College Football Playoff Prediction: CBS Sports projects first CFP Top 25 after Week 2

Two weeks into the college football season and the 2025 College Football Playoff race is already starting to take shape. And while the CFP Selection Committee’s first Top 25 rankings won’t be released until Nov. 4, CBS Sports delivered a sneak peak at what it would look like after Week 2.

Oklahoma appeared to stake an early claim to one of the Playoff’s 12 spots with its 24-13 upset of No. 15 Michigan on Saturday thanks to the strong quarterback play of newly-minted Heisman Trophy contender John Mateer. And fresh off back-to-back Top 25 upsets against Boise State — who made the Playoffs last season as the Group of Five representative — and Florida, South Florida has established itself as the early favorite to earn 2025’s Group of Five bid.

CBS Sports also expects to see plenty of SEC and Big Ten representation in this year’s 12-team field, with the SEC earning four total bids including the Sooners, while reigning national champion Ohio State leads a trio of Big Ten representatives. Meanwhile, CBS Sports believes independent Notre Dame will once again battle back from an early-season setback to make the 12-team field along with the two ACC finalists and a single Big 12 champion.

Check out CBS Sports’ College Football Playoff Top 25 projections after Week 2:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten champion)

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the reigning national champion Buckeyes maintain the No. 1 spot by virtue of its impressive start to its title defense, including a 14-7 win over preseason No. 1 Texas in the season-opener. With only three Top 25 matchups in its final 10 games, Ohio State seems poised to cruise to the Big Ten championship in much the same way Oregon did a year ago.

CBS Sports: “The Week 2 scrimmage against Grambling gave Jeremiah Smith and others a chance to stretch their legs a bit while strengthening Julian Sayin‘s confidence as a first-year starter at quarterback. Ohio State’s loaded again, folks.”

2. LSU Tigers (SEC champion)

While Saturday’s win over in-state Louisiana Tech didn’t exactly turn a lot of heads, Brian Kelly‘s squad finally seems like a team capable of winning not only a SEC title but a national title. Of course, that mission really begins Saturday with its SEC opener against a Florida team reeling from Week 2’s upset loss to its own in-state foe, South Florida.

CBS Sports: “If LSU can find a rushing attack, the Tigers should win the SEC. They’ve looked great defensively after adding a plethora of new pieces to punctuate Blake Baker‘s attacking scheme, and Garrett Nussmeier is as talented as any at the quarterback position.”

3. Miami Hurricanes (ACC champion)

The Carson Beck revival appears to be well underway in South Beach as the former Georgia transfer quarterback continues to turn heads and show the talent that made him a potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick before the 2024 season. If the Hurricanes can avoid handing USF its third-straight Top 25 upset, the road ahead only features one more Top 25 game against FSU next month.

CBS Sports: “As long as Carson Beck keeps it up, you’re looking at the ACC favorite by a sizable margin. With Clemson sputtering two weeks into the season, Florida State appears to be the only other threat to Miami’s conference title hopes.”

4. Penn State Nittany Lions

Arguably college football’s most talented roster, the Nittany Lions have only reinforced that perception with back-to-back blowouts through the first two weekends. Of course, Penn State’s first real test won’t come until its Big Ten opener against No. 4 Oregon, but should the Nittany Lions survive what is shaping out to be a potential shootout in Happy Valley, the road to Indianapolis runs through Columbus.

CBS Sports: “The Big Ten is setting up for two Penn State-Ohio State matchups this season if the Nittany Lions handle Oregon in a couple of weeks and then snap their long losing skid to the Buckeyes on Nov. 1.”

5. Georgia Bulldogs

CBS Sports isn’t yet buying what the Bulldogs are selling behind first-year starting quarteback Gunner Stockton, who impressed in the opener vs. Marshall but stepped back against Austin Peay. Georgia’s first real test comes with Saturday’s SEC opener at No. 15 Tennessee before Stockton and the rebuilt Bulldogs offense hosts No. 19 Alabama to close out the month of September.

CBS Sports: “Maybe Mike Bobo has kept things simple ahead of Saturday’s matchup at Tennessee, but the more likely reason for the lack of explosive plays so far is first-year starter Gunner Stockton, and his apparent reluctancy to look downfield.”

6. Oregon Ducks

The Ducks’ explosive offense is already in midseason form two weeks into the regular season after putting up a combined 128 points through the first two games. That included an eye-opening performance in Saturday’s 69-3 rout of the Big 12’s Oklahoma State. A date with No. 2 Penn State awaits at the end of the month that could go a long way to determining Playoff seeding among the Big Ten’s Big 3.

CBS Sports: “For now, this is a placeholder position for the Ducks, who face off with Penn State in a couple of weeks that will surely alter these projected playoff rankings. That’s the only game Oregon will not be favored to win the rest of the way judging by Saturday’s statement against Oklahoma State.”

7. Texas Longhorns

Arch Manning bounced back from a less-than-inspiring performance at Ohio State in the season-opener with a five-touchdown effort in Saturday’s home opener against San Jose State. Of course, the real test for Manning and Texas comes at the end of the month with the start of SEC play at Florida before the Red River Shootout vs. rival Oklahoma on Oct. 11.

CBS Sports: “Arch Manning and this offense are a work in progress, and there are problems to fix if the Longhorns expect to be playoff-bound for the third consecutive season. Under this projection, the only other loss this fall comes to Florida or Georgia on the road.”

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Big 12 champion)

Much like a year ago, the Big 12 championship race could be among the most competitive and ultimately come down the wire to secure the league’s lone Playoff bid. CBS Sports is betting the Red Raiders — who spent wildly in NIL this past offseason — will be the Big 12’s last-team standing after topping 60 points in its first two games, with only No. 20 Utah left on the schedule.

CBS Sports: “Texas Tech’s trip to Utah next weekend could provide an early league championship game preview, but Iowa State, TCU and others will have a say in that. One team you can safely take out of the Big 12 race is Kansas State.”

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

After dropping its season-opener at Miami, the Fighting Irish face its second big-time test in the first three weeks of the 2025 season with Saturday’s showdown against No. 16 Texas A&M. Notre Dame managed to battle back from an early-season loss to Northern Illinois last year, but a loss Saturday could doom the Irish’s Playoff hopes before they even get started.

CBS Sports: “The Aggies are the only opponent currently left on the slate who’s ranked inside the top 25, meaning the opportunities to impress the selection committee could be slim in the coming months.”

10. Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles skyrocketed up the rankings after its stunning 31-17 upset of Alabama in the season-opener and appears primed to compete for the ACC title a year after managing just one conference win in 2024. CBS Sports projects the ‘Noles will split its regular-season games against fellow ACC contenders Miami and Clemson before falling to the ‘Canes in Charlotte for the league championship.

CBS Sports: “Florida State fans, you’re rooting for Alabama to be a factor near the top of the SEC. That was a great win to open and changes the complexion of the season for Mike Norvell and his Seminoles.”

11. South Florida Bulls (Group of Five champion)
12. Oklahoma Sooners
13. South Carolina Gamecocks
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
15. Tennessee Volunteers
16. Iowa State Cyclones
17. Clemson Tigers
18. Ole Miss Rebels
19. Texas A&M Aggies
20. Utah Utes
21. Alabama Crimson Tide
22. Auburn Tigers
23. Michigan Wolverines
24. Missouri Tigers
25. Mississippi State Bulldogs

CBS Sports’ projected 2025 College Football Playoff bracket:

• No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 5 Georgia (winner plays No. 4 Penn State)
• No. 11 USF at No. 6 Oregon (winner plays No. 3 Miami)
• No. 10 Florida State at No. 7 Texas (winner plays No. 2 LSU)
• No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Texas Tech (winner plays No. 1 Ohio State)