Predicting the final 2025 College Football Playoff Top 25, 12-team CFP Bracket

The final edition of the College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed on Sunday afternoon, providing the final playoff picture for the 2025 season. There will be some nervous teams waiting after Saturday’s conference championship action.

Plenty of teams have stated their case for a potential playoff bid at this point. And truthfully most know their fate, outside of one or two sitting on the fence.

Today, we take a stab at projecting what the final CFP rankings will look like. Let’s begin.

A CFP Rankings Reminder

Keep in mind that the College Football Playoff format has shifted slightly this season. Whereas in the first edition of the 12-team playoff the four highest-ranked conference champions were guaranteed a first-round bye, they no longer are.

Also, simply being in the top 12 of the rankings does not guarantee a spot in the playoff. If one of the top five conference champions is ranked outside the top 12, it will still receive a bid to the field, potentially pushing a top 12 team out. It’s possible, therefore, for multiple Group of Six teams to reach the playoff field in the event they outrank a power conference champion.

Projected College Football Playoff Rankings – Top 25

1. Indiana Hoosiers (13-0)*

Indiana had a fight on its hands against Ohio State, which featured one of the nation’s most stout defenses all year. It was always going to be a great test for Fernando Mendoza and company. Well, they passed the test with flying colors, doing just enough to squeeze by the Buckeyes to claim the conference crown.

Indiana’s position in the College Football Playoff rankings is clear. They’re the No. 1 team, unblemished and ready to roll into the playoffs going forward. But with that comes a clear target on the back: Everyone will be gunning for the Hoosiers.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1)*

Georgia wasted no time bullying Alabama, with its defense putting the clamps down early in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama was never comfortable offensively and it showed, as drops and other miscues began to show up in the game.

The win for Georgia almost certainly sealed a first-round bye. There should be little doubt about that at this point. That will allow the Bulldogs extra time to rest and recover before the real playoff push begins.

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1)*

Texas Tech was dominant in taking the Big 12 title from BYU on Saturday afternoon, thumping the Cougars and absolutely showing off defensively. The Red Raiders allowed only 200 yards in the contest.

At this point that should safely lock Texas Tech into a first-round bye. There just aren’t many other teams nationally that profile as dominantly as the Red Raiders do. Few teams are hotter heading into the postseason, too.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)

Ohio State played a quality game against Indiana but simply ran up against a foe that was willing — and able — to go blow for blow for 60 minutes. The Hoosiers landed the knockout punch, courtesy of some seriously gutsy play by Mendoza.

Ohio State is still in great shape in the College Football Playoff race. It’s hard to see the committee penalizing a three-point loss to an undefeated team very much. In fact, even this projection might be too steep a drop. We fully expect the Buckeyes to earn a first-round bye.

5. Oregon Ducks (11-1)

Oregon was in a comfortable spot entering the weekend, even perhaps having an outside shot at a first-round bye. Texas Tech’s win ruined that slim possibility, but the Ducks are still a definite playoff team.

And, barring something crazy, Oregon should be hosting a first-round playoff game. After last year’s results, that part should come as a significant relief to the Ducks. It’ll be a chance to build some momentum before heading into the later rounds of the playoffs.

6. Ole Miss Rebels (11-1)

Ole Miss wasn’t fortunate enough to sneak into the SEC Championship Game, as Auburn couldn’t hold on to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl. That left the Rebels — who are going through a major coaching change — home this weekend, albeit in comfortable position.

The real question for the Rebels, who are likely to host a first-round playoff game, is can the team regroup going forward. The Lane Kiffin saga was a significant distraction for the program. Can the Rebels remain focused?

7. Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)

Texas A&M had a chance to clinch its spot as a definite top-four team with a win over Texas, which would have sent it to the SEC Championship Game unbeaten at 12-0. Alas, the upset kept Texas A&M from playing this weekend.

Still, the Aggies remain in pretty good shape as a one-loss SEC team with one of the nation’s stiffest schedules. We’re projecting Texas A&M to earn a first-round home game.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2)

Oklahoma entered in a tricky spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, checking in at No. 8 going into the weekend. And with Alabama (No. 9) and BYU (No. 11) playing in title games, the potential certainly existed for Oklahoma to be jumped.

That could have potentially flipped Oklahoma from hosting a first-round playoff game to traveling. Given that neither result happened, it seems safe to say that a playoff game will be hosted in Norman in a couple weeks. But it’s close.

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)

Notre Dame had a nervy Saturday and it will remain a nervous bundle of energy until Sunday’s rankings are finally revealed. We have the Fighting Irish doing just enough to remain in the field, but it’s less about what the committee does with Notre Dame and more about what it does with Alabama.

We have Alabama and Notre Dame flipping one spot this weekend, with the committee not overly penalizing Alabama for a title-game loss. That keeps Alabama as a buffer between Notre Dame and Miami, allowing the Fighting Irish to sneak into the back half of the field.

10. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3)

The College Football Playoff committee will be put to the test by how it ranks Alabama this week. The Crimson Tide are coming off a three-score loss in the SEC Championship Game. Will that be enough to cause a tumble such that Alabama misses the field?

That is absolutely a possibility entering Sunday. We’re projecting it a little differently. Alabama drops, but not enough to miss the field. Meanwhile, it provides Notre Dame some cushion with Miami, keeping that head-to-head result from coming into play.

11. Miami Hurricanes (10-2)

In our projections, Miami makes the top 12 but ultimately misses the playoff field because two of the five highest-ranked conference champions come from outside the top 12. This was a tight one, though, and could easily go the other direction.

Miami actually got some of the help it needed on Saturday. The question is will it be enough? Alabama’s ranking will almost definitely determine whether Miami makes the field. It’s a thoroughly tricky spot to be in.

12. Texas Longhorns (9-3)

Texas didn’t have a great shot of making the field entering this weekend, needing absolute calamity to sniff the field. Given there were only so many games, the Longhorns knew it was the longest of shots.

Ultimately, the loss to Florida will keep Texas from making the field. That one stings and there isn’t much hand waving that can be done to explain it away. Still, a strong season overall for the Longhorns.

Rest of the CFP Rankings: 13-25

13. Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2)
14. BYU Cougars (11-2)
15. Utah Utes (10-2)
16. USC Trojans (9-3)
17. Tulane Green Wave (11-2)*
18. Arizona Wildcats (9-3)
19. Michigan Wolverines (9-3)
20. Houston Cougars (9-3)
21. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3)
22. James Madison Dukes (12-1)*
23. Virginia Cavaliers (10-3)
24. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4)
25. Tennessee Volunteers (8-4)

* Indicates conference champion

First-Round Byes – College Football Playoff

1. Indiana Hoosiers
2. Georgia Bulldogs
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders
4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Again, unlike last season, the first-round byes are not guaranteed to the four highest-ranked conference champions. That means whichever teams are ranked 1-4 will earn a bye. For the final projections of the College Football Playoff rankings, we have two Big Ten teams earning a bye, as well as one team from the SEC and one team from the Big 12.

First-Round College Football Playoff Matchups

5. Oregon Ducks vs. 12. James Madison Dukes
James Madison is projected to make the field as one of the highest five ranked conference champions. The road won’t be easy, as our projections pit James Madison against Oregon on the road in the playoff opener. Eugene should be one of the toughest environments in the first round.

6. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 11. Tulane Green Wave
In an unanticipated rematch, we have Tulane heading back to The Grove for a second go at Ole Miss. The first meeting was a total stomping, with Ole Miss claiming a 45-10 victory at home. Can a hotter Tulane team make it closer this time around? There’s also the whole coaching change backdrop for the Rebels.

7. Texas A&M Aggies vs. 10. Alabama Crimson Tide
This one is an SEC-vs.-SEC matchup, but it’s not a rematch. The two teams did not face each other during the regular season. The chance to host a powerhouse SEC foe for a trip to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals has to be particularly appealing to the Aggies fans. Got to beat the best to be the best, right?

8. Oklahoma Sooners vs. 9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The final first-round matchup will be played in Norman if our projections hold. That’s a really positive outcome for Oklahoma, which could have lost a home playoff game had Alabama or BYU won their respective conference championship games. For Notre Dame, simply being in the field will be welcomed at this point.