Former ESPN analyst David Pollack is calling Utah the surest bet in the 12-team College Football Playoff field, one day before the selection committee releases its second rankings of the 2026 season.

Pollack ranked 12 teams by confidence on his See Ball Get Ball podcast and said he has “very high confidence Utah’s getting in.” Georgia, UCLA, Alabama and Miami round out his top five. Iowa and Wake Forest take the final two spots ahead of Texas Tech and Kentucky.

Utah, Georgia and UCLA lead the way

Utah beat No. 9 BYU 28-20 on Saturday to improve to 9-0. Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, and the Utes intercepted Bear Bachmeier four times. Utah opened at No. 3 in the first CFP rankings, the highest CFP ranking in program history.

“Do I think they’re as talented as some other teams in the country? Absolutely not,” Pollack said. “I think Dampier’s playing at a really good level. Defense playing well. Obviously, the big win over BYU.”

Pollack actually put Georgia first in his field if the season ended today, which echoes Urban Meyer, who named the Bulldogs the best team in college football. Georgia (8-1) backed that up with a 42-7 win at Ole Miss. Still, the Bulldogs rank second in confidence because South Carolina and Missouri remain on their schedule.

“Could lose a game, could maybe lose two games. Don’t think so. Don’t think so at all,” Pollack said.

UCLA moved to 9-0 for the first time since 1998 with a 34-20 win at Minnesota. “UCLA, OK, give them a loss. Still in,” Pollack said.

Why does Pollack trust Alabama?

Pollack ranks Alabama fourth after its 31-13 win at LSU, and he expects the Crimson Tide to win out. “They’re not going to lose again. Alabama’s not going to lose another game,” he said.

He’s just as bullish on Texas at No. 8. The Longhorns won at Missouri 34-20 for their third straight victory. “I think Texas can lose another game and still make the playoff,” Pollack said. “I think their wins will stack up against anybody in the country.”

Tennessee is ninth after it beat Kentucky 34-6. “That Alabama win’s going to go a long way,” Pollack said.

Kentucky stayed in Pollack’s current field at No. 11 despite the loss. But he dropped the Wildcats from his projection anyway. “Their schedule’s brutal,” he said. The first rankings had already drawn SEC favoritism claims for placing two-loss SEC teams ahead of Notre Dame and Texas Tech.

Miami, Notre Dame and Indiana

Miami fell to 8-1 with a 31-24 loss at Notre Dame, but Pollack still ranks the Hurricanes fifth. “They don’t have to bring their A-game, and they’re going to beat almost everybody on their schedule,” he said.

Notre Dame is sixth after CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns against Miami. “No conference championship game,” Pollack said. “Feel very confident Notre Dame is going to the College Football Playoff.”

Indiana (8-1) is seventh coming off a bye. “Indiana would be a lot higher on this list if I thought they were more explosive on offense at all,” Pollack said.

Which bubble teams made the cut?

Boise State is 10th after a 64-38 win at Colorado State. Backup quarterback Max Cutforth accounted for five touchdowns in that game. “Really well-coached, really explosive, find ways to win,” Pollack said.

Iowa (7-2) is the biggest surprise at No. 11. The Hawkeyes opened at only No. 19 and don’t have a win over a currently ranked team. However, Pollack likes their remaining path. “Let’s talk about Iowa and what they’ve got left: Purdue, at Illinois and then Nebraska,” he said. “I think Iowa’s got a chance, bros.”

Wake Forest (8-1) is 12th, and its only loss came against Miami. The Demon Deacons face SMU this week. “I think they can beat SMU. I think they could lose to SMU, too,” Pollack said. “But I think they’re going to be flirting right there at that edge of it.”

Pollack left out Texas Tech, which is 8-1 after a 53-48 win over West Virginia. He also passed on BYU, which fell to 7-2 after the loss at Utah.

The committee will reveal its second rankings Tuesday at approximately 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.