Projected CFP rankings: Top teams avoid upsets, Jackets’ loss jumbles ACC
There doesn’t figure to be much drama atop the College Football Playoff rankings this week with the top 14 teams winning or idle.
But those who have followed the 2025 season closely realize it’s likely a case of the calm before a storm of rivalry games the final week of the season.
Oregon and Oklahoma turned back ranked opponents Saturday to bolster their top 10 resumes for the CFP selection committee, which will release its next set of rankings at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The No. 7 Ducks (10-1), with their impressive 42-17 home win over No. 15 USC, could challenge the idle — but unsettled — Ole Miss (10-1) program for the No. 6 spot in the rankings, if not this week then next.
“All we’re worried about is playing the teams we play and doing the job we need to do,” said Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who has won 10 games or more each of his four seasons as the Ducks’ head coach.
“Proof is in the pudding — we played a good team and we beat them. All we can do next week is try to do the same thing.”
The Ducks finish the regular season at Washington, which defeated UCLA 48-14 on Saturday.
Ole Miss, which could be losing head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU (an announcement is expected at the end of next week), finishes its regular season playing at Mississippi State on Friday.
If Kiffin leaves the Rebels, it could affect how the CFP selection committee ranks Ole Miss, as the program would suddenly be in transition.
Oklahoma (9-2), at No. 8, certainly wouldn’t figure to drop this week after beating No. 22 Missouri 17-6.
“We were 8-2 last week, we’re 9-2 this week,” said Sooners coach Brent Venables, whose team won at Alabama the week before beating the Tigerslast week.
“I’m proud of our guys for our body of work and a relentless commitment, but nobody’s handing out trophies,” he said. “There’s no badge of honor other than playing the game a certain way. Physical. Took care of the ball. Plus-2. Ten turnovers the last three games. That’s how you’ve got to go win.”
A bit of the controversy surrounding No. 9 Notre Dame might quiet down after the Irish smashed 3-8 Syracuse 70-7. It was the most points Notre Dame has scored in a game since 1966, even if it was against the 16th-place team in the ACC.
And, speaking of the ACC, there are still six teams that could qualify to play in the league championship game, the winner of which will get an automatic spot in the 12-team CFP field.
No. 19-ranked Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC) and SMU (8-3, 6-1) can clinch spots in the ACC title game with wins next week. The Cavaliers finish their regular season with a home game against Virginia Tech on Saturday, while SMU plays at Cal.
Pitt (8-3, 6-1), a 42-28 winner at No. 16 Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2), would be first in line to benefit should Virginia or SMU lose next week and it beats Miami on Saturday in Pittsburgh.
The No. 13-ranked Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2) kept alive slim hopes of being selected as an at-large team with a 34-17 win at Virginia Tech that might be enough to convince the selection committee to move them ahead of No. 12 Utah (9-2), which struggled to beat a 5-6 Kansas State team 51-47.
The race for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion remains contested.
Tulane (9-2, 6-1 American Conference) — the projected Group of Six selection at No. 24 last week — went on the road and beat Temple 37-14. Navy (8-2, 6-1) was idle, while North Texas (10-1, 6-1) won 56-24 at Rice, giving the American three 6-1 teams entering the final week.
Tulane finishes the regular season at home against 1-10 Charlotte, while North Texas plays host to Temple on Friday and Navy plays at Memphis on Thursday night.
Sun Belt Conference leader James Madison (10-1), the highest-ranked Group of Six team in the AP Top 25 at No. 21, beat Washington State 24-20 and finishes its regular season against Coastal Carolina.
How the CFP Top 25 fared
- Ohio State (11-0) - Defeated Rutgers, 42-9
- Indiana (11-0) - Did not play
- Texas A&M (11-0) - Defeated Samford, 48-0
- Georgia (10-1) - Defeated Charlotte, 35-3
- Texas Tech (10-1) - Did not play
- Ole Miss (10-1) - Did not play
- Oregon (10-1) - Defeated No. 15 USC, 42-27
- Oklahoma (9-2) - Defeated No. 22 Missouri, 17-6
- Notre Dame (9-2) - Defeated Syracuse, 70-7
- Alabama (9-2) - Defeated Eastern Illinois, 56-0
- BYU (10-1) - Defeated Cincinnati, 26-14
- Utah (9-2) - Defeated Kansas State, 51-47
- Miami (9-2) - Won at Virginia Tech, 34-17
- Vanderbilt (9-2) - Defeated Kentucky, 45-17
- USC (8-3) - Lost at No. 7 Oregon, 42-27
- Georgia Tech (9-2) - Lost to Pitt, 42-28
- Texas (8-3) - Defeated Arkansas, 52-37
- Michigan (9-2) - Won at Maryland, 45-20
- Virginia (9-2) - Did not play
- Tennessee (8-3) - Won at Florida, 31-11
- Illinois (7-4) - Lost at Wisconsin, 27-10
- Missouri (7-4) - Lost at No. 8 Oklahoma, 17-6
- Houston (8-3) - Lost to TCU, 17-14
- Tulane (9-2) - Won at Temple, 37-13
- Arizona State (8-3) - Won at Colorado, 42-17
Projected CFP bracket
First-round byes
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
First-round games
Dec. 19-20, campus sites
- No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
- No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Ole Miss
- No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Oregon
- No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
Quarterfinal games
At the Goodyear Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
- No. 12 Tulane/No. 5 Texas Tech winner vs. No. 4 Georgia
- No. 11 Virginia/No. 6 Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M
- No. 10 Alabama/No. 7 Oregon winner vs. No. 2 Indiana
- No. 9 Notre Dame/No. 8 Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State
About the Author
Mike is in his eighth season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 30 years of collegiate sports multimedia experience, 25 of them in the SEC including beat writer stops at Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and now Georgia. Mike was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
