NCAAF · 1 hour ago

2026 College Football Playoff: Biggest Losers and Winners

Grant White

Host · Writer

Winners: The Texas Tech Red Raiders
No team rose further in the college football rankings than the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Big 12 Champions started the season as distant +15000 longshots in college football futures betting. By the end of Week 15, the Red Raiders were cemented into the fourth seed and guaranteed a first-round bye.

Texas Tech had one of the most productive transfer windows of any program. They added players at every level on defense, also recruiting a couple of key offensive contributors. Still, their transformation didn't start in 2025. This program has been building over the past few seasons, earning more recruiting power with each successful campaign.

The Red Raiders may be built for this season, but they will become a recruiting destination for years to come. Texas Tech's arrival in 2025 proves that any program can move into National Championship contention when done right.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
Losers: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Undoubtedly, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were the biggest losers when the 2026 College Football Playoff field was announced. From the outset of the CFP rankings, the Independents were ranked inside the top ten, all but assuring themselves of a spot in the 12-team field. Shockingly, they were dropped from contention in the latest rankings, with the CFP Committee using its curious logic to remove the Fighting Irish.

In case you missed it, the CFP Committee addressed Notre Dame's removal from the field. They noted that by virtue of BYU's loss, the Miami Hurricanes were moved into the top ten. With Miami achieving victory over the Fighting Irish in Week 1, more weight was placed on that outcome than on the 11 other games. In doing so, Miami usurped Notre Dame and was given priority in the playoff draw.

We can't act surprised. The College Football Playoff Committee does this every year. They wait until the last possible second to betray deserving teams, and this year that came at Notre Dame's expense. The Irish responded by refusing to participate in a bowl game this season. Still, the only message that was received is that the CFP will continue to do whatever it wants to suit its desires.

Have all the intel you need? Free, actionable information is just one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.
Winners: Alabama Crimson Tide
There were more deserving teams than the Alabama Crimson Tide (see previous). There were teams with more wins, and there were programs with fewer losses. Nevertheless, the CFP Committee wasn't about to embark on the playoff journey without its darling Crimson Tide in tow.

According to CFP selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek, the committee wasn't about to punish Alabama for one bad performance in the SEC Championship Game. Even though this is the same team that lost to an unranked Florida State squad that finished the season 5-7 and dropped a 23-21 decision to Oklahoma as -6.5 chalk, the CFP felt Bama deserved a playoff spot as a three-loss team.

Three losses would have kept every other football team out of the College Football Playoff. But not Alabama. The Crimson Tide should consider themselves winners, which is a distinction they probably won't earn in the first round of the playoffs.
Losers: Vanderbilt Commodores
For years, the Vanderbilt Commodores were the laughingstock of the SEC. The perennial basement dwellers had appeared in just one bowl game over the last six seasons, consistently ranking among the worst teams in the conference. While they made a sincere run up the standings in 2025, the Commodores are left pondering what could have been after being excluded from the 12-team field.

Vanderbilt's sterling 10-2 record was one of the best in the country. A heartbreaking loss to Texas in Week 10 was the difference between making the playoffs and being relegated to a meaningless bowl game. Still, some in the community feel that the Commodores were deserving of a playoff spot.

Vandy closed out the campaign on a three-game winning streak, besting Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee, recording 45 points in all three contests. But losses to Alabama and Texas were too much to overlook as the CFP Committee felt that Vanderbilt's top-ten offense didn't deserve a spot in the postseason.
Winners: The Group of 5
Over the last couple of seasons, the top-five ranked conference winners have been assured of a playoff berth. By extension, that meant that at least one Group of 5 program would be included in every playoff bracket. No one could have ever predicted that the current CFP format would necessitate two Group of 5 champions. Thanks to Duke's upset win over Virginia, that's precisely what happened this season.

The Tulane Green Wave had the inside track ahead of Week 15. The highest-ranked Group of 5 squad, Tulane, was ranked 20th ahead of its AAC Championship win over North Texas. After their triumph, the Green Wave were virtually guaranteed a spot in this year's playoff bracket. The James Madison Dukes were the other Group of 5 champion, starting Week 15 as the last-ranked team in the CFP standings. Their Sun Belt Championship didn't come as easily as expected, but the Dukes still took care of business versus Troy. At the time, JMU looked destined for a notable bowl berth, but they were still priced as underdogs to make the playoffs.

With previously unranked Duke taking the ACC crown, the CFP Committee was left deciding which other Group of 5 champion would earn one of the automatic bids. Their decision was easier than expected, as James Madison stood ahead of any other contender.

The impact of two Group of 5 teams making the playoffs will have far-reaching positive consequences. While they don't stand a chance against the premier competition, Tulane and James Madison's inclusion is good for college football.
Losers: The ACC
They say parity is good for sport, but the ACC is a testament to that not being the case.

At various points this season, eight different ACC programs were ranked inside the Top 25. By the end of the campaign, the only team that was included in the College Football Playoff bracket was a Miami Hurricanes team that lost to Louisville and SMU. The 8-5 Duke Blue Devils reigned supreme in the conference, ousting the formerly seventh-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 17th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, and 22nd-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers from contention.

With the impending playoff format changes starting in 2026, Duke would have been guaranteed a playoff spot in next year's bracket. But if these teams can't even get past each other, they don't stand a chance against the best teams in the country.
Winners: The Texas Tech Red Raiders
No team rose further in the college football rankings than the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Big 12 Champions started the season as distant +15000 longshots in college football futures betting. By the end of Week 15, the Red Raiders were cemented into the fourth seed and guaranteed a first-round bye.

Texas Tech had one of the most productive transfer windows of any program. They added players at every level on defense, also recruiting a couple of key offensive contributors. Still, their transformation didn't start in 2025. This program has been building over the past few seasons, earning more recruiting power with each successful campaign.

The Red Raiders may be built for this season, but they will become a recruiting destination for years to come. Texas Tech's arrival in 2025 proves that any program can move into National Championship contention when done right.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
Losers: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Undoubtedly, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were the biggest losers when the 2026 College Football Playoff field was announced. From the outset of the CFP rankings, the Independents were ranked inside the top ten, all but assuring themselves of a spot in the 12-team field. Shockingly, they were dropped from contention in the latest rankings, with the CFP Committee using its curious logic to remove the Fighting Irish.

In case you missed it, the CFP Committee addressed Notre Dame's removal from the field. They noted that by virtue of BYU's loss, the Miami Hurricanes were moved into the top ten. With Miami achieving victory over the Fighting Irish in Week 1, more weight was placed on that outcome than on the 11 other games. In doing so, Miami usurped Notre Dame and was given priority in the playoff draw.

We can't act surprised. The College Football Playoff Committee does this every year. They wait until the last possible second to betray deserving teams, and this year that came at Notre Dame's expense. The Irish responded by refusing to participate in a bowl game this season. Still, the only message that was received is that the CFP will continue to do whatever it wants to suit its desires.

Have all the intel you need? Free, actionable information is just one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

2026 College Football Playoff: Biggest Losers and Winners

Sports Betting

Sportsbook Promos

Social Casinos