With No. 11 Notre Dame’s season potentially on the line Saturday night, the Fighting Irish could ill afford to waste the only remaining opportunity on their schedule to secure a marquee victory. It was a simple pass/fail mission. Even though the fourth quarter was uncomfortable, Marcus Freeman’s club passed the test.
Typically, “A” grades are reserved for teams that significantly dominate their opponents in most key statistical categories. Notre Dame didn’t quite do that against Miami, but they won the game. This confrontation was never going to be about questions of style. It was about doing what it takes to arrive at the Selection on Sunday with a resounding victory.
To be fair, Notre Dame was up 24-3 at one point against the No. 1 ranked team in the country, showing glimpses of total dominance. Eventually, Miami got back into the game, forcing the Fighting Irish to make a few late stops. It wasn’t perfect. But considering the stakes and the caliber of the opponent, it was an “A” performance.
We hand out ratings evaluating each team that started or finished the day with a national championship rating of +3000 or better. No. 4 Indiana (+850) received a bye
2026 National Championship odds listed below courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams listed in order of their AP Top 25 ranking.
#1 Miami
Grade: C
Result: 31-24 defeat at Notre-Dame
Title Ratings: +800
As expected, Miami’s offense started out as a disaster without star wide receiver Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes stuttered throughout the first half and fell behind 24-3 before getting back into the game.
But the hole was just too big. Defensively, the Hurricanes’ deficiencies in the secondary were exposed by Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, who topped 300 passing yards for the first time this season.
No. 2 Georgia
Grade: A+
Result: 42-7 victory at Ole Miss
Title Ratings: +240
Georgia rushed for 221 yards in the first quarter alone and opened a 21-0 lead a minute into the second quarter. Unlike Texas, who let the Rebels rally a few weeks ago, the Bulldogs never gave up.
UGA’s second-place finish in the initial CFP rankings seemed a bit premature, given the lack of depth of Georgia’s accomplishments beyond its Alabama win. But this demonstration proved that the predictive measurements were accurate. When Georgia shows up — as it did in a hostile environment against a good Ole Miss team — it’s the best team in college football.
No. 3 Utah
Grade: B+
Result: 28-20 victory against BYU
Title Ratings: +2200
BYU scored 20 straight points to close the first half – recovering from an early 14-0 deficit – before Utah’s defense became ruthless and gave the offense time to recover from a prolonged lull.
The Utes picked off BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier three times in the second half alone. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier survived a tough period and came loose with his legs late in the third quarter to help Utah regain the lead for good. It wasn’t always pretty, but both units produced moments of brilliance. This is called complementary football.
No. 5 Alabama
Grade: A
Result: 31-13 victory at LSU
Title Ratings: +650
Alabama’s defense mastered the art of bending without breaking while limiting LSU to one touchdown on four red zone trips. The Crimson Tide defense also faltered on key downs, holding the Tigers to 5 of 19 on third and fourth down plays.
Offensively, the Crimson Tide only made 53 plays, but Keelon Russell delivered three touchdown passes. In his first game back from injury, star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams also made an impact with a rushing touchdown and a huge punt return in the fourth quarter. The running game wasn’t great. But in the context of Alabama being an underdog and coming off an 18-point road win over LSU, it’s not a killer.
#7 Texas
Grade: A-
Result: 34-20 victory at Missouri
Title Ratings: +1100
Arch Manning had a turnover-free game while throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns as he guided the Longhorns from a 20-13 deficit.
He was sacked three times amid some indecision and continued struggles from the Longhorns offensive line.
But considering Cam Coleman, his most talented receiver, was out due to injury, it was a good day for him. The Texas defense didn’t necessarily wreak havoc, but its only sack of the day was a huge sack in the fourth quarter that helped turn the field over, leading to a Texas touchdown.
No. 10 Ole Miss
Grade: F
Result: 42-7 loss to Georgia
Title Ratings: +2700
Even the great Trinidad Chambliss couldn’t dig Ole Miss out of this hole. Georgia outscored the Rebels on their home field in every facet of the game, inflicting first-year Ole Miss coach Pete Golding with a humble dose of revenge.
When the Rebels beat Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals last year, they had a more disruptive defense and a more dynamic offense. This time around, the Bulldogs revealed deficiencies on both sides of the ball. Ole Miss gave up far too many explosive plays and had no answers in one of the most lopsided results of the year.
No. 11 Notre-Dame
Grade: A
Result: 31-24 victory against Miami
Title Ratings: +380
Notre Dame’s defense made sure nothing came easy for Miami’s vaunted offense in the first half. The performance was highlighted by a goal-line stand in the second quarter as the Irish converted a first-and-goal from the Canes one-yard line into a field goal.
Offensively, quarterback CJ Carr played arguably his best game of the season while shaking off some recent ineffective performances. In a match on the verge of victory, the Fighting Irish succeeded.
No. 12 Ohio State
Grade: F
Result: 41-28 loss to Oregon
Title Ratings: +x
The absence of starting quarterback Julian Sayin remains an obvious obstacle for Ohio State, but that’s to be expected. The vulnerability of the Buckeyes defense is the most astonishing revelation.
The nation’s preseason No. 1 team allowed more than 30 points in back-to-back regular-season losses for the first time since 1990. Oregon threw three straight long touchdown drives in the second and third quarters to extinguish any hope for a team playing with a freshman quarterback. Two late scores from Ohio State made this more respectable than it was.
No. 14 LSU
Grade: C-
Result: 31-13 loss to Alabama
Title Ratings: +1800
All the good vibes LSU accumulated in convincing wins over Mississippi State and Auburn dissipated in a sea of missed opportunities in a loss that all but extinguished the Tigers’ CFP hopes. LSU ventured into Alabama territory eight times and reached the red zone four times. He came away with just 13 points while stumbling to an 0-for-4 mark on fourth-down plays.
LSU’s run defense was solid, but it gave up too many explosive passing plays while suffering a rare loss as a home favorite.
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