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The top five teams may not have changed in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, but there were some newcomers entering the group.
The Ohio State Buckeyes remain at the top of the list, followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia to round out the top five.
Then, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma and BYU make up the top 12 in the ranking.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws a pass during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
Instead of Memphis being the top-ranked Group of Five champion, the 24th-ranked USF Bulls are now in the group. They would replace BYU at this time because five conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the 12-team playoffs.
Miami, projected to win the ACC, would also replace Oklahoma if the season ended today.
As the bracket stands, Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama would each receive a first-round bye as the top four teams.
OHIO STATE TOPS THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKING WITH INDIANA BEHIND AT NO. 2
After this week’s exciting games, there was a big question about the top teams in the standings: How was the selection committee going to view the Hoosiers’ comeback win over Penn State on the road?
Fernando Mendoza, with 36 seconds left in Beaver Stadium, found Omar Cooper Jr. for a 7-yard touchdown pass, where the latter made a miraculous effort to not only secure the ball but also get his foot in bounds to make the play stand. Indiana went up 27-24 and kept its undefeated season alive.
The Nittany Lions have lost six straight games and have seen their season go downhill, leading to the firing of James Franklin as head coach.
Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) celebrates a victory over Penn State following an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Penn. (Barry Reeger/AP Photo)
However, the selection committee decided to keep his second position at the top intact.
“It was one of our longest discussions in our meeting,” CFP committee chairman Mack Rhoads, who serves as athletic director at Baylor, told ESPN on Tuesday night of the Hoosiers remaining ranked No. 2. “Indiana, we gave them the edge defensively, and certainly offensively as well. You think about Indiana’s job…Indiana found a way to find a way.”
Meanwhile, the Aggies defeated another ranked opponent, defeating Missouri, no longer in the top 25, on the road.
Looking further into the top 12, the Red Raiders moved up two spots from No. 8 to No. 6 after a dominant 29-7 win over BYU over the weekend. Unfortunately for the Cougars, their first loss meant they dropped five spots from their initial ranking to No. 12.
Rhoads said the committee saw a “convincing victory” by Texas Tech over BYU.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) looks to pass against Penn State during the first half of an NCAA college football game. The game took place in State College, Pennsylvania on November 8, 2025. (Barry Reeger/AP Photo)
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In the middle of the pack, Utah ranked 13th by the committee, followed by Vanderbilt, Miami, Georgia Tech, USC, Michigan, Virginia and Louisville.
To complete the top 25, the committee chose Iowa, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, USF and Cincinnati in that order. USF and Cincinnati were both debutants in the rankings. As mentioned, Missouri dropped out of the top 25, as did Washington after losing last week.
