{"id":6439,"date":"2025-11-26T08:05:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T08:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/cfp-top-25-30-teams\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T08:05:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T08:05:42","slug":"cfp-top-25-30-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/cfp-top-25-30-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"CFP Top 25: 30 Teams Still Vying for Playoff Spots After Week 13"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lead:<\/strong> The College Football Playoff selection committee released its Week 13 Top 25 on Tuesday night, leaving Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia as the top four teams as teams head into the final full weekend of the regular season. Movement was minimal after every squad ranked inside the top 14 that played in Week 13 won its game. Texas Tech remained No. 5 while Oregon rose to No. 6 after beating USC, leapfrogging Ole Miss. The rankings set the stage for rivalry weekend and a swelling list of contenders \u2014 30 schools still have a mathematical path to the 12-team field.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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  • Top four: Ohio State (11-0), Indiana (11-0), Texas A&M (11-0) and Georgia (10-1) sit 1\u20134 in the Week 13 CFP Top 25.<\/li>\n
  • Minimal churn: Every team ranked in the top 14 that played in Week 13 won, producing little movement in the committee\u2019s list.<\/li>\n
  • Top 10 snapshot: Texas Tech (10-1) holds No. 5, Oregon (10-1) is No. 6, Ole Miss (10-1) slipped to No. 7, followed by Oklahoma (9-2), Notre Dame (9-2) and Alabama (9-2).<\/li>\n
  • Bubble shifting: BYU is No. 11, Miami jumped to No. 12, Utah fell to No. 13 after a comeback win, and Vanderbilt sits at No. 14.<\/li>\n
  • Conference stakes: Five highest-ranked conference champions will be guaranteed spots among the 12-team playoff field; that makes conference title games crucial.<\/li>\n
  • Non-Power 4 hopes: Tulane (American) is the highest-ranked Group of Five team at No. 24; James Madison (Sun Belt East) has clinched its division but faces an uphill national case.<\/li>\n
  • Coaching uncertainty: Ole Miss faces questions about Lane Kiffin\u2019s status heading into the postseason; the committee says coaching changes would not have been discussed in the ranking process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Background<\/h2>\n

    The CFP expanded to a 12-team format, reshaping how teams qualify: five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic berths, and seven at-large spots fill out the field. That structure elevates conference title games’ value, particularly for mid-tier Power Five teams and Group of Five champions hoping to leap into the at-large conversation. With only a few marquee matchups remaining in the regular season, committee rankings after Week 13 are the last widely watched snapshot before rivalry-weekend outcomes and championship games begin to crystallize the field.<\/p>\n

    Committee deliberations focus on r\u00e9sum\u00e9 elements \u2014 record, quality wins, strength of schedule, conference championships and head-to-head results \u2014 but they explicitly say they do not factor in off-field personnel moves when ranking teams. This season\u2019s realignment (teams like Oregon, Utah and Oklahoma in new conferences) and the expanded field have produced more scenarios in which multiple teams from a single league could be postseason qualifiers. That uncertainty is why the committee\u2019s weekly placements matter more than ever: a single upset or conference title result can cascade through the bubble.<\/p>\n

    Main Event<\/h2>\n

    The Week 13 release reaffirmed the top tier: Ohio State (11-0) kept the top spot, followed by undefeated Indiana (11-0), Texas A&M (11-0) and Georgia (10-1). Texas Tech remained at No. 5 (10-1), and Oregon\u2019s victory over USC moved the Ducks to No. 6 (10-1) and ahead of Ole Miss (10-1). Oklahoma (9-2), Notre Dame (9-2) and Alabama (9-2) completed the top 10, preserving a tight group of candidates for at-large slots.<\/p>\n

    Down the list, BYU held at No. 11 (10-1); Miami climbed to No. 12 (9-2) while Utah slid to No. 13 (9-2) despite a dramatic comeback to beat Kansas State. Vanderbilt sits at No. 14 (9-2), and Michigan moved up three places to No. 15 (9-2) before its rivalry matchup at No. 1 Ohio State. Texas rose to No. 16 (8-3); the Longhorns meet No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday night in a high-stakes rivalry game for both playoff positioning and bragging rights.<\/p>\n

    The committee\u2019s list also underlines conference distribution: Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team, but the Hurricanes face a tougher path to the ACC title game. The Pac-12-to-Big Ten realignment and SEC additions have produced an unusual mix of contenders across conferences; the committee must weigh interconference results and late-season momentum as championship weekend approaches.<\/p>\n

    Comparison & Data<\/h2>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Rank<\/th>\nTeam<\/th>\nRecord<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    1<\/td>\nOhio State<\/td>\n11-0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    2<\/td>\nIndiana<\/td>\n11-0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3<\/td>\nTexas A&M<\/td>\n11-0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    4<\/td>\nGeorgia<\/td>\n10-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    5<\/td>\nTexas Tech<\/td>\n10-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    6<\/td>\nOregon<\/td>\n10-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    7<\/td>\nOle Miss<\/td>\n10-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    8<\/td>\nOklahoma<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    9<\/td>\nNotre Dame<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    10<\/td>\nAlabama<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    11<\/td>\nBYU<\/td>\n10-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    12<\/td>\nMiami<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    13<\/td>\nUtah<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    14<\/td>\nVanderbilt<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    15<\/td>\nMichigan<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    16<\/td>\nTexas<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    17<\/td>\nUSC<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    18<\/td>\nVirginia<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    19<\/td>\nTennessee<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    20<\/td>\nArizona State<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    21<\/td>\nSMU<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    22<\/td>\nPitt<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    23<\/td>\nGeorgia Tech<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    24<\/td>\nTulane<\/td>\n9-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    25<\/td>\nArizona<\/td>\n8-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
    CFP Top 25 after Week 13 (source: CFP selection committee via public release)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The table above reproduces the committee\u2019s Week 13 Top 25 and records. The expanded, 12-team field means the five highest-ranked conference champions are effectively guaranteed berths; that makes the identity of conference title winners as important as final rankings. Group-of-Five and Sun Belt contenders face a narrow window \u2014 typically only the conference champion\u2019s path to automatic entry is realistic.<\/p>\n

    Analysis & Implications<\/h2>\n

    The committee\u2019s conservative movement this week reflects two dynamics: late-season scheduling balance and a preference for head-to-head and conference-championship clarity. With many top teams idle or winning predictable contests, the committee preserved order, leaving decisions to rivalry weekend outcomes. That means a handful of games \u2014 Michigan at Ohio State, Texas at Texas A&M, and the Egg Bowl, among others \u2014 carry outsized weight for the at-large debate.<\/p>\n

    Conference influence is rising under the 12-team format. If the five highest-ranked conference champions are locked in, that leaves seven at-large spots for teams with strong r\u00e9sum\u00e9s. That structure favors Power Five champions and teams with marquee wins; it squeezes mid-major hopefuls, which will probably need an exceptional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 or an unusually chaotic selection cycle to crack the at-large group. Tulane and James Madison remain the highest Group of Five names in the conversation, but both would need favorable results elsewhere to claim a slot.<\/p>\n

    For teams on the bubble, late-season wins over ranked opponents can be transformational. Michigan beating Ohio State would vault the Wolverines into a dramatically different postseason conversation; similarly, a loss by a higher-ranked team could quickly drop it into the bubble. The committee\u2019s public comments that they did not factor possible coaching absences into rankings aim to keep assessments focused on on-field performance, but sudden coaching moves could still influence committee discretion through perceived continuity concerns.<\/p>\n

    Reactions & Quotes<\/h2>\n

    The committee addressed one such concern directly in media appearances Tuesday.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “We would not have seen the team play without a coach.”<\/p>\n

    Hunter Yurachek, CFP selection committee chair (Arkansas athletic director), on ESPN<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Yurachek\u2019s comment was offered while explaining that potential coaching changes \u2014 specifically the speculation surrounding Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin \u2014 were not part of the committee\u2019s ranking discussion. The committee insisted its placements are based on games played and documented r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, not hypothetical postseason personnel moves.<\/p>\n

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    “A decision on Kiffin\u2019s future is expected the Saturday after Friday\u2019s Egg Bowl.”<\/p>\n

    Keith Carter, Ole Miss athletic director, reported comment<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Keith Carter\u2019s timeline \u2014 given publicly last week \u2014 underscores the immediacy of the coaching question for Ole Miss fans and the team\u2019s postseason plans. Carter framed the decision point as coming after the rivalry game with Mississippi State, creating added uncertainty for a program sitting near the top-10 bubble.<\/p>\n

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