Ranking Which 2025 College Football Playoff Teams Need a National Championship the Most

From playoff debutantes to perennial powerhouses, here’s how badly each of the programs in this year’s postseason field need to hoist a trophy.

Tulane defensive back Shaun Nicholas and the Green Wave have never won a national championship and are making their first College Football Playoff appearance. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Twelve teams still have an opportunity to win a national championship entering the 2025 College Football Playoff, and each one surely wants to celebrate a title as much as any other. But only one program can hoist a trophy in Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19—and there are a few that need to claim victory more than others. 

This year’s field has everything: playoff debutantes from the Group of 5 and power conferences, fast-rising programs that have thrived in the modern era and perennial contenders back in pursuit of national championships. So let’s rank every one of the 12 programs in order of who needs a title the most when the playoff kicks off this Friday:

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12. James Madison

National championships won: two FCS (2004, ‘16)

Previous CFP appearances: none

The Dukes needed so much to go right just to get into this year’s field that it’s all gravy from here on out. Bob Chesney will make way for UCLA at the end of the playoff run after just two seasons in Harrisonburg, Va., and try to replicate Curt Cignetti’s success at a floundering Big Ten program. But it appears that James Madison is built to withstand head coaching departures at this point. The Dukes just joined the FBS ranks in 2022 and won an FCS championship less than a decade ago in ‘16, so the pressure to make any sort of noise in this year’s playoff is low.

11. Tulane 

National championships won: none

Previous CFP appearances: none

Similar to JMU, Tulane seems to have a self-sustaining Group of 5 model in place. Jon Sumrall lasted just two seasons with the Green Wave before accepting the Florida job, a run that followed back-to-back 11-plus-win seasons under Willie Fritz, before he jumped up to the Big 12 with Houston. Across the past four seasons, Tulane is a remarkable 43–12, and you can’t ask for much more than that. That said, the Green Wave will want to have a better showing in a rematch against Ole Miss in the opening round. 

10. Oklahoma

National championships won: seven (1950, ‘55, ‘56, ‘74, ‘75, ‘85, 2000)

Previous CFP appearances: four (2015, ‘17, ‘18, ‘19)

To kick off the Power 4 programs in the field, Oklahoma enters —not so much because expectations are lower in Norman, but because of how difficult it will be for this roster to compete for a championship. The Sooners are the most one-dimensional team in this year’s field with a top-10 defense nationally and an offense that ranked 88th during the regular season. The standard for excellence has also dropped, as evidenced by the lack of championships over the two decades. Oklahoma is building back to perennial playoff participant, but isn’t there quite yet.

9. Indiana

National championships won: none

Previous CFP appearances: one (2024)

This has been a storybook year in Bloomington, with Curt Cignetti taking one of the losingest programs in the history of college football and posting an undefeated season in his second year on the job. Indiana won its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and completely changed its perception nationally, which makes 2025 already a resounding success. Now, Cignetti didn’t look all that satisfied with a conference title, so obviously, a national championship is on his mind. But there’s no result in the playoff that could take away from what the Hoosiers have accomplished this season—the pressure is off. 

8. Texas Tech

National championships: none

Previous CFP appearances: none

The Red Raiders are perhaps the shining proof of concept that spending can get your program a long way down the line in this era of college football. Texas Tech dug deep into the purse for a defense and was rewarded with a top-five unit in the country. Money bags may have helped buy the Red Raiders their first Big 12 title, but can they buy something more? Even still, for a program that just won its first league championship since the 1994 Southwest Conference title, this seems like just the start of what could be a self-sustaining cycle of success in Lubbock—or the start of a very, very expensive endeavor without meaningful results. 

7. Ohio State

National championships: three (2002, ‘14, ‘24)

Previous CFP appearances: six (2014, ‘16, ‘19, ‘20, ‘22, ‘24)

Ryan Day relieved a mountain of pressure last season by winning a national title, which he then followed up with an even better regular season in 2025 and, most importantly, a victory over Michigan. So the pressure is off the defending champs—as much as it can be. This revamped, yet still fairly young Buckeyes team may be even better suited to compete next season, but with a defense this historically talented, the goal remains the same. It’s always championship or bust in Columbus, and this season remains no different—there are just some programs that need a title more than the defending champs.

6. Georgia

National championships: three (1980, 2021, ‘22)

Previous CFP appearances: four (2017, ‘21, ‘22, ‘24)

Georgia’s two seasons since back-to-back national championships have left something to be desired. Carson Beck didn’t quite work out at quarterback and the Dawgs’ defense couldn’t do enough to put the program back on top. The defense’s start in 2025 was shaky as well, with a scare at Tennessee and a home loss to Alabama, but the No. 3 team in the field seems to be peaking at the right time. The main pressure put upon Georgia may be coming from a sense of being the best the SEC has to offer this year. The league is unquestionably the deepest right now, but when it comes to true national title contenders, the Bulldogs may be the only real ones.

5. Texas A&M 

National championships won: two (1919, ‘39)

Previous CFP appearances: none

The Aggies have been right up with college football’s biggest spenders for the past few years and have very little to show for it. 2025 was one of just two seasons where Texas A&M has posted double-digit wins since the turn of the millennium—and it's beyond time for the dollars invested to start paying dividends on the field. Mike Elko seems like the right coach for the job just two seasons in, but the Aggies have shown they’re willing to pass around the hat and move on from a coach if things start turning south. A strong showing in this year’s playoff would at least show the powers that be that spending in bunches has some validity as an approach. 

4. Miami

National championships: five (1983, ‘87, ‘89, ‘91, 2001)

Previous CFP appearances:  none

As the final at-large representative in the field this season, the Hurricanes bear the burden of their inclusion being questioned before they even step on the field. Not only will Miami have to manage that, but the ACC also nearly didn’t have a team in play and will hope to have the Canes provide some legitimacy to the league. It’s been more than two decades since the last championship and Mario Cristobal has the program as close as it's been to a title since the 2002 season. And yet, there’s still plenty of pressure for a high-priced roster to deliver and 

3. Oregon

National championships: none

Previous CFP appearances: two (2014, ‘24)

The Ducks have never won a national championship despite being close a number of times in the past two decades, and this season seems as good a chance as any to finally break through. There’s not quite pressure on Dan Lanning just yet, but now in his fourth season in Eugene, he’s yet to win a playoff game. The first round matchup against James Madison should satisfy that requirement, but would do little to settle angst around a program that has invested heavily in competing for a national championship in recent years. Last year’s shellacking in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State still leaves a bitter taste, one that could be sweetened with a trophy in January.

2. Ole Miss 

National championships won: one (1960)

Previous CFP appearances: none

One would think that Lane Kiffin’s messy departure from the playoff-bound Rebels would have lessened the pressure in Oxford, but tension is high. Does any administration, team or fan base have a better added motivation to go win a national championship than to stick it to their former coach who left for a rival right before the playoff? The postseason is also a pivotal moment for new Rebels head coach Pete Golding, who was named as Kiffin’s successor after serving as defensive coordinator since 2023. If the rematch against Tulane or a possible quarterfinal game doesn’t go well, questions will quickly arise if Ole Miss made the right decision in replacing Kiffin.

1. Alabama 

National championships: 16 (1925, ‘26, ‘30, ‘61, ‘64, ‘65, ‘73, ‘78, ‘79, ‘92, 2009, ‘11, ‘12, ‘15, ‘17, ‘20)

Previous CFP appearances: eight (2014, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18, ‘20, ‘21, ‘23)

The Crimson Tide were once again dangerously close to landing on the wrong side of the bubble and Kalen Deboer probably breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his team land in the bracket on Selection Sunday. Nevertheless, rumors have swirled connecting him to the newly vacant Michigan job, and grew loud enough to prompt an official statement reaffirming his commitment to Alabama. But the Tide haven’t won a playoff game since 2022 and it’s been five years since a national championship came back to Tuscaloosa. The Bama fans are growing restless with the guy (DeBoer) who followed the guy (Nick Saban) after dominating the past two decades. If the script isn’t flipped in this year’s playoff, program upheaval could be coming. 

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