College Football CHAOS: The Playoff Picture Gets Shaken Up | The Morning After

November 8, 2026 | The Morning After — Week 10

*Notre Dame takes down No. 1 Miami, Utah survives the Holy War, Oregon shocks Ohio State, and Tennessee makes a statement against Kentucky. After one of the wildest Saturdays of the season, it's time to rethink the College Football Playoff rankings.

Saturday Gave Us the Games. Sunday Morning, We Deal With the Consequences.

What's up, Benchwarmers!

If you needed a reminder of why college football is the greatest sport in America, Saturday provided about a dozen of them.

The No. 1 team in the country lost. An undefeated team survived its biggest rivalry game. One of the most recognizable programs in college football got embarrassed at home. Another top-six team went on the road and managed to score six points.

And somehow, that doesn't even cover everything that happened.

On Far End of the Bench, Niko and I had already circled two games heading into the weekend: the Holy War between BYU and Utah and the enormous matchup between Miami and Notre Dame. Both delivered storylines that will have a direct impact on the College Football Playoff.

But the beauty of college football is that the games you expect to matter aren't always the only ones that do.

Oregon walked into Columbus and made Ohio State look completely unprepared for the moment. Tennessee dismantled Kentucky. Georgia reminded everyone why it is still one of the most dangerous teams in the country.

Now the committee has a problem.

How do you rank an undefeated Utah team against a Georgia squad with better top-end victories? How much should Notre Dame rise after beating Miami? Should Tennessee be ranked ahead of Alabama because it actually beat Alabama? And what do you do with Oregon, which has three losses but just delivered one of the most impressive victories of the season?

I've got my own answers, and I'm not interested in letting the name on somebody's helmet make the decision for me.

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The Holy War: Utah Survives, BYU Lets One Slip Away

No. 3 Utah 28, No. 9 BYU 20

There are rivalry games, and then there are games where you can throw just about everything you thought you knew out the window.

The Holy War has always belonged in that second category.

Utah came into Saturday undefeated, sitting at No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and carrying national championship expectations. BYU was looking for its fourth consecutive victory in the rivalry, with an opportunity to completely change the Big 12 race.

For about five minutes, it looked like Utah might run away with this thing.

Devon Dampier led the Utes to touchdowns on their first two possessions, and suddenly Utah had a 14–0 lead.

Then BYU responded with 20 unanswered points and took a 20–14 advantage into halftime.

At that point, I was wondering whether Utah was about to experience the same thing we've watched happen to plenty of talented teams over the years: everything looks fantastic until somebody finally punches them in the mouth.

That's where the second half mattered.

Utah didn't panic. The Utes adjusted, got back to playing their style of football, and completely shut down the BYU offense.

Dampier finished with 177 passing yards, 89 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He was responsible for every Utah touchdown.

But the difference was the defense.

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw four interceptions, including two in the fourth quarter that ended potential scoring opportunities in the end zone.

From a coaching perspective, that is what separates good teams from championship-caliber teams.

Utah wasn't perfect. It turned the football over, lost control of the game for an entire quarter, and needed its defense to rescue several situations.

But when everything was going wrong, the Utes didn't abandon what they do well.

They adjusted. They executed. And they finished.

Utah is now 9–0 with a 15-game winning streak dating back to last season.

BYU falls to 7–2, and while the Cougars deserve credit for fighting back, four interceptions are simply too many mistakes to overcome against a team of Utah's caliber.

My takeaway: Utah didn't play its best game Saturday. That's precisely why I'm impressed. Championship teams eventually have to win when things aren't going according to plan. Utah just proved it can.

And as far as I'm concerned, the Utes have earned the No. 1 spot in the country.

Notre Dame Takes Down No. 1 Miami: The Irish Are Back in the Conversation

No. 11 Notre Dame 31, No. 1 Miami 24

This was the other matchup we highlighted on Far End of the Bench, and it might end up being the most important result of the entire weekend.

Miami entered South Bend undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country.

Notre Dame entered with one loss and an opportunity to prove it deserved substantially more respect than the committee was giving it.

By the middle of the third quarter, the Irish were leading 24–3.

Let me repeat that.

The No. 11 team in the country had built a 21-point lead against the No. 1 team.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr finished 29-of-40 for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Micah Gilbert added nine receptions for 98 yards and two scores.

What impressed me most was how Notre Dame attacked Miami early. The Irish were decisive, aggressive, and comfortable playing their game.

Miami looked like the team trying to figure things out.

Now, I'm not going to pretend the Hurricanes rolled over and accepted defeat.

Miami responded in the second half, with Darian Mensah throwing three touchdown passes and pulling the Hurricanes back within seven points.

But every time Miami threatened to take control, Notre Dame found a way to answer.

One of the biggest moments came when Irish safety Luke Talich intercepted Mensah as Miami attempted to complete its comeback. Notre Dame capitalized on the turnover with a touchdown that restored its two-possession advantage.

That's situational football.

Making a play when the moment demands it, then turning that opportunity into points.

The Irish eventually held on for a 31–24 victory, moving to 8–1 while handing Miami its first defeat.

The result creates one of the most interesting questions in college football.

Notre Dame lost to BYU earlier this season. BYU now has two losses, while Notre Dame just knocked off the No. 1 team.

How much should head-to-head matter compared to the entire body of work?

For me, both matter.

I'm not ignoring Notre Dame's loss to BYU. But I'm also not pretending that beating Miami isn't a better result than what the vast majority of college football has accomplished.

My takeaway: Notre Dame earned a spot in my top four. Miami is still a very good football team, but the Hurricanes don't deserve to remain near the top simply because that's where they started the week.

You have to keep earning your ranking.

Oregon Walks Into Columbus and Embarrasses Ohio State

No. 23 Oregon 41, No. 12 Ohio State 28

I don't know how many people expected Oregon to walk into Ohio Stadium and win this game.

I'm willing to bet even fewer expected the Ducks to do it the way they did.

Ohio State jumped ahead 14–0 in the first quarter. At home, with the crowd behind them and a chance to get some momentum back into their season, the Buckeyes seemed to have everything going their way.

Then Oregon scored 38 unanswered points.

Thirty-eight.

In Columbus.

Against Ohio State.

That's not a small adjustment or one lucky turnover. That is a football team completely changing the complexion of a game.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Dierre Hill Jr. added 75 rushing yards and two scores.

One of my favorite moments from a coaching standpoint was Oregon successfully running a fake punt on fourth-and-nine.

The Ducks found an opportunity, trusted their preparation, and executed in a situation where a mistake could have completely changed the game.

That kind of decision requires confidence in your players.

And when those players deliver, it can change the energy of an entire sideline.

For Ohio State, this is going to be a difficult loss to explain.

The Buckeyes are now 6–3, and after entering the year with national championship aspirations, they're staring at the possibility of missing the playoff entirely.

Ryan Day is going to have some serious questions to answer.

But I'm also not ready to crown Oregon a playoff team just because it won in Columbus.

The Ducks are 6–3.

Three losses still count.

Oregon just demonstrated that it is capable of beating a talented opponent in an extremely difficult environment. That absolutely deserves recognition.

It doesn't automatically erase everything that happened earlier in the season.

My takeaway: Oregon delivered one of the best wins of the weekend, and Dan Lanning deserves enormous credit for how his team responded to adversity.

But if we're going to reward teams for winning, we also have to hold them accountable for losing.

Tennessee Makes Its Case: The Volunteers Crush Kentucky

No. 13 Tennessee 34, No. 6 Kentucky 6

If there was one result Saturday that made me immediately question the committee's rankings, this was it.

Kentucky entered the game ranked No. 6.

Tennessee was No. 13.

By the time it was over, the Wildcats had managed six points and zero touchdowns.

Tennessee led 10–6 at halftime before outscoring Kentucky 24–0 in the second half.

The Volunteers' defense forced three turnovers and completely controlled the game.

Linebacker Arion Carter was outstanding, finishing with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Running back DeSean Bishop added 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

From my perspective as a football coach, this was as impressive as any performance Saturday.

You can have all the offensive talent in the world, but controlling the line of scrimmage, creating negative plays, and forcing your opponent into mistakes will win you a lot of football games.

Tennessee didn't need to get into a shootout. It made Kentucky play the game on Tennessee's terms.

And now we need to have a conversation about Alabama.

Remember, Tennessee beat Alabama 26–10 earlier this season.

Both teams are now 7–2.

Tennessee owns the head-to-head victory and has added another dominant performance against a top-six opponent.

I understand Alabama has played a difficult schedule. I understand the Tide has quality wins.

But at some point, we have to allow the football games to determine which team deserves to be ranked higher.

My takeaway: Tennessee belongs ahead of Alabama in my rankings. If we're going to ignore decisive head-to-head results between teams with identical records, then what exactly are we asking these teams to prove?

The 2-Minute Drill: Everything Else You Need to Know

We could spend the entire episode discussing those four games and still not cover all the biggest developments from Saturday.

So here are the other results that deserve your attention.

Georgia 42, Ole Miss 7

Georgia absolutely dismantled No. 10 Ole Miss on the road.

The Bulldogs are now 8–1 and have one of the best collections of quality victories in the country, including Alabama and Ole Miss.

I have Georgia at No. 2, but an argument that the Bulldogs deserve No. 1 is completely reasonable.

Alabama 31, LSU 13

Alabama scored the final 21 points against LSU to pull away in Baton Rouge.

The Tide are 7–2 and remain firmly in the playoff conversation. Their victory makes the SEC race even more interesting, but it doesn't change the fact that Tennessee already beat them.

Texas 34, Missouri 20

Arch Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns as Texas picked up another quality victory.

The Longhorns are 7–2, with victories over Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri.

That résumé deserves serious consideration, even with two losses.

UCLA 34, Minnesota 20

The Bruins are now 9–0.

I'll say that again because apparently being undefeated still isn't enough to get some people to pay attention.

UCLA also beat Oregon 17–15 earlier this season, and Oregon's victory over Ohio State only makes that result look more impressive.

Arizona 29, TCU 28

Friday night gave us another classic Big 12 finish, with Arizona escaping by one point.

Sometimes surviving a conference opponent is all that matters, and Arizona found a way to do it.

Texas Tech 53, West Virginia 48

Texas Tech survived a shootout in Lubbock to improve to 8–1.

The offense certainly did its part. Giving up 48 points at home, however, is something I want to see corrected before I start considering the Red Raiders a serious national championship contender.

Boise State 64, Colorado State 38

And for our Colorado college football fans, CSU gave up 64 points at home against Boise State.

The Broncos are now 8–1, while CSU falls to 3–6.

As somebody who loves football in this state, that is a frustrating result for a program that needs to continue building consistency.

The Pallotto Top 12: My College Football Playoff Rankings

Here's where I separate myself from the committee.

I'm not ranking teams based on which program has the biggest brand, who recruits the most five-star players, or who I think would win a hypothetical matchup in three weeks.

I'm ranking teams based on what they've accomplished.

Strength of schedule matters. Quality wins matter. Head-to-head results matter. And consistency matters.

The eye test is important, especially when evaluating how teams actually execute on the field, but I'm not allowing it to override the results.

With that established, here are my rankings entering the November 10 CFP release.

1. Utah Utes (9–0)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 3

The Utes are undefeated with victories over Houston and BYU, both ranked when Utah beat them. They have demonstrated the ability to win comfortably and survive difficult situations.

Georgia has an excellent argument for No. 1, but Utah has done something Georgia hasn't: won every game.

Until someone beats the Utes, they're my No. 1 team.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 2

Georgia has a victory over Alabama and just demolished Ole Miss 42–7 on the road.

Its high-end résumé might be the strongest in the country.

The loss to Auburn is the difference between Georgia and Utah for me, but the Bulldogs look fully capable of winning a national championship.

3. UCLA Bruins (9–0)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 8

UCLA deserves far more respect than it received in the initial playoff rankings.

The Bruins are undefeated, have won at Oregon, and continue to handle their business.

That Oregon victory looks much better following Saturday's result in Columbus.

We're not rewarding UCLA because of its history. We're rewarding what this team has accomplished in 2026.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 11

Beating the No. 1 team in the country deserves recognition.

Notre Dame dominated long stretches of its matchup with Miami and demonstrated that it can compete against elite opponents.

The BYU loss remains on the résumé, but the Irish have now added a signature victory that few other teams can match.

5. Texas Longhorns (7–2)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 7

Texas has beaten Ohio State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri.

That is an impressive collection of victories.

The losses to Oklahoma and Florida prevent the Longhorns from moving higher, but I'm not automatically placing one-loss teams ahead of Texas when they haven't beaten comparable competition.

6. Tennessee Volunteers (7–2)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 13

The Volunteers have beaten Alabama by 16 points and Kentucky by 28.

Those aren't moral victories or close losses against good teams.

Those are convincing wins.

With Tennessee and Alabama sharing identical records, I'm giving Tennessee the edge because it won the game that actually happened.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (7–2)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 5

Alabama has quality victories over Kentucky and LSU and has faced a difficult schedule.

The Tide deserve credit for that.

However, losses to Georgia and Tennessee matter, especially when both teams are being considered for spots above Alabama.

8. Miami Hurricanes (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 1

Miami's first loss doesn't erase eight victories, including a win over Wake Forest.

But losing to Notre Dame means we have to reevaluate the Hurricanes.

I'm not interested in protecting Miami's previous ranking just because the committee thought it was the best team a week ago.

That is no longer the case on my ballot.

9. Indiana Hoosiers (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 4

Indiana has put together another excellent season, with its lone defeat coming against Ohio State.

But the Hoosiers lack the same signature victory as many of the teams ranked above them.

Indiana didn't get worse by having a bye week. Other teams simply added meaningful evidence to their résumés.

10. BYU Cougars (7–2)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 9

BYU's victory over Notre Dame is significant, and its performance against Utah demonstrated that the Cougars can challenge quality opponents.

However, losses to UCF and Utah put them behind the stronger overall résumés on my board.

The head-to-head victory over Notre Dame still deserves attention. It is a legitimate criticism of my decision to rank the Irish fourth.

11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 15

Texas Tech has victories over Houston and Arizona, along with an 8–1 overall record.

The Red Raiders deserve a place in the Top 12.

However, allowing 48 points to West Virginia raises questions about whether this team can consistently hold up against more dangerous opponents.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8–1)

Previous CFP ranking: No. 16

Wake Forest has eight victories, with its only loss coming against Miami.

The Demon Deacons took care of business against Merrimack, winning 77–0, but beating an FCS opponent doesn't suddenly provide a signature victory.

Wake Forest earns the final spot because of its overall record, but the margin between No. 12 and the teams immediately outside my rankings is very small.

The First Four Out of My Rankings

Kentucky (7–2), Oregon (6–3), Houston (7–2), and Iowa (7–2).

Oregon has the strongest argument for inclusion after beating Ohio State.

Kentucky's loss to Tennessee was too convincing to ignore.

Houston and Iowa remain in the conversation, but I need to see more evidence before moving either inside the Top 12.

These rankings represent my evaluation of the teams—not the official CFP bracket. Conference-champion automatic bids will also help determine the actual 12-team field.

Three Questions the CFP Committee Needs to Answer

1. What Does Utah Need to Do to Be No. 1?

Utah is undefeated.

It has quality victories.

It has proven it can win close games.

At what point do we stop looking for reasons to rank another team ahead of the Utes and simply acknowledge what they've accomplished?

Georgia has a tremendous argument. But I'm rewarding Utah for winning every game on its schedule.

2. Why Would Alabama Be Ahead of Tennessee?

This is the one that bothers me the most.

Tennessee beat Alabama 26–10.

Both teams are 7–2.

Tennessee just destroyed a Kentucky team that entered the weekend ranked No. 6.

I understand strength of schedule is important, but head-to-head results cannot become optional evidence whenever they're inconvenient.

If we aren't willing to reward Tennessee for beating Alabama, what was the purpose of playing the game?

3. Is UCLA Being Punished for Its Name?

UCLA is 9–0.

The Bruins have beaten Oregon on the road, and that result became even more impressive Saturday.

Would an undefeated Ohio State, Alabama, or Georgia team with that résumé have been ranked eighth in the initial playoff rankings?

I have a difficult time believing that.

Program reputation should never be a substitute for evaluating what happened on the field.

What This Weekend Actually Told Me

There is still a lot of football left to play.

Conference championships haven't been decided. Injuries will affect teams. Programs that look unstoppable today could find themselves in completely different situations two weeks from now.

But Saturday reinforced something I believe strongly as both a football fan and a coach.

You have to earn everything.

Utah earned its undefeated record by overcoming adversity.

Notre Dame earned a massive victory by outplaying the nation's top-ranked team.

Oregon earned its moment in Columbus by refusing to let an early deficit define the game.

Tennessee earned respect by physically dominating Kentucky.

And those results deserve to mean something.

The beauty of college football is that we don't have to agree on every ranking or every interpretation of a performance.

That's why we watch.

That's why we argue.

And that's why the College Football Playoff should be determined by what teams accomplish on the field, not just what we thought they were before the season began.

The next CFP rankings arrive Tuesday, November 10. We'll find out whether the committee sees this weekend the way I do.

Now I want to hear from you, Benchwarmers: Who deserves to be No. 1—Utah or Georgia? Is Tennessee being underrated? And should Oregon be in the Top 12 despite three losses?

Let me know where you disagree.

Catch the full breakdown on The Morning After, part of Far End of the Bench, hosted by Jimmy Pallotto.

Far End of the Bench | YouTube: @FeOTBpod

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