College Football Playoff rankings predictions: What the final CFP top 25, bracket could look like entering selection Sunday

The final College Football Playoff rankings of 2025 are less than 24 hours away, and we’ll finally know what team will make the second-ever 12-team playoff bracket. Auto-bids have been clinched via conference championship games, so some teams have already guaranteed their spots. Yet, before the rankings are unveiled by the CFP committee, I predict where each potential top 25 team could land.

RECAP: The top moments from College Football's conference championship weekend Week 14

The sixth and final CFP top 25 rankings reveal happens on Sunday, Dec. 7. Ahead of the announcement, here's a prediction of how the committee could rank its top 25 teams. Note that these are my predictions and mine alone. I take a look at head-to-head results, schedule strength, games against ranked teams, and more to help rank the teams as I think the CFP committee will do so. You can read the .

College Football Playoff rankings predictions: The final top 25 projections | Post-Conference Championships

These predictions are as of Saturday, Dec. 6, after the conclusion of the ACC and Big Ten Championship Games.

1. Indiana (13-0) | LW: 2— The lone undefeated FBS team grabs the top overall seed.
2. Georgia (12-1) | LW: 3 — Entering the weekend, there was a chance that Big Ten Championship Game loser stayed put at No. 2. Then Georgia shut out Alabama through three quarters. The SEC champ will be No. 2, especially given UGA's No. 25 strength of schedule.
3. Ohio State (12-1) | LW: 1— Ohio State falls to No. 3. However, losing to the Big Ten Champion is better than Texas Tech's loss to a likely unranked Arizona State squad, keeping the Buckeyes in the top three.
4. Texas Tech (12-1) | LW: 4 — Texas Tech's argument to be a top-three team stops when you look at their strength of schedule, which ranks just 59th. Nonetheless, the Big 12 champ will receive a bye.
5. Oregon (11-1) | LW: 5 — The committee liked Oregon at No. 5 last week, and that won't change based on a competitive Big Ten Championship, maintaining a quality loss to Indiana.
6. Ole Miss (11-1) | LW: 6 — Ole Miss retained its offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator for its playoff run. The committee kept the Rebels at No. 6 last week with this knowledge, and it won't change with time.
7. Texas A&M (11-1) | LW: 7 — Texas A&M will stay put at No. 7 because of opponents' win-loss record as the committee referenced last week.
8. Oklahoma (10-2) | LW: 8 — Oklahoma's resume took a hit, if anything, during conference championship weekend after Alabama's loss lessened its wins' quality. It's not a big enough hit to drop the Sooners from No. 8, but they won't move over the Aggies.
9. Miami (FL) (10-2) | LW: 12 —CFP Committee Chair Hunter Yurachek said after last week's rankings that "There may be something that happens in a championship game that impacts an idle team, whether that's their strength of schedule or some other datapoint that we use, or there could be a team that suffers a significant loss in a title game." Two teams suffered significant losses, as Alabama and BYU were non-competitive in their title games. That opens a window for Miami to enter the playoffs. Then comes the Notre Dame factor. Yurachek discussed the head-to-head between the two schools by saying, "It's obviously easier to use that datapoint when the teams are back-to-back." BYU's loss will put them back-to-back, and the Hurricanes move up.
10. Notre Dame (10-2) | LW: 10 — Notre Dame and Miami both get into the CFP. The Fighting Irish fall behind the Hurricanes because of head-to-head, but stay in over Alabama. Yurachek said, "That [the] debate between Notre Dame and Alabama has been one of the fiercest debates for the last three weeks." Now, Alabama suffered a crushing defeat while Notre Dame ended the season on a 10-game win streak. That debate should have a majority on Notre Dame's side now.
11. Alabama (10-3) | LW: 9 — Yurachek said entering the SEC Championship that Alabama "got an opportunity in their conference championship to give us another datapoint." That data point was -3 rushing yards and absolute domination for three quarters. 15 SEC members had more rushing yards than Alabama last week. Only the Tide and Georgia played a game. That performance combines with the additional data point of loss that the committee hasn't liked throughout its rankings — when the Tide were dominated in a season opener by Florida State. Together, you get an Alabama team out of the playoff. 
12. Texas (9-3) | LW: 13 — While Texas fans and head coach Steve Sarkisian have clamored for a CFP at-large spot, a loss to Florida — not a nonconference loss to Ohio State — is what keeps the Longhorns out with three losses. The committee chair said it himself last week," So it's not that Texas played Ohio State; it is Texas' loss to Florida that's holding them back now." Moreover, Texas ranked behind Miami and Notre Dame last week. Without a conference championship game, Texas won’t have an opportunity to move past either.
13. Vanderbilt (10-2) | LW: 14 — Vanderbilt won't move in front of Texas, regardless of whether other teams that didn't play move. The Commodores lost head-to-head, and per Yurachek, "lack a signature win."
14. BYU (11-2) | LW: 11 — BYU lost the Big 12 title game by 27 points. It's the second time the Cougars have been absolutely dominated by Texas Tech, the only top-10 team its faced. Those performances, plus the 34th-best strength of schedule drop BYU below Texas and Vanderbilt, but a win over Utah gives the Cougars a floor.
15. Utah (10-2) | LW: 15 — Utah has a three-letter ceiling — BYU.
16. Southern California (9-3) | LW: 16 — No team on USC's resume played for a conference title. The Trojans don't jump any teams. A ranked win over Iowa holds off Tulane from passing it.
17. Tulane (11-2) | LW: 20 — Tulane had a 24-point second-half lead in the American championship game. That performance and additional data point bump the Green Wave up a few spots.
18. Arizona (9-3) | LW: 18 — Arizona stays in front of Michigan after ranking in front of them last week.
19. Michigan (9-3) | LW: 19 — Michigan stays in the top 20 as the only thing that could impact its resume was Ohio State's Big Ten Championship Game performance.
20. Houston (9-3) | LW: 21 — Houston joined the rankings last week and won't move above or below any teams that didn't play last week.
21. James Madison (11-1) | LW: 25 — Yurachek said James Madison was "getting a lot of credit because they have gone through their schedule just with one loss," despite a poor strength of schedule. Throw in a conference championship, and the Dukes move up a few spots.
22. Georgia Tech (9-3) | LW: 22 — Georgia Tech will stay just outside of the top 20 in the final rankings.
23. Iowa (8-4) | LW: 23 — Iowa will be the highest-ranked four-loss team in the final rankings after being so last week.
24. Missouri (8-4) | LW: NR — Missouri is the next four-loss team in the rankings after ending the season on a win. The Tigers have a top-23 ranked strength of record and strength of schedule.
25. Washington (8-4) | LW: NR — Three of Washington's four losses will have come to teams ranked within the top 20. Combined with a top-35 strength of schedule, the Huskies grab the last spot.

Dropping out: No. 17 Virginia, No. 24 North Texas

CFP🏆: College Football Playoff rankings release schedule

What the bracket could look like

Fourth conference champion: No. 17 Tulane 
Fifth conference champion: No. 21 James Madison
First Teams Out: No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 Texas, No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 14 BYU

LOOKING AHEAD: 2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule, dates, TV channel, sites 

Notable College Football Playoff rankings questions

Where does the Big Ten Championship Game loser land?

The Big Ten Championship Game saw two undefeated teams enter. The game came down to the wire in the fourth quarter. Will a loss in such fashion allow Georgia or Texas Tech — both conference champions — to move into the top three?

CONFERENCE TITLE GAMES: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC

Is there any movement within spots No. 5-8?

No. 5 Oregon, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 8 Oklahoma were all idle this week. Will any of the conference championship performances impact teams that didn't play?

Who gets the last two at-large spots between Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami?

No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 12 Miami will likely be right next to each other in the committee's room and final rankings. Will Alabama drop after falling in the SEC Championship Game? Will Miami's head-to-head win finally hold weight over Notre Dame? There are a lot of factors at play for the final at-large berths.

Does Duke get in?

Duke is 7-5. But the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship. James Madison is 11-1. It was ranked last week at No. 25. The JMU Dukes then won the Sun Belt title. Is an ACC Championship win over a then-No. 17-ranked Virginia squad enough for a five-loss team to earn the last spot?