College Football Rankings: Top 5 Hold Steady as Teams Jostle for Playoff Spots
As the 2025 college football season enters its final stretch, the latest rankings reveal a familiar top five, but a jostling battle for the coveted spots just below. The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings released Tuesday night kept Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Texas Tech in the top five, but the race for positions six and seven has become a tightly contested affair.
Top 5 Remain Unchanged
Ohio State continues to lead the pack, maintaining its undefeated record and receiving the majority of first-place votes in the AP Top 25. Indiana and Texas A&M, also undefeated, remain at numbers two and three, respectively. Georgia holds steady at four, while Texas Tech rounds out the top five after a strong showing throughout the season.
Flip-Flop at Six and Seven
The spotlight this week has been on the sixth and seventh spots, where Oregon and Ole Miss have traded places. Oregon, coming off a high-scoring victory, moved up to six, while Ole Miss dropped to seven. Both teams are 10-1 and remain in contention for a playoff berth, but the committee’s decision to flip their rankings underscores the razor-thin margin between playoff hopefuls.
“It’s a juggling act at six and seven,” said Hunter Yurachek, chair of the CFP selection committee. “Oregon and Ole Miss are both outstanding teams, and the committee had to weigh recent performances, strength of schedule, and other factors before making the call.”
Notre Dame and Miami Compared Head-to-Head
Another intriguing matchup in the rankings is the battle between Notre Dame and Miami. After a close comparison, Notre Dame remains ahead of Miami, despite the Hurricanes’ opening-week victory over the Fighting Irish. The committee cited the strength of both teams’ schedules and overall body of work as key factors.
“We compare a number of things when looking at teams closely ranked together,” Yurachek said. “We’ve got some teams ranked between Miami and Notre Dame, such as Alabama and BYU, who we’re also comparing Miami to.”
Coaching and Player Availability in Focus
The committee also acknowledged that coaching and player availability can impact rankings, particularly in the case of Ole Miss. With questions surrounding head coach Lane Kiffin’s job status, the committee noted that such factors are considered, but only if they directly affect the team’s performance.
“We’ll take care of that when it happens,” Yurachek said. “The loss of a player or a key coach is in the principles of how we rank teams, but we don’t have a data point for how we look at Ole Miss without their coach.”
Other Notable Rankings
Other teams making headlines include Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama, and BYU, all of which remain in the top 12. Vanderbilt and Miami also saw slight movements, reflecting the competitive nature of the rankings at this stage of the season.
The full CFP rankings as of November 23, 2025:
- 1. Ohio State
- 2. Indiana
- 3. Texas A&M
- 4. Georgia
- 5. Texas Tech
- 6. Oregon
- 7. Ole Miss
- 8. Oklahoma
- 9. Notre Dame
- 10. Alabama
- 11. BYU
- 12. Miami (Fla.)
- 13. Utah
- 14. Vanderbilt
- 15. Michigan
What’s Next?
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, every game will be crucial for teams hoping to secure a playoff spot. The jostling at the top is expected to continue, and the committee’s next rankings could see further movement as conference championships approach.
“It’s going to be a wild finish,” Yurachek said. “Every team in the top 12 has a shot, and the committee will be watching closely.”
College football fans can expect more drama and excitement as the season heads toward its climax, with the final playoff rankings set to be revealed in early December.