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

The penultimate edition of the 2025 College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed on Tuesday night, giving many teams an idea whether they’re tracking to make the postseason or not. It will be nervy times for many.

Plenty of teams have stated their case for a potential playoff bid at this point. And with only a handful of conference championship games left to be played, the chance to move up is minimal.

That said, there are usually a few wild cards at the end of the season. Today, we take a stab at projecting what the penultimate 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. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)*

Ohio State navigated its whole schedule unbeaten, putting itself into position to earn a College Football Playoff berth regardless of what happens in the Big Ten title game. The slate wasn’t as tough as it looked in the preseason, mostly thanks to Penn State‘s collapse.

That said, when you run away from everyone the way the Buckeyes have the committee has to take notice. There’s a chance with a close conference championship game that both Ohio State and Indiana could yet earn a first-round bye.

2. Indiana Hoosiers (12-0)

Indiana remains the clear, unquestioned No. 2 team in the country behind Ohio State. And there are probably some arguments that the two could be switched, given the quality of Indiana’s road win at Oregon.

Regardless, Curt Cignetti‘s squad is in position to potentially earn a first-round bye. A win in the Big Ten Championship Game would certainly cement that.

3. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1)*

Georgia was three points away from matching Alabama in its lone loss of the season. That’s a pretty good resume, one that includes wins over Ole Miss and Texas. This weekend, the program added another win over (at the time) a ranked Georgia Tech team.

Now the scenario for Georgia appears pretty simple. It has to win the SEC Championship Game to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. A loss would put Georgia potentially into the range where hosting a first-round game might be a question mark.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1)*

Texas Tech finished off its regular season in style, stomping West Virginia 49-0 in the finale. That was a road game, too. The Red Raiders clearly have one of the best resumes in the Big 12.

Even if Texas Tech isn’t ranked at No. 4, where we have it projected, with a game coming up against BYU in the league title game the team could earn its way into the first-round bye positioning. But the Red Raiders are probably safely in the playoff field even with a loss.

5. Oregon Ducks (11-1)

Oregon’s season is done, and the team navigated the tricky final two games against USC and at Washington. That was no gimme, so making sure the team got it done was vital in receiving a playoff bid.

The Ducks can almost definitely start celebrating at this point. They’ve likely earned a home playoff game in Eugene, Ore., at this point.

6. Ole Miss Rebels (11-1)

Alabama’s late win against Auburn cemented the second spot in the SEC title game, keeping Ole Miss out of it. Now the question for the Rebels is how they handle the departure of Lane Kiffin and a few key staffers, who are off to LSU.

Can Pete Golding rally the troops and get enough support to help Ole Miss make the most of its playoff berth? You have to imagine the fan support will be fierce. Can the Rebels get a home College Football Playoff game? We’re projecting yes.

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

Texas A&M takes a tumble with the loss, and it’s certainly possible the committee has the Aggies ranked ahead of the Rebels. Still, with the season now over, Texas A&M is also safely into the playoff field.

The only question is the sorting of the teams and whether Ole Miss can remain in the top eight teams to earn a first-round home game. Again, we’re projecting that happens and there is playoff football played at Kyle Field.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2)

Oklahoma might be in the most interesting position of any team when it comes to the College Football Playoff field. The Sooners are almost definitely in the field at this point based on their previous rankings.

But will they finish in a spot to host a first-round playoff game or will they be just on the wrong side of the cut line and have to travel? That’s a significant question facing the Sooners going into the final set of rankings. It could depend on results in the SEC and Big 12 title games.

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)

Notre Dame is in a similar spot as Oklahoma at this point. There’s not really any reasonable doubt that the Fighting Irish will make the field, it’s just a matter of where they fall within it.

The Fighting Irish are arguably playing as well as anyone right now and getting a home game might further galvanize the team on the playoff run. Notre Dame is averaging 51.3 points per game over the last month. Clicking.

10. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)

Alabama fans have to be at least a little nervous heading into the SEC title game with two losses, though the general sentiment is that it would be unlikely the committee would penalize playing in a title game enough to cost the Crimson Tide a playoff berth. But it’s not a guarantee at all.

How the game unfolds could also be important for Alabama. Being competitive, even in a loss, could be enough to cement a spot. Meanwhile, a win could cause a significant jump up the rankings.

11. BYU Cougars (11-1)

BYU has taken care of business, winning every game this season except for a road trip to Texas Tech. Well now the Cougars get a chance to avenge that loss, this time with a ton of College Football Playoff implications riding on it.

There has to be at least some concern that BYU could drop from the playoff field with a loss in the Big 12 title game, particularly if it’s lopsided. That will make for a nervous week in Provo.

12. Miami Hurricanes (10-2)

Miami was hoping for some help in the College Football Playoff rankings with games played this weekend but didn’t get it. That leaves the Hurricanes right around the playoff cut line with no way to bolster their positioning at this point.

Miami has some oomph on its resume with wins over Notre Dame and at Pittsburgh. The issue is that the committee hasn’t ranked Miami close enough to Notre Dame for the head-to-head to matter. Will that change in the penultimate or final rankings?

Rest of the CFP Rankings: 13-25

13. Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2)
14. Texas Longhorns (9-3)
15. Utah Utes (10-2)
16. USC Trojans (9-3)
17. Virginia Cavaliers (10-2)*
18. Tulane Green Wave (10-2)*
19. Michigan Wolverines (9-3)
20. Arizona Wildcats (9-3)
21. North Texas Mean Green (11-1)
22. Tennessee Volunteers (8-4)
23. James Madison Dukes (11-1)*
24. Arizona State Sun Devils (8-4)
25. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3)

* Indicates projected conference champion

First-Round Byes – College Football Playoff

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

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. We have the Big Ten earning two byes at the moment — something that could hold even after conference title games — while the SEC and Big 12 earn one each.

First-Round College Football Playoff Matchups

5. Oregon Ducks vs. 12. Tulane Green Wave
   This first-round playoff game would pit the highest ranked Group of Six champion against one of the Big Ten’s best teams. It would be out in Eugene, so it would be an incredibly difficult environment for Tulane to walk into and try to come out with a win.
   
6. Ole Miss Rebels vs. 11. Virginia Cavaliers
   Pete Golding would get a chance to host a first-round playoff game in this scenario, but it’s worth noting our projections don’t have Ole Miss being penalized for losing Lane Kiffin. There’s a possibility the Rebels drop some in the rankings without Kiffin; no one is quite sure just yet what the committee will do.
   
7. Texas A&M Aggies vs. 10. Alabama Crimson Tide
   We have an SEC matchup in the first round, though not a rematch. In fact, this could have been the SEC Championship Game had Texas A&M not fallen in the final weekend of the season. Kyle Field would be jumping with Alabama coming to town.
   
8. Oklahoma Sooners vs. 9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
   The final first-round College Football Playoff game features Oklahoma against Notre Dame. It would be an excellent contrast of styles, with the Sooners defense tasked with stopping the Irish’s excellent ground game. This matchup could also easily flip with Notre Dame hosting. We’ll see.