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The latest College Football Playoff rankings saw no changes to the top three, but a big loss for the previous No. 4 team dropped them down the list.
The Alabama Crimson Tide narrowly lost to the Oklahoma Sooners at home, 23-21, and that cost them in the eyes of the selection committee. They fell from 4th to 10th place.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs, who had been ranked No. 5 in each of the first two rankings, took their spot at No. 4.
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Head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners greets 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 at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, to round out the top four, who would receive a bye if the playoffs began today.
However, it was interesting to see the Crimson Tide behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are ranked No. 9 in the standings. Notre Dame has no more top-25 wins this season, and Alabama had four to just one.
Texas Tech moved to No. 5, followed by Ole Miss, Oregon and Oklahoma, which moved up to No. 8 after its big road win in Tuscaloosa.
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Beyond the top 10, BYU is at No. 11, followed by Utah, Miami, Vanderbilt and USC to round out the top 15. The Hurricanes specifically had a big weekend, defeating NC State 41-7 to help them jump two spots in the rankings.
Of course, with Miami and Notre Dame both sitting at 8-2 overall, the Hurricanes and their fan base surely aren’t happy remaining 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, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“The number one criterion is always face to face. That’s why we play, right?” Said Miami head coach Mario Cristóbal, via ESPN. “That has always been and always will be the number one factor.”
However, on the other side of the argument is how the Hurricanes got their two losses compared to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish lost to the Hurricanes and Texas Longhorns, both ranked teams. Miami, however, was upset by unranked Louisville and SMU this season.
Speaking of the Longhorns, they moved up to 17th after their lopsided loss to Georgia, 35-10, bringing them to 7-3 on the year. Georgia Tech is just ahead of them at No. 16, 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 against 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 in the 12-team field this playoff season. But there’s a reminder: It will be a direct seeding model, not one in which every Power Four conference winner receives an automatic bye.
There are just two weeks left in the regular season, and conference championships will follow to ultimately determine how the College Football Playoff field will play out.
