Wake Forest Opens at No. 16 in CFP Rankings
Wake Forest was placed No. 16 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season, released November 3. The 7-1 Demon Deacons have won five straight and have four regular-season games remaining.
Wake Forest entered the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season at No. 16 on November 3. The Demon Deacons are 7-1, with their only loss coming against No. 1 Miami, and have won five consecutive games. They sit just ahead of Houston and Missouri and behind Texas Tech and LSU in the rankings.
The placement is Wake Forest’s first appearance in the CFP rankings since 2022. The team began at No. 9 in the initial rankings in 2021, its highest CFP ranking. Miami is the only other ACC team in this season’s first top 25 and holds the No. 1 spot.
Wake Forest also holds the No. 14 position in the Associated Press rankings and the coaches’ rankings, maintaining its AP position after a lopsided win over Virginia. It has been in the AP poll for four consecutive weeks. In its past four games, the Deacons have outscored ACC opponents 187-31, scoring at least 50 points twice. The team last scored 50 or more twice in a season in 2018.
Wake Forest has four games left. Winning all four would put the Deacons in the ACC Championship Game, where they could face Miami again. A victory in the championship game would earn Wake Forest an automatic place in the playoff.