Kanell Calls Wake Forest Most Disrespected in CFP
Wake Forest, 7-1 overall, is ranked No. 16 in the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings, two spots below its AP Top 25 position.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Football
SiriusXM host Danny Kanell said Wake Forest was the most disrespected team in the first 2026 College Football Playoff rankings. The Demon Deacons are 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the ACC, but the committee placed them No. 16, two spots lower than their AP Top 25 ranking.
Why it matters
The committee cited Wake Forest's schedule as the reason the team faces an uphill battle in its playoff push. The ranking gap between the CFP and AP polls highlights how much schedule strength is shaping the playoff picture this season.
Quarterback Gio Lopez has 18 touchdowns and one interception this season, and receiver Carlos Hernandez ranks No. 8 nationally in receiving yards and No. 7 in yards per game. The team last won double-digit games in 2021, when it finished 11-3.
The players
Danny Kanell
Former NFL quarterback and college football analyst who hosts a SiriusXM show.
College Football Playoff Committee
The selection body that ranks teams for the national playoff and released the first 2026 rankings.
The details
Kanell made the comments on the SiriusXM show "College Sports" after the first CFP rankings were released. Wake Forest lost to No. 1 Miami but beat Louisville, which was ranked No. 16 at the time, and still faces Merrimack, SMU, Georgia Tech, and Duke to close the regular season.
Timeline
2021: Wake Forest last won double-digit games, finishing 11-3.
November 4, 2026: Kanell criticized the CFP ranking of Wake Forest.
Season Trajectory
The CFP committee placed Wake Forest two spots below its AP ranking, citing schedule strength as the key factor. That divergence keeps the playoff picture tied to strength-of-schedule debates rather than records alone.
Fans tracking playoff odds should watch how Wake Forest's final four games shape its ranking. Fantasy managers weighing Gio Lopez and Carlos Hernandez will see those games as the last chance to boost the team's production numbers.
The takeaway
A strong record does not guarantee a high playoff ranking when schedule strength is weighed heavily. Following a team's remaining opponents is often the clearest way to judge its path.
What happens next
Wake Forest's remaining regular-season games against Merrimack, SMU, Georgia Tech, and Duke will determine whether the team reaches 10 or 11 wins and how the committee ranks it in later rankings.
Further reading
For more on the Demon Deacons' season, see Winston-Salem Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsweek.
