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The latest College Football Playoff rankings saw no changes in the top three, but a big loss for the former No. 4 team has sent them down the list.
The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a close one to the Oklahoma Sooners at home, 23-21, and it cost them in the eyes of the selection committee. They dropped from No. 4 to No. 10.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs, who had been No. 5 in each of the first two rankings, moved into their spot at No. 4.
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Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables 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 1 through 3, respectively, to round out the top four, each of which would receive a bye if the playoffs were to start today.
However, it was interesting to see the Crimson Tide behind the No. 9 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has no more top-25 wins this season, with Alabama collecting 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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Looking past 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 up two spots in the rankings.
Of course, with both Miami and Notre Dame at 8-2 overall, the Hurricanes and their fan base are certainly not happy that they 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, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“The No. 1 criteria is always head-to-head. That’s why we play the game, right?” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said via ESPN. “It always has been and always will be the first factor.”
But 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. However, Miami was upset by unranked Louisville and SMU this season.
Speaking of the Longhorns, they moved up to No. 17 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 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 to the Oklahoma Sooners in 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 caveat: It will be a straight seeding model, not one where each winner of the Power Four conferences automatically receives a bye.
With just two weeks left in the regular season, conference championships will follow to ultimately determine how the College Football Playoff field will shake out.
