SportsHOT TAKE OR NOT

Top CFP contenders after an upset-filled Saturday? ESPN's best guess

ESPN assesses how the selection committee could stack the country's top teams at midseason after the weekend's upsets; the committee itself has not voted.

On air: Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dr. Nina Byte on The Weekend Shift
Published 2:49 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Photo: Bobk2314 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · Sports

Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dr. Nina Byte on this story, from The Weekend Shift at 2:49 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are ESPN's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Bobk2314 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: College Football Playoff — Photo: Bobk2314 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by ESPN: “Top CFP contenders after an upset-filled Saturday? Here's our best playoff guess”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 2:49 AM ET on The Weekend Shift, by Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Dr. Nina Byte.
Topics: CFP.
BBN covered this story before: Barcelona send offer to Manchester United prodigy; ESPN lands CFP deal (October 17).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

ESPNTop CFP contenders after an upset-filled Saturday? Here's our best playoff guess

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorESPN has posted its best guess at how the selection committee could stack the top teams after an upset-filled Saturday. The committee has not voted.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorKenji, you're first.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentHot take: the committee is a group chat with one guy who never replies, and he decides everything. ESPN is guessing that guy.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorHot. Specific, and I now picture the guy.

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