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The first College Football Playoff rankings have been released, and the reigning champions are at the top of the pack.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked first as ESPN revealed the projected 12-team bracket Tuesday night. The 2024 champions, who defeated Notre Dame in the championship game earlier this year, have been outstanding with an 8-0 start to no one’s surprise.
But perhaps one of the best stories this season comes from the No. 2 ranked team – the Indiana Hoosiers. Head coach Curt Cignetti’s group has been phenomenal to start the year, leading the Big Ten with a 9-0 record behind the play of Heisman candidate quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
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Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. (IMAGIN)
Rounding out the top four seeds, who all get a bye in the first round of the CFP, are No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama.
The SEC is well represented in these debut rankings, as Georgia comes in at No. 5, followed by Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels at No. 6.
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Rounding out the top 10 is BYU, the No. 7 team that leads the Big 12 with a perfect 8-0 record, Texas Tech, Oregon and the No. 10 Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame may have lost its first two games of the season, but the Irish have reeled off six straight wins as a big team. Their first two losses came against the Aggies and No. 18 Miami in their opener.
Speaking of the Hurricanes, they have the same number of losses as the Fighting Irish, but their most recent overtime loss to SMU dropped them in the rankings.
Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin watches his team play against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Right on the edge is Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns at No. 11, especially given the team’s win over No. 16 Vanderbilt, while the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners are also close.
Since each Power Four conference needs a representative, Virginia — the leaders in the ACC — comes in at No. 14. With all top 25 teams coming from a Power Four conference, the CFP committee had Memphis as the top team from the Group of Five.
However, this is not the same format as previous college football seasons, as the committee uses a straight seeding model this time around. The top four teams in the final rankings, regardless of the conference they play in, will receive a first-round bye.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a catch during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025. (IMAGIN)
With the current rankings, Memphis would face Georgia, Virginia would play Ole Miss, Notre Dame would travel to BYU and Oregon would take on Texas Tech.
Of course, this is only the first of many locations to come. The bracket will conclude on December 7, the day after the conference championship games.
