The College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings tonight at 6 p.m. Central on ESPN, and before it does, I want one question answered about every team in the AP top 10: who have you beaten?

Here is each team’s record against opponents that were ranked when the game kicked off. Not ranked now. Ranked then, when it was hard.

• 1. Miami (8-0): 0-0. Eight wins, zero against a team that was ranked at kickoff. Nobody has beaten them. Nobody ranked has played them, either.
• 2. Georgia (7-1): 2-0. Won 20-17 at No. 6 Alabama and beat No. 17 Florida 27-8. The loss to unranked Auburn is the only blemish.
• 3. Utah (8-0): 1-0. Beat No. 14 Houston 21-13.
• 4. Notre Dame (7-1): 0-1. Lost 28-24 at No. 8 BYU. That is the only ranked team they’ve played.
• 5. UCLA (8-0): 1-0. Won 17-15 at No. 13 Oregon.
• 6. Indiana (8-1): 0-1. Lost 19-15 at home to No. 4 Ohio State.
• 7. BYU (7-1): 1-0. Beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24. Same record as the Irish, three spots behind them. Make it make sense.
• 8. Kentucky (7-1): 2-1. Won 31-21 at No. 9 Texas A&M and 35-34 over No. 10 LSU. Lost 45-17 to No. 12 Alabama.
• 9. Alabama (6-2): 1-2. Won 56-23 at No. 16 Mississippi State. Lost 20-17 to No. 2 Georgia and 26-10 at No. 14 Tennessee.
• 10. Texas (6-2): 3-0. Beat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23, won 20-17 at No. 14 Tennessee and beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27. The best ranked-win résumé in the top 10 belongs to the team ranked 10th.

And then there’s Tennessee

The Vols are 6-2 and sitting 16th in the AP poll. Ranked at kickoff, they’re 1-1: a 26-10 win over No. 6 Alabama and a 20-17 loss to Texas when the Longhorns were No. 1. The other loss was 27-24 at South Carolina. Both losses by three.

Alabama is ninth. Tennessee beat Alabama by 16. I’ll keep saying it until somebody fixes it.

Tennessee is 6-2. Both losses by 3, one to a Texas team that was No. 1. The win that matters: 26-10 over No. 6 Alabama.

The AP still has Alabama 9th and Tennessee 16th. Committee, your move. Like and follow if you're watching tonight. @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/sIX00XDNkF

— Five and a Fade with Jeremy Durham (@fiveandafade) November 3, 2026

My take

I’m not saying Miami isn’t good. Eight wins is eight wins, and they get their shot Saturday at Notre Dame. I’m saying No. 1 should mean you’ve proven it. Right now, Texas and Georgia have proven more than anybody, and Texas is sitting 10th because it lost twice.

Résumé or reputation. We find out at 6 which one the committee cares about. The Correct Top 10 drops tonight right after.

Who should the committee put No. 1? Tell me on X @fiveandafade or Instagram. Records and rankings at kickoff from ESPN; current rankings are this week’s AP poll.

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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.