The first College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday night. Of course, they were met with a lot of opinion and critique of the playoff committee.

But as we know, there are four weeks left of college football and a lot is going to change week-to-week. This weekend will change things drastically. Week 10 will provide some high-end contests that are going to change the landscape of the 2026 season as we know it.

However, there are some clear winners and losers from the initial rankings. Let’s dive in.

MORE: Joel Klatt has surprising college football team ranked No. 7, BYU snubbed from top 10

Winner: Alabama ranked No. 5

NCAA Football: Georgia at Alabama
Oct 10, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell (12) scrambles with the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

There is no bigger winner than Alabama. People talk about SEC bias, and whether you believe that or not is up to you, but it’s clear the committee believes in the Crimson Tide. Alabama is the lone two-loss team in the top five of the rankings.

The Tide’s two losses are against No. 2 Georgia and No. 13 Tennessee, which gives Alabama arguably the best two losses in college football. But still, to be ranked above 8-0 UCLA and one-loss teams like BYU, Kentucky and Notre Dame is quite interesting.

Loser: UCLA ranked No. 8

NCAA Football: Nevada at UCLA
Oct 31, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Sammy Omosigho (10) poses for a photo after defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 27-0 at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

While Alabama is the biggest winner, the biggest loser is UCLA. The Bruins have literally done nothing but win and UCLA is on the borderline of being a top-10 team. What’s even more impressive is that the Bruins find new ways to win.

UCLA was just outscoring everyone, but once Nico Iamaleava went out for the season, the Bruins’ defense has stepped up and is a big reason they continue to win. It’s possible the committee is taking into account that their starting quarterback is out, but still, it feels like UCLA is being punished for winning.

The committee is essentially telling UCLA that if it loses one game this season, the Bruins won’t be in the playoff.

Winner: Texas ranked No. 7

NCAA Football: Mississippi State at Texas
Oct 31, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands off the ball to running back Michael Terry III (11) during the first half against the Mississippi State Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

While Alabama has the best two losses, Texas might have the best three wins of anyone. The Longhorns beat Ohio State, Tennessee, and Ole Miss this season. But what makes you question Texas’ No. 7 ranking is that it has two losses and neither of them is ‘good’.

Back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida could’ve made the Longhorns tumble, yet with two losses, Texas is in a favorable position. Texas has two ranked opponents left on its schedule: Missouri and LSU — it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that a three-loss Texas team finds its way into the playoff.

Loser: Notre Dame ranked No. 11

NCAA Football: Notre Dame at Brigham Young
Oct 17, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) calls a play against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

If the committee is telling UCLA it can’t lose another game, what does that say about Notre Dame? The Irish were the preseason No. 4 ranked team, per the AP Top 25 poll, and with one loss, Notre Dame is really on the brink of making the playoff.

Notre Dame being an independent team is always talked about and the Irish have already lost their lone big game this season. After losing to BYU, the committee isn’t favoring the Irish’s schedule at all. Lose this week to Miami, Notre Dame might be out for the second year in a row.

Loser: Wake Forest ranked No. 16

NCAA Football: Virginia at Wake Forest
Oct 31, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Gio Lopez (3) looks to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Wake Forest’s lone loss came to Miami in Week 3 of the season, but the Demon Deacons have been a force. Wake Forest is among the best scoring teams in the nation, and Jake Dickert has both sides of the ball playing at a high level.

But this goes to show how the committee feels about the ACC. The SEC is really being favored in the opening rankings, with both the Big Ten and Big 12 having two teams inside the top-12.

The issue for Wake Forest is that it doesn’t play anymore ranked teams and that’s due to a weak conference. However, if it wins out, a one-loss Demon Deacons team will make the 12-team playoff.

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Source: Yahoo Sports