Saturday CFP Stakes: Miami, BYU, Alabama and Georgia

Four Saturday games carry real College Football Playoff stakes. No. 1 Miami visits No. 6 Notre Dame. No. 7 BYU goes to No. 2 Utah. No. 12 Alabama plays at No. 15 LSU. No. 4 Georgia plays at No. 14 Ole Miss. Ranks are from our Week 9 FBS Top 25.

None of those games can knock a team out of the 12-team field on its own. Together, they can change how the committee sees the top of the bracket when the next rankings come out Tuesday night.

The selection committee released its first CFP rankings of 2026 on Tuesday, Nov. 3. All eight of these teams are in that top 14, and Miami, Georgia and Utah hold three of the top four spots. Under this year's seeding rules, the top four earn first-round byes even without a conference title. The committee is higher than we are on Alabama and lower on Notre Dame. For the full side-by-side, read how the first CFP rankings compare to our FBS Top 25.

Miami at Notre Dame: No. 1 visits South Bend

Miami is 8-0 and 6-0 in the ACC. The Hurricanes also top the committee's list for the first time in program history, and they have won every game on their 2026 football schedule. Notre Dame Stadium is the next test, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Notre Dame is 7-1, though the committee placed the Irish lower than our poll does. The Irish already have a loss at BYU. A home win over No. 1 Miami would be their clearest résumé answer before the Nov. 10 rankings. A loss would not end Notre Dame's season, but it would leave the Irish looking for another signature win.

Miami can protect its unbeaten record and the top-four bye that comes with it. Quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney lead the Hurricanes' offense. Notre Dame counters with quarterback CJ Carr. This is a résumé game for both sides, not a one-night verdict on the playoff.

BYU at Utah: Holy War with playoff edges

Utah is 8-0 and 5-0 in the Big 12, alone atop the Big 12 standings. The Utes are in the committee's top four, their best CFP ranking ever. Kickoff is noon ET on ABC at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

BYU is 7-1 and 4-1, tied with Texas Tech for second in the league. The Cougars' only loss came 39-31 in double overtime at UCF on Oct. 24. They also beat Notre Dame, which is why this game carries weight beyond the state rivalry.

Quarterback Devon Dampier has completed 158 of 227 passes for 1,876 yards and 18 touchdowns, with seven interceptions, for Utah. Running back Wayshawn Parker has 726 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. BYU needs the kind of road win that makes the UCF loss look smaller. Utah needs to stay unbeaten while a crowded Big 12 chase sits one loss behind.

A Utah win strengthens its case for a top-four seed. A BYU win would scramble the Big 12 race and give the Cougars a second high-end victory. Either way, the loser is not out of the 12-team picture. Its path just gets harder.

Alabama at LSU: Death Valley, high leverage

Alabama is 6-2 and 4-2 in the SEC. The committee rates the Crimson Tide well above their No. 12 spot in our poll, one of the widest gaps on the board. Their losses came 20-17 at home to Georgia and 26-10 at Tennessee. They answered with a 31-20 win over Texas A&M, then had a bye.

LSU is also 6-2, at 3-2 in the league. The Tigers host the Crimson Tide at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Tiger Stadium.

Quarterback Keelon Russell has thrown for 2,057 yards and 15 touchdowns for Alabama. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt has 2,173 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes, plus eight rushing touchdowns. Running back Dilin Jones has 657 rushing yards, and receiver Jackson Harris has 634 receiving yards.

For Alabama, another SEC road win would back up the committee's high placement. For LSU, beating Alabama at home would lift its résumé in a crowded SEC race. The loser leaves Baton Rouge with three losses and a tougher case to make before the Nov. 10 rankings.

Georgia at Ole Miss: SEC night game, bracket weight

Georgia is 7-1 and 5-1 in the SEC, tied with Kentucky for first in the SEC standings. Their only loss came 27-24 at home to Auburn. They followed it with a 27-8 win over Florida in Atlanta.

Ole Miss is 6-2 and 4-2. Their losses came 52-28 at Florida and 34-27 at Texas, and they beat Auburn 45-15 last Saturday. They host Georgia at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Gunner Stockton has completed 130 of 181 passes for 1,671 yards and 16 touchdowns for Georgia. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has 2,189 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on 189-of-296 passing.

A Georgia win keeps the Bulldogs on the short list for a bye and on track for the SEC title game. An Ole Miss win would pull the Rebels even with Georgia in the SEC loss column and give them the head-to-head edge. Neither result finishes the race. It changes who holds the leverage.

What Saturday means for the bracket

Saturday will not settle the final 12. It will show which résumés still look like top-four material and which two-loss SEC and Big 12 teams need another statement win.

Miami and Utah are trying to stay unbeaten. Georgia is trying to hold a top-four spot with the Auburn loss already on its record. Alabama is trying to justify a CFP ranking well above our poll. BYU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and LSU are all chasing the kind of win the committee has to respect.

This is not a bracket projection. For the latest bowl and playoff board, see Omar-Rashon Borja's 2026 Week Ten bowl projections. For the Irish's independent path, read The Notre Dame-Navy Game and the College Football Playoff.

How to watch Saturday's CFP stakes games

• BYU at Utah: Noon ET on ABC from Rice-Eccles Stadium
• Alabama at LSU: 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC from Tiger Stadium
• Georgia at Ole Miss: 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
• Miami at Notre Dame: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock from Notre Dame Stadium

When are the next CFP rankings?

The committee meets Nov. 9-10 and releases its next rankings Tuesday, Nov. 10, at about 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.