	SEC Network
5:15 p.m.	No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee	ESPN
6:30 p.m.	No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss	ABC
6:45 p.m.	Oklahoma at No. 24 Florida	SEC Network

Where should you watch Alabama at LSU in Tuscaloosa?

Our guide to sports bars in Tuscaloosa lists spots with plenty of screens, and the Tuscaloosa bars guide has more options. Tonight’s bar and food specials list the latest deals. Basketball is also back: see our Alabama 96, Sam Houston 74 recap.

You must be 21+ to drink. Get home safe with UA’s 348-RIDE (205-348-7433) or a rideshare.

Where is Alabama in the College Football Playoff rankings?

Alabama is No. 5 in the first rankings, released Nov. 3, 2026. The Tide are 6-2 and the highest-ranked two-loss team.

When do the next CFP rankings come out?

The next rankings come out Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. The final rankings and the playoff field come out Sunday, Dec. 6.

How many SEC teams are in the first CFP rankings?

Ten. Georgia is the highest at No. 2, followed by Alabama at No. 5 and Kentucky at No. 6.

Rankings are from the College Football Playoff selection committee’s Nov. 3 release, as reported by ESPN, theScore and Yahoo Sports. Own a bar or restaurant near campus? Sponsor our game recaps.