On Nov. 11, 2025, the College Football Playoff selection committee released its second set of rankings, leaving the top five unchanged. Ohio State holds No. 1, followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia. The board also listed a 12-team field that would produce four first-round games Dec. 19–20 and quarterfinals on Dec. 31–Jan. 1, with the semifinals on Jan. 8–9 and the championship scheduled for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. Shifts below the top five and conference tie-ins mean South Florida and Miami would enter a hypothetical 12-team bracket as conference champions.
Key Takeaways
- Top five unchanged: Ohio State (No. 1), Indiana (No. 2), Texas A&M (No. 3), Alabama (No. 4) and Georgia (No. 5) in the committee’s Nov. 11, 2025 rankings.
- Projected 12-team field lists Ohio State through BYU as the top 12, with South Florida (No. 24) replacing BYU as the Group of Five champion.
- Top four seeds (Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama) would receive first-round byes under the 12-team format.
- First-round matchups shown: South Florida at Georgia; Miami at Texas Tech; Texas at Ole Miss; Notre Dame at Oregon (Dec. 19–20).
- Conference distribution: SEC has six teams in the top 12; Big Ten three; Big 12 two. The ACC placed five teams in the top 25 but none above 15th.
- Notable wins cited: Indiana’s 27–24 comeback at Penn State (Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr., 7-yard TD with 36 seconds left); Texas A&M’s 38–17 road win at Missouri.
- South Florida and Cincinnati appear in the top 25 for the first time; Missouri and Washington fell out after losses last week.
Background
The CFP selection committee issues periodic rankings that shape seeding and matchups for the 12-team playoff format adopted for 2024 and beyond. Those rankings incorporate results, strength of schedule, head-to-head outcomes and conference championships; five automatic berths go to conference champions, which can alter a projected bracket. The Nov. 11 release is the second formal snapshot of the season used to evaluate teams ahead of conference championship weekend.
This season has seen established powers and emerging contenders jockey for résumé-building wins. Indiana, unbeaten entering the committee’s release, did little to quiet skepticism about late-game consistency but edged Penn State on a last-minute touchdown. Texas A&M remains unbeaten and bolstered its case with road victories including a 38–17 win at Missouri and a narrow 41–40 win at Notre Dame earlier in the year.
Main Event
The committee’s Nov. 11 rankings list the top 12 as: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma and BYU. Because the highest-ranked Group of Five champion (South Florida at No. 24) would fill the automatic slot, BYU would drop from the bracket and Miami—projected ACC champion—would replace Oklahoma in the simulation. That reshuffling reflects the CFP rule guaranteeing five spots for conference champs.
Committee chair Mack Rhoades of Baylor explained the deliberations on ESPN’s release show, saying Indiana earned the edge over Texas A&M in part on defense and overall body of work. Rhoades noted the committee discussed multiple facets, including defensive performance and consistency, when deciding the order of the top teams. Texas Tech moved up after a 29–7 win over BYU, while BYU fell five spots following its first loss.
The committee set out the hypothetical first-round games for Dec. 19–20: No. 24 South Florida at No. 5 Georgia, Miami at Texas Tech, Texas at Ole Miss and Notre Dame at Oregon. If applied, the top four teams—Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama—would skip the first weekend and host quarterfinal contests at designated New Year’s bowls on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Beyond the top 12, the committee placed Utah at 13th, Vanderbilt 14th, Miami 15th and Georgia Tech 16th. USC, Michigan, Virginia and Louisville filled spots 17–20, while Iowa, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, South Florida and Cincinnati completed the top 25. The ranking dynamics reflect conference results, head-to-head matchups and recent form.
Analysis & Implications
Keeping Ohio State at No. 1 preserves the Buckeyes’ path to a favorable quarterfinal draw if the rankings hold to selection day. For Indiana, remaining at No. 2 validates an unbeaten regular season to date, but the Nittany Lions’ struggles and coaching change at Penn State (James Franklin fired Oct. 12) provide context to observers weighing strength of schedule and opponent form.
Texas A&M’s position behind Indiana—despite also being unbeaten—highlights the committee’s emphasis on comparative evaluations beyond record alone. The Aggies have key road wins but sit behind Indiana on defensive and overall body-of-work considerations, per Rhoades’ comments. That distinction could matter if the teams meet or if both enter conference title weekends with similar résumés.
The SEC’s deep representation (six of the top 12) underscores the conference’s continued heft in committee evaluations, but it also raises potential seeding complications if multiple SEC teams win conference titles. South Florida’s placement as the top Group of Five team at No. 24 shows how an automatic berth can insert a lower-ranked team into the 12-team bracket, altering matchups and home-site advantages.
Comparison & Data
| Seed | Team | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| 2 | Indiana | Big Ten |
| 3 | Texas A&M | SEC |
| 4 | Alabama | SEC |
| 5 | Georgia | SEC |
| 6 | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| 7 | Ole Miss | SEC |
| 8 | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | Independent |
| 10 | Texas | Big 12 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
| 12 | BYU | Independent |
The table above shows the committee’s top-12 ordering and conference alignment. The five automatic berths for conference champions can alter which teams actually occupy these slots: the highest-ranked Group of Five champion would bump the lowest seed into an out-of-bracket position, as illustrated by South Florida’s status at No. 24 and its projected role as the Group of Five representative.
Reactions & Quotes
Committee chair Mack Rhoades explained the close deliberation between Indiana and Texas A&M and cited Indiana’s defensive profile and overall body of work as decisive factors.
“Indiana, we gave them the edge defensively, and certainly, offensively, as well. You think about Indiana’s body of work …. Indiana found a way to find a way.”
Mack Rhoades, CFP committee chair (Baylor athletic director)
On Texas Tech’s rise, Rhoades pointed to a balanced performance but noted red-zone inefficiency as one reason the Red Raiders remain outside the top four despite their defensive dominance in recent games.
“Offensively, in the red zone, they’ve left some points off the board, and have kicked a lot of field goals. But they’re a really good football team.”
Mack Rhoades, CFP committee chair
Fans and analysts reacted on social platforms to the committee’s choices, with some praising Indiana’s resume and others questioning how conference championships will reshape the bracket. The committee’s emphasis on consistency and head-to-head outcomes was a recurring theme in media coverage following the release.
Unconfirmed
- The committee’s internal vote breakdown and individual member rankings were not released and remain undisclosed.
- Miami’s status as the ACC representative is projected in the committee simulation; the actual ACC champion will be decided on conference-championship weekend.
Bottom Line
The Nov. 11 rankings reinforce Ohio State’s position atop the field and reward Indiana and Texas A&M for unbeaten stretches, while conference-champion guarantees mean the projected 12-team bracket could shift notably after title games. The committee’s emphasis on defensive performance and overall body of work suggests teams with close wins or inconsistent offensive production remain vulnerable to slides in future releases.
With first-round games slated for Dec. 19–20 and quarterfinals at major bowls on Dec. 31–Jan. 1, the next two weeks of regular-season play and conference championships will be decisive. Fans and programs should watch conference title outcomes closely: automatic berths can bump teams in or out of the field regardless of current ranking position.