The Precedent Daily: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Miami (FL) tops the first CFP ranking, and Winnipeg rallies from 4-0 down
The committee and The Precedent agree on No. 1 and little else, the Jets pull off a record comeback in Montreal, and the NHL's top of the table shuffles again.
New on The Precedent
Week 9 - Miami Opens No. 1 as the Committee and The Precedent Part Ways on Georgia and UCLA · College Football
A closer look at the committee's first ranking next to The Precedent Ratings, from the agreement on Miami (FL) to the wide gaps on Georgia, UCLA and Notre Dame, plus the six teams The Precedent ranks that the committee left out.
Week 8 - Detroit hands Minnesota its first loss, and Denver moves to the top · NFL
The week Minnesota's unbeaten run ended in Detroit, Denver took over No. 1 on a final-snap finish against Kansas City, and Tampa Bay won without completing a pass. The Precedent: NFL also walks through both conferences' playoff pictures.
Tuesday's top five
- Miami (FL) is No. 1 in the committee's first ranking. The 8-0 Hurricanes lead the College Football Playoff committee's first ranking of the season, and The Precedent Rating has them first too. The two part ways quickly after that. Georgia (7-1) is second with the committee and 16th in The Precedent Rating, and unbeaten UCLA is eighth against 23rd.
- Winnipeg was down 4-0 in Montreal late in the third and won. The Jets, 29th in The Precedent Rating yesterday, scored four times in the third period, the last of them a Kyle Connor goal with about 30 seconds left, and won 5-4 on Dylan Samberg's goal in overtime. It was the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history and Winnipeg's first win in 10 games. Montreal fell from ninth to 12th.
- New Jersey beat No. 1 Edmonton and jumped to second. The Devils won 4-3 in a shootout, with Jack Hughes scoring twice in the second period, and climbed from seventh to a tie for second with Boston. Their own win counted, and the teams they have played now have a combined .491 winning percentage, up from .478. Edmonton stays first in The Precedent Rating.
- Carolina has the NHL's best record and fell to 10th. The Hurricanes lost 4-1 at Nashville, 26th in The Precedent Rating yesterday, and dropped from fourth to 10th. Pyotr Kochetkov took his first loss of the season. Carolina is 12-5, but the teams it has played now have a combined .414 winning percentage, down from .424, so its Rating sits nine places below its record.
- Dallas led No. 2 Washington 4-0 and held on, 6-5. Jason Robertson scored three straight goals early in the second period. The Capitals came back to within one late but got no closer. Washington fell from second to sixth, and Dallas moved from 11th to ninth.
College Football
Chart of the Day
The SEC leads every conference in The Precedent Rating at 0.350, with the Big Ten second at 0.315 and the Big 12 third. The top five are in the same order as last week. The one change is in the middle: the Pac-12 moved up to sixth and the American slipped to seventh.
Full College Football Ratings →
The committee's ranking and The Precedent Rating agree at the very top: Miami (FL) is first in both, and Indiana is fourth with the committee and second in The Precedent Rating. Notre Dame (7-1) is the widest gap, 11th with the committee and 35th in The Precedent Rating. Three CFP teams lost last weekend: Ohio State at USC, Arizona at Texas Tech and Florida against Georgia.
Buffalo trailed Miami (OH) by eight entering the fourth quarter, scored 15 points in it to force overtime and won 34-31 on a field goal. The Bulls climbed from 75th to 62nd. Toledo and Western Michigan, both idle, each moved up five places because Buffalo is a team they have already played.
Ohio beat Akron 28-20 and fell from 52nd to 68th. Akron is 1-8, and the Bobcats' opponents now have a combined .333 winning percentage, down from .385. The Zips were within five entering the fourth quarter before Ohio pulled away.
College Football Playoff rankings (first of the season)
Miami (FL) opens at No. 1 in the committee's first ranking, followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama. The Precedent Rating also has Miami (FL) first and Indiana second, but it ranks Georgia 16th, UCLA 23rd and Notre Dame 35th. Going the other way, the committee has Houston 17th and Boise State 25th; The Precedent Rating has them seventh and 10th. Six teams in The Precedent's top 25 are not in the committee's, among them Memphis, North Dakota State and UTSA.
| CFP | Team | Record | Move | Precedent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | 8-0 | — | 1 |
| 2 | Georgia | 7-1 | — | 16 |
| 3 | Utah | 8-0 | — | 9 |
| 4 | Indiana | 8-1 | — | 2 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6-2 | — | 8 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7-1 | — | 4 |
| 7 | Texas | 6-2 | — | 3 |
| 8 | UCLA | 8-0 | — | 23 |
| 9 | BYU | 7-1 | — | 5 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 6-2 | — | 15 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 7-1 | — | 35 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-2 | — | 11 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 6-2 | — | 30 |
| 14 | LSU | 6-2 | — | 6 |
| 15 | Texas Tech | 7-1 | — | 14 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 7-1 | — | 25 |
| 17 | Houston | 6-2 | — | 7 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6-2 | — | 27 |
| 19 | Iowa | 6-2 | — | 22 |
| 20 | USC | 7-2 | — | 13 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 5-3 | — | 29 |
| 22 | Arizona | 6-2 | — | 31 |
| 23 | Oregon | 5-3 | — | 12 |
| 24 | Florida | 5-3 | — | 17 |
| 25 | Boise State | 7-1 | — | 10 |
The selection committee's rankings, released last night. Move = change since the committee's last ranking. Precedent = The Precedent Rating rank this morning.
More on this week's rankings, with the teams the committee and The Precedent see differently: Week 9 - Miami Opens No. 1 as the Committee and The Precedent Part Ways on Georgia and UCLA →
Rating Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating | Move | SOS | SOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami (FL) | 8-0 | 0.500 | — | 0.263 | 46 |
| 2 | Indiana | 8-1 | 0.483 | — | 0.269 | 40 |
| 3 | Texas | 6-2 | 0.475 | — | 0.345 | 2 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 7-1 | 0.453 | — | 0.312 | 10 |
| 5 | BYU | 7-1 | 0.446 | — | 0.256 | 55 |
| 6 | LSU | 6-2 | 0.439 | — | 0.331 | 5 |
| 7 | Houston | 6-2 | 0.437 | — | 0.285 | 26 |
| 8 | Alabama | 6-2 | 0.434 | — | 0.301 | 17 |
| 9 | Utah | 8-0 | 0.429 | — | 0.260 | 50 |
| 10 | Boise State | 7-1 | 0.421 | — | 0.255 | 58 |
| 11 | Ohio State | 6-2 | 0.418 | — | 0.292 | 21 |
| 12 | Oregon | 5-3 | 0.417 | — | 0.329 | 6 |
| 13 | USC | 7-2 | 0.406 | — | 0.281 | 28 |
| 14 | Texas Tech | 7-1 | 0.402 | — | 0.251 | 62 |
| 15 | Ole Miss | 6-2 | 0.401 | — | 0.313 | 9 |
| 16 | Georgia | 7-1 | 0.396 | — | 0.273 | 35 |
| 17 | Florida | 5-3 | 0.384 | — | 0.348 | 1 |
| 18 | Memphis | 7-2 | 0.375 | — | 0.239 | 73 |
| 18 | North Dakota State | 7-2 | 0.375 | — | 0.213 | 100 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5-3 | 0.367 | ▲1 | 0.290 | 22 |
| 21 | Cincinnati | 5-3 | 0.365 | ▼1 | 0.288 | 24 |
| 22 | Iowa | 6-2 | 0.364 | — | 0.278 | 29 |
| 23 | UCLA | 8-0 | 0.356 | — | 0.231 | 83 |
| 24 | UTSA | 7-1 | 0.353 | ▲1 | 0.220 | 92 |
| 25 | James Madison | 7-2 | 0.350 | ▲1 | 0.192 | 117 |
| 25 | Wake Forest | 7-1 | 0.350 | ▼2 | 0.229 | 84 |
Teams tied on Rating share a rank. SOS = average Rating of the opponents played.
Full College Football Ratings →
Biggest risers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 6-3 | 75 | 62 | +13 | 0.264 | won |
| Toledo | 6-2 | 63 | 58 | +5 | 0.269 | idle |
| Western Michigan | 6-3 | 58 | 53 | +5 | 0.276 | idle |
| Jacksonville State | 6-2 | 35 | 32 | +3 | 0.322 | idle |
| Penn State | 4-4 | 60 | 57 | +3 | 0.271 | idle |
Biggest fallers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 7-2 | 52 | 68 | -16 | 0.250 | won |
| Miami (OH) | 5-4 | 85 | 91 | -6 | 0.190 | lost |
| Central Michigan | 3-5 | 96 | 99 | -3 | 0.173 | idle |
| UNLV | 5-3 | 57 | 60 | -3 | 0.266 | idle |
| Fresno State | 5-3 | 69 | 71 | -2 | 0.242 | idle |
Unbeaten tracker
| Team | Record | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Miami (FL) | 8-0 | 1 |
| Utah | 8-0 | 9 |
| UCLA | 8-0 | 23 |
Full College Football standings →
NHL
Edmonton stays No. 1 after its shootout loss in New Jersey. Boston didn't play and moved up to a tie for second with the Devils, as eight of the teams it had played won yesterday. Utah won 3-2 at Toronto and moved from sixth to fourth.
Columbus scored six goals in the first two periods and beat Colorado 7-2. The Blue Jackets moved from 24th to 21st, and Colorado slipped from 12th to 15th. The NY Rangers beat St. Louis 3-1 and climbed five places to 13th, while the Blues fell from 14th to 19th.
Carolina's 12-5 record is the best in the league, nine places better than its Rating. Washington goes the other way: 11th by record and sixth in The Precedent Rating, even after the loss to Dallas.
Tuesday's results
| Final (away first) | Away rank | Home rank |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton 3 @ New Jersey 4 SO | 1 → 1 | 7 → 2 |
| Dallas 6 @ Washington 5 | 11 → 9 | 2 → 6 |
| Carolina 1 @ Nashville 4 | 4 → 10 | 26 → 23 |
| Minnesota 4 @ Philadelphia 2 | 5 → 5 | 30 → 31 |
| Utah 3 @ Toronto 2 | 6 → 4 | 16 → 19 |
| Winnipeg 5 @ Montreal 4 OT | 29 → 27 | 9 → 12 |
| Detroit 2 @ Tampa Bay 4 | 23 → 26 | 10 → 7 |
| Colorado 2 @ Columbus 7 | 12 → 15 | 24 → 21 |
| Vegas 3 @ Pittsburgh 2 | 13 → 11 | 27 → 28 |
| St. Louis 1 @ NY Rangers 3 | 14 → 19 | 18 → 13 |
| Anaheim 5 @ Vancouver 4 | 25 → 25 | 32 → 32 |
Ranks are The Precedent Rating, yesterday → today. In The Precedent Rating, an overtime or shootout winner gets a win and the other team a loss, so records here are W-L.
Biggest upsets by Rating
| Winner (rank yesterday) | Loser (rank yesterday) | Score | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 26 Nashville | No. 4 Carolina | 4-1 | 22 |
| No. 29 Winnipeg | No. 9 Montreal | 5-4 OT | 20 |
| No. 24 Columbus | No. 12 Colorado | 7-2 | 12 |
| No. 11 Dallas | No. 2 Washington | 6-5 | 9 |
Rating Top 10
| Rank | Team | Record | Rating | Move | SOS | SOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 11-5 | 0.334 | — | 0.243 | 19 |
| 2 | Boston | 11-5 | 0.327 | ▲1 | 0.235 | 26 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 10-5 | 0.327 | ▲5 | 0.242 | 21 |
| 4 | Utah | 10-6 | 0.319 | ▲2 | 0.255 | 10 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 11-6 | 0.318 | — | 0.249 | 14 |
| 6 | Washington | 8-6 | 0.304 | ▼4 | 0.256 | 7 |
| 7 | Tampa Bay | 9-5 | 0.303 | ▲3 | 0.241 | 22 |
| 8 | Seattle | 8-6 | 0.296 | — | 0.258 | 6 |
| 9 | Dallas | 9-6 | 0.293 | ▲2 | 0.243 | 19 |
| 10 | Carolina | 12-5 | 0.292 | ▼6 | 0.216 | 31 |
Teams tied on Rating share a rank. SOS = average Rating of the opponents played.
Biggest risers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY Rangers | 8-8 | 18 | 13 | +5 | 0.262 | won |
| New Jersey | 10-5 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 0.327 | won |
| Columbus | 6-7 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 0.241 | won |
| NY Islanders | 7-7 | 20 | 17 | +3 | 0.245 | idle |
| Nashville | 6-9 | 26 | 23 | +3 | 0.224 | won |
Biggest fallers
| Team | Record | Yesterday | Today | Move | Rating | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | 12-5 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 0.292 | lost |
| St. Louis | 7-8 | 14 | 19 | -5 | 0.243 | lost |
| Washington | 8-6 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 0.304 | lost |
| Colorado | 9-7 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 0.258 | lost |
| Detroit | 7-9 | 23 | 26 | -3 | 0.208 | lost |
Rating vs record
| Team | Record | Record rank | Rating rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 8-6 | 11 | 6 |
| Calgary | 7-8 | 20 | 16 |
| Carolina | 12-5 | 1 | 10 |
| Florida | 8-7 | 15 | 22 |
Record rank is by winning percentage. The gap comes from the records of the teams each has played.
Full NHL standings and playoff picture →
Men's College Basketball
South Dakota State won 68-66 at Kansas State. The Jackrabbits led by seven at halftime and held on as the Wildcats closed the gap in the second half.
Tennessee was in a close game with Wofford at halftime and pulled away in the second half to win 90-59. Missouri beat Cleveland State 111-50, and Arkansas beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 106-61. Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Virginia all won their openers by 20 points or more.
Top 25 results
| Final (away first) | Away rank | Home rank |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61 @ Arkansas 106 | 243 → 1 | 243 → 1 |
| Drexel 60 @ Virginia 89 | 243 → 1 | 243 → 1 |
| Manhattan 57 @ Kentucky 85 | 243 → 1 | 243 → 1 |
| Sam Houston 74 @ Alabama 96 | 243 → 1 | 243 → 1 |
| Wofford 59 @ Tennessee 90 | 243 → 1 | 243 → 1 |
Ranks are The Precedent Rating, yesterday → today. Games with a team in the AP Top 25; The Precedent Ratings are still mostly tied this early in the season.
Biggest upsets by Rating
| Winner (rank yesterday) | Loser (rank yesterday) | Score | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 243 Iowa | No. 1 Lipscomb | 76-54 | 242 |
| No. 243 South Carolina | No. 1 Stetson | 81-55 | 242 |
Full Men's College Basketball standings →
Coming up today
NBA · 14 games
Two top-10 matchups lead the night. Philadelphia (7-1, fifth in The Precedent Rating) visits Detroit (6-1, second) at 6:00 PM on ESPN, and Dallas (eighth) plays at San Antonio (sixth) at 8:30 PM on ESPN. No. 1 Houston (7-1) hosts Minnesota at 7:30 PM.
| Time (CT) | Game (Rating rank, record) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | No. 5 Philadelphia (7-1) |
| @ No. 2 Detroit (6-1) | |
| ESPN | |
| At stake: Top-10 matchup | |
| 6:00 PM | No. 15 Atlanta (4-4) |
| @ No. 19 Washington (4-3) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 6:30 PM | No. 29 Milwaukee (1-6) |
| @ No. 10 Boston (5-2) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 6:30 PM | No. 18 Charlotte (3-5) |
| @ No. 30 Brooklyn (1-6) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 6:30 PM | No. 28 Chicago (1-6) |
| @ No. 16 New York (3-4) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 25 Indiana (2-6) |
| @ No. 11 Memphis (6-1) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 24 Utah (1-6) |
| @ No. 20 New Orleans (3-4) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 7:00 PM | No. 12 Cleveland (4-3) |
| @ No. 3 Oklahoma City (5-2) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 7:30 PM | No. 14 Minnesota (5-3) |
| @ No. 1 Houston (7-1) | |
| TV not listed | |
| At stake: No. 1 Houston plays | |
| 8:00 PM | No. 17 Toronto (4-3) |
| @ No. 13 Denver (3-3) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 8:00 PM | No. 4 Portland (5-1) |
| @ No. 23 Phoenix (1-4) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 8:30 PM | No. 8 Dallas (4-3) |
| @ No. 6 San Antonio (5-2) | |
| ESPN | |
| At stake: Top-10 matchup | |
| 9:00 PM | No. 9 LA Lakers (6-2) |
| @ No. 26 Sacramento (1-6) | |
| TV not listed | |
| 9:30 PM | No. 22 Miami (2-5) |
| @ No. 27 LA Clippers (1-6) | |
| TV not listed |
NHL · 4 games
Four games tonight. Calgary, up to 16th, plays at Seattle (eighth) at 9:00 PM, and Ottawa (14th) visits Buffalo (18th) at 6:30 PM.
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What the World Series Doesn't Prove
Two low-payroll teams played for a title this fall. Fans of baseball's lowest spenders have lived a different story, and a salary floor is now on the bargaining table. By the time this reaches your inbox, either Milwaukee or Tampa Bay will have won the first World Series in franchise history. Both got there on payrolls that would barely register in New York. The Rays opened the season at about $89.6 million, 26th in baseball. The Brewers opened at $125.5 million, 19th. The Mets started at $357.
