NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The latest College Football Playoff rankings saw no change in the top three, but a big loss for the previous No. 4 team dropped them down the list.
The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a close game to the Oklahoma Sooners at home, 23-21, and it cost them dearly in the eyes of the selection committee. They went from No. 4 to No. 10.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs, who were No. 5 in each of the top two rankings, took their spot at No. 4.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners greets the visitors before Bedlam against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners won 28-13. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remain 1-3, respectively, to round out the top four, each of which would receive a bye if the playoffs began today.
It was interesting to see the Crimson Tide behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who sit in 9th place in the standings. Notre Dame has no more wins in the top 25 this season, with Alabama collecting four to one.
Texas Tech moved up to No. 5, followed by Ole Miss, Oregon and Oklahoma, which moved to No. 8 after its big road win in Tuscaloosa.
4 TO REMEMBER FROM THE SECOND PUBLICATION OF THE CFP 2025 RANKING
Beyond the top 10, BYU is ranked 11th, followed by Utah, Miami, Vanderbilt and USC to round out the top 15. The Hurricanes specifically had a big weekend, beating NC State 41-7 to help them climb two spots in the rankings.
Of course, with Miami and Notre Dame at 8-2 overall, the Hurricanes and their fans surely aren’t happy to remain four spots behind the Fighting Irish, considering they beat them earlier this season.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets a player before the Orange Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“The No. 1 criterion is always face-to-face. That’s why we play this game, right?” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said via ESPN. “That always has been and always will be the No. 1 factor.”
However, on the other side of the debate is how the Hurricanes suffered their two losses to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish lost to the Hurricanes and Texas Longhorns, two ranked teams. Miami, however, has been upset by unranked Louisville and SMU this season.
Speaking of the Longhorns, they dropped to 17th after their lopsided loss to Georgia, 35-10, which pushed them to 7-3 on the year. Georgia Tech is just ahead of them at 16th, while Michigan (18), Virginia (19) and Tennessee (20) are behind them.
Rounding out the top 25 are Illinois, Missouri, Houston, Tulane and Arizona State, respectively.
Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after losing a fumble to the Oklahoma Sooners during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
As always, the five highest-ranked conference champions will be among the 12 teams this playoff season. But there’s a reminder: This will be a straight seeding model, not one in which every winner in the Power Four conferences receives an automatic bye.
There are only two weeks left in the regular season, and the conference championships will follow to ultimately determine how the College Football Playoff field will unfold.
