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College Football's Last Three Unbeaten Teams Face a Brutal Road Ahead
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- College Football's Last Three Unbeaten Teams Face a Brutal Road Ahead
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There were 136 FBS teams with dreams of an undefeated season entering 2026. Now, only three remain standing.
As college football enters November, Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only programs that have managed to avoid a loss.
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All three have positioned themselves as legitimate College Football Playoff contenders, but staying perfect over the final month of the regular season will be anything but easy.
In fact, two of the remaining unbeaten teams face top-10 opponents this weekend, while the third still has several challenging Big Ten matchups ahead.
With the first College Football Playoff rankings arriving Tuesday night, the pressure is about to increase.
Miami Hurricanes (8-0)
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AP Ranking:No. 1
Next Game:at No. 4 Notre Dame , Nov. 7
Miami has held onto the top spot in the Associated Press poll, but the Hurricanes have hardly looked unbeatable in recent weeks.
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After surviving a close battle against Florida State, Miami escaped North Carolina with a 38-35 victory Saturday.
Now comes arguably the Hurricanes' biggest challenge of the season.
Miami travels to South Bend this weekend for a showdown with fourth-ranked Notre Dame, which enters the matchup with a 7-1 record.
The Fighting Irish have plenty at stake themselves, making Saturday's contest one of the most consequential games remaining on the national schedule.
A victory would strengthen Miami's case as the nation's top team and provide another significant addition to its playoff resume.
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A loss, however, could open the door for Georgia, Utah, or another contender to climb in the rankings.
Utah Utes (8-0)
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AP Ranking:No. 3
Next Game:vs. No. 7 BYU, Nov. 7
Utah might have the most intriguing matchup of any undefeated team this weekend.
The Utes welcome seventh-ranked BYU to Salt Lake City for a rivalry showdown that could have enormous implications for the Big 12 championship race.
Utah has quietly emerged as one of the nation's strongest contenders, climbing to No. 3 in the latest AP poll following a dominant 49-25 victory over Cincinnati.
The Utes led 42-6 at halftime and rushed for 268 yards in the impressive road victory.
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But Saturday's matchup with BYU represents an entirely different challenge.
The Cougars enter the game with a 7-1 record and remain firmly in the conference championship conversation.
A Utah victory would further strengthen the Utes' position atop the Big 12 standings and provide another quality win for the playoff committee to consider.
A loss could complicate both the conference championship race and Utah's pursuit of a favorable playoff seed.
UCLA Bruins (8-0)
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AP Ranking:No. 5
Next Game:at Minnesota, Nov. 7
Perhaps no team has been more surprising this season than UCLA .
The Bruins were picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten preseason poll but have instead emerged as one of the final three undefeated teams in college football.
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UCLA improved to 8-0 Saturday with a 27-0 shutout victory over Nevada, climbing to No. 5 in the latest AP rankings.
However, the Bruins still have plenty of work remaining.
UCLA travels to Minnesota this weekend before hosting Illinois on Nov. 13.
A road trip to Michigan follows on Nov. 21, and the Bruins close the regular season against rival USC on Nov. 28.
That final matchup could be especially interesting considering USC's recent 30-18 victory over Ohio State.
For UCLA, the challenge will be maintaining its unbeaten record while navigating a difficult closing stretch of conference play.
If the Bruins manage to finish the regular season undefeated, they would have a compelling argument for a favorable position in the College Football Playoff.
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Can Any Team Finish the Regular Season Undefeated?
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College football has already demonstrated how quickly the national championship picture can change.
Ohio State entered last weekend ranked No. 2 before suffering its second loss of the season against USC.
Now, Miami, Utah and UCLA are carrying the pressure of being the only undefeated teams left.
The stakes are especially high this weekend, with Miami visiting Notre Dame and Utah hosting BYU.
By Saturday night, the list of unbeaten teams could look considerably different.
And with the College Football Playoff selection committee beginning its weekly rankings, every remaining game will carry additional significance.
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The question is no longer simply which team can remain undefeated.
It's whether any of them can survive November without a loss.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as College Football's Last Three Unbeaten Teams Face a Brutal Road Ahead .
