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Unsurprisingly, college football has brought the chaos this 2025 season, the second of the 12-team playoff era.
While the defending champions Ohio State Buckeyes have remained a dominant force, there have been plenty of unexpected twists and turns for other top programs. Some of those have been downward spirals — Texas and Penn State were the top two-ranked squads in the preseason AP Poll, but the Longhorns have already two games, while the Nittany Lions are searching for a new head coach and still winless in Power Four matchups.
The disappointment from some programs has opened up opportunity for others, though. Among the teams still unbeaten are Curt Cignetti’s Indiana squad (wins over Illinois and Oregon), Texas A&M (wins over Notre Dame and LSU) and BYU (win over Utah, Iowa State).
For the first time this season, CFP rankings will be released on Tuesday evening, offering the first insights into how the 12-team bracket could shake up in December. Which teams are tracking for first-round byes? Which will find themself on the bubble of playoff contention?
The Sporting News is tracking the first CFP bracket reveal of the 2025 season. Follow along with the rankings below.
STREAM: Watch the first CFP rankings show live with Fubo (free trial)
College Football Playoff rankings 2025
Who are the top 12 teams in first CFP bracket poll?
| Ranking | Team | Record |
| 1 | Ohio State | 8-0 |
| 2 | Indiana | 9-0 |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 8-0 |
| 4 | Alabama | 7-1 |
| 5 | Georgia | 7-1 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 8-1 |
| 7 | BYU | 8-0 |
| 8 | Texas Tech | 8-1 |
| 9 | Oregon | 7-1 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 6-2 |
| 11 | Texas | 7-2 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 7-2 |
Without much surprise, the defending national champion, Ohio State, slotted in at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2025 season. The Buckeyes’ ranked wins include against Texas, who was No. 1 at the time but now landed at No. 11 in the first CFP rankings with two losses, and Illinois in October.
As expected, the two other unbeaten squads from the Big Ten and SEC slotted in at No. 2 and No. 3. Indiana, with its wins over Illinois and Oregon, claimed the second spot, while Texas A&M, atop the SEC with wins over Notre Dame and LSU, fell in third. By the committee’s rankings, the final team that would currently have a first-round bye is Alabama, which has beaten Georgia, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Tennessee since a season-opening loss to Florida State.
Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas Tech would all be in-line to host a first-round matchup in the CFP bracket under the current rankings — as would the Big 12’s BYU Cougars, which remains unbeaten. The committee gave an undefeated BYU unit the nod over one-loss Texas Tech and Oregon teams.
Rounding out the top-12 ranked teams, which doesn’t exactly represent the teams who would be in the playoff bracket, was Notre Dame, Texas and Oklahoma. The Longhorns have bounced back from losses to Ohio State and Florida, taking down the Sooners and Vanderbilt in recent weeks to find themselves back in playoff conversations.
First four teams out
| Ranking | Team | Record |
| 13. | Utah | 7-2 |
| 14. | Virginia | 8-1 |
| 15. | Louisville | 7-1 |
| 16. | Vanderbilt | 7-2 |
Rest of the top 25
| Ranking | Team | Record |
| 17. | Georgia Tech | 8-1 |
| 18. | Miami | 6-2 |
| 19. | USC | 6-2 |
| 20. | Iowa | 6-2 |
| 21. | Michigan | 7-2 |
| 22. | Missouri | 6-2 |
| 23. | Washington | 6-2 |
| 24. | Pittsburgh | 7-2 |
| 25. | Tennessee | 6-3 |
College Football Playoff bracket 2025
MORE: Latest AP, Coaches Top 25 polls
How College Football Playoff format works in 2025
The same as 2024, the CFP format in 2025 will be a 12-team field. However, there are changes to the seedings this season.
Automatic bids are given to the top five highest-ranked conference champions. In a change from 2024 though, the four highest-ranked teams will get the top four seeds and the first-round bye, regardless of whether or not they won their conference. There are seven at-large bids available for non-conference champs.
While the top four seeds get the bye, seeds 5-12 will play in the first round.
Here’s a look at how the College Football Playoff seeding will play out:
First round
- No. 1 team (bye)
- No. 2 team (bye)
- No. 3 team (bye)
- No. 4 team (bye)
- No. 12 team at No. 5 team
- No. 11 team at No. 6 team
- No. 10 team at No. 7 team
- No. 9 team at No. 8 team
Quarterfinals
- No. 1 team vs. No. 8/9 team
- No. 2 team vs. No. 7/10 team
- No. 3 team vs. No. 6/11 team
- No. 4 team vs. No. 5/12 team
| Game | Date |
| First round | Dec. 19-20 |
| Cotton Bowl (Quarterfinals) | Dec. 31 |
| Orange, Rose, Sugar Bowls (Quarterfinals) | Jan. 1 |
| Fiesta Bowl (Semifinals) | Jan. 8 |
| Peach Bowl (Semifinals) | Jan. 9 |
| National Championship | Jan. 19 |
MORE: Is Miami out of the running for a CFP berth?
College Football Playoff predictions
Here are The Sporting News’ first CFP bracket projections for Week 11, according to Bill Bender:
| Ranking | Team | Record |
| 1. | Ohio State | 8-0 |
| 2. | Indiana | 9-0 |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 8-0 |
| 4. | Alabama | 7-1 |
| 5. | Georgia | 7-1 |
| 6. | Ole Miss | 8-1 |
| 7. | Oregon | 7-1 |
| 8. | BYU | 8-0 |
| 9. | Texas Tech | 8-1 |
| 10. | Texas | 7-2 |
| 11. | Oklahoma | 7-2 |
| 12. | Notre Dame | 6-2 |
MORE: How OU’s upset of Vols shakes up SEC race
College Football Playoff rankings release schedule 2025
Starting Tuesday night, a weekly CFP ranking reveal show will be on ESPN. The time for the show will vary by week. The schedule is listed below.
| Date | Time (ET) | TV channel | Live stream |
| Tuesday, November 4 | 8 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
| Tuesday, November 11 | 7 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
| Tuesday, November 18 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
| Tuesday, November 25 | 7 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
| Tuesday, December 2 | 7 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
| Sunday, December 7 (Selection Day) | 12 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo |
