October 17, 2026Updated October 18, 2026, 1:52 a.m. ET
After perhaps the wildest weekend for top-ranked teams in modern college football history, Miami is expected to rise to No. 1 in the LBM America Coaches Poll for the first time since the penultimate poll of the 2002 season.
A record five of the top eight in last week’s poll lost: Georgia (previously No. 1), Notre Dame (No. 2), Indiana (No. 4), Texas (No. 6) and Alabama (No. 7). That number would have increased to six if the Hurricanes hadn’t beaten Florida State 43-35 in double overtime.
Another team has an argument for first place in Ohio State, which held first place until losing to Texas last month. Over the past two weeks, the Buckeyes’ wins against Iowa and then Saturday at Indiana are better than anything on Miami’s resume.
However, the Hurricanes are undefeated and were No. 3 last week, so they are improving. Miami won the national championship in 2001 and was No. 1 for all of 2002 before losing the Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State.
Here’s what the top 10 should look like in what will be a wild coaches poll:
1.Miami (6-0)
There’s no big win on Miami’s record, but there are a few solid ones, starting with the ranked win over No. 23 Wake Forest. This is more of a default climb to first place than validation of the Hurricanes as the best team in the country.
2. Ohio State (6-1)
By the end of the night, the Buckeyes had gone from their victory over Indiana to being at the forefront of the Big Ten to almost back in first place. But the bad news is the injury to quarterback Julian Sayin, which is expected to sideline him for several weeks.
3. Brigham Young (6-0)
There will be debate over No. 2. BYU probably has the best overall win at Notre Dame, although the Buckeyes have Iowa and Indiana on the road. Expect the Cougars to jump five spots from last week’s poll. This will be their first entry into the top five since 1996.
4. Georgia (6-1)
And this is where things are going to get very unpredictable. Georgia led 14-0 but lost 28-24 to Auburn. Considering everything that has collapsed around them, being down three points seems ideal for the Bulldogs. If Saturday taught us anything, it’s that no one is perfect.
5. Notre Dame (5-1)
There was a near-memorable comeback orchestrated by CJ Carr, who drove the Irish all the way to the BYU 9-yard line before throwing an incompletion into the end zone as time expired. It was a tough loss and one that could prove very important if the Irish lose to Miami next month. If so, they may still have to sweat.
6. Indiana (6-1)
The Hoosiers will fall in the polls but perhaps shouldn’t, especially after all that separated the loss to Ohio State from a late victory was only a few inches. If Josh Hoover’s final pass hadn’t gone a little too far toward the left sideline, Indiana would have dominated the Buckeyes and moved up to No. 2.
7. Texas Tech (6-0)
Tech finally looked like a Big 12 bully by scoring 21 points in the first quarter, 22 points in the second quarter and beating Arizona State 53-25. At a minimum, that’s what the Red Raiders were supposed to do in conference. But ASU is much worse than last season, so Tech will remain the biggest enigma of all the teams near the top of the poll.
A fluky loss to Florida knocked Ole Miss off the map, for whatever reason. All the Rebels have done before and since is look like one of the best teams in the Power Four, like in a 31-3 win over Missouri that was opened with a crucial touchdown late in the first half. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 241 yards and the offense totaled nearly 500 yards.
9. Utah (6-0)
The Utes should move into the top 10 thanks to these losses to Texas and Alabama and a loss to Colorado on Saturday night. They have quietly been dynamite under new coach Morgan Scalley, especially on offense. A clash against Houston with a loss awaits you.
10.Tennessee (6-1)
This is a very difficult team to understand. The Volunteers lost to Texas, were very modest in their victories against Auburn and Arkansas, then had the program’s biggest victory against Alabama this century. What gives? The win will give Tennessee the credibility to move up from No. 14 and overtake No. 12 UCLA and beat Wisconsin at home.
Gn sports
