NBC’s Nicole Auerbach projects College Football Playoff bracket after Week 10
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Some deemed it “Separation Saturday.” Whatever you believe it was, there’s no denying Week 10 of the 2026 college football season sent shockwaves throughout the sport. With so many high-profile games, it will be impossible to not see a big shake up in the CFP rankings on Tuesday night.
Before we see how the committee interpreted things, NBC’s Nicole Auerbach used her insight to craft a bracket. She carried 10 teams from the initial 12-team field into her projection, including Kentucky, who got stomped 34-6 at Tennessee. The Vols, because of their win, took BYU’s No. 9 spot, while Texas Tech replaced Ole Miss at No. 10.
“With so many teams picking up a third loss this weekend, it was hard to project the final at-large spots,” Auerbach wrote. “I’m sure by the time we get to season’s end, there will be a clear pecking order.”
Auerbach admitted she leaned heavily into conference affiliation, as the committee seemed to last week, when determining who she’d put in the field.
“I gave the edge to two-loss Tennessee (after crushing Kentucky), one-loss Texas Tech (which keeps winning, somehow), and Kentucky (falling from the No. 6 spot last week after picking up its second loss),” she said. “Again, knowing the committee’s affinity for SEC resumes, I went with Kentucky over Wake Forest for the final at-large spot.”
Kentucky (7-2, 5-2 SEC) must beat Florida this weekend to have any chance at remaining in the bracket come December. The Wildcats and Gators kick off at 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN).
