Where CFP Committee Ranks Alabama After Oklahoma Loss

The Alabama Crimson Tide saw its eight-game win streak come to an end at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, losing 23-21 in Bryant-Denny Stadium over the weekend and throwing its College Football Playoff hopes into question with two games remaining in the 2025 season.

The College Football Playoff committee met and announced the third playoff rankings of the season on Tuesday night. Alabama looks to return to the College Football Playoff after missing the first 12-team edition last season. The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings after losing to Oklahoma at home.

Here's what Hunter Yurachek, College Football Playoff Selection Committee Chair, said about Alabama:

"I will tell you that we probably spent more time in our committee room comparing two or three teams at that band with Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Alabama. You're asking specifically about Notre Dame and Alabama, easier to compare because you had the head-to-head matchups last week with Alabama and Oklahoma.

"Alabama had that string where they had four really strong wins at Georgia, against Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee. Then you look at Notre Dame, they've got a win against Southern Cal and a dominating win last week against a Pitt team that was ranked in our top 25.

"Really where you break these teams down in the comparison, Notre Dame and Alabama, Notre Dame has losses to two teams that are within the top 13, a three-point loss against Miami to start the season and then a one-point loss versus Texas A&M.

"Alabama actually has a two-point loss at home last week against Oklahoma, but they had that loss at the beginning of the season, 31-17 at Florida State, a team that's now 5-5. Florida State was up in that game 24-7. They held Alabama to less than 100 yards rushing in that game. That really was a sign of some of the struggles Alabama was going to have rushing the ball. You go back and look at Alabama's game against South Carolina where they scored two touchdowns late to win that game, and then the next game against LSU where they won both of those but didn't rush the ball for 100 yards. Then again against Oklahoma was not able to move the ball on the ground.

"So you look at the games that Alabama has struggled in, starting the season against Florida State, where they struggled with the ball. That's two really good 8-2 teams, but I think you look at the losses of Notre Dame versus the losses of Alabama, and that was really one of the defining metrics that we used."

The Crimson Tide has made eight College Football Playoff appearances dating back to 2014 while claiming three national championships in the playoff era.

The College Football Playoff will select 12 teams, with the selection committee's five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic bids. The top-four seeds all earn a first-round BYE. The teams ranked No. 5-8 will host first-round playoff games in on-campus games against the teams ranked No. 9-12.

2025 College Football Playoff Rankings

1. Ohio State, 10-0
2. Indiana, 11-0
3. Texas A&M, 10-0
4. Georgia, 9-1
5. Texas Tech, 10-1
6. Ole Miss, 10-1
7. Oregon, 9-1
8. Oklahoma, 8-2
9. Notre Dame, 8-2
10. Alabama, 8-2
11. BYU, 9-1
12. Utah, 8-2
13. Miami (FL), 8-2
14. Vanderbilt, 8-2
15. Southern Cal, 8-2
16. Georgia Tech, 9-1
17. Texas, 7-3
18. Michigan, 8-2
19. Virginia, 9-2
20. Tennessee, 7-3
21. Illinois, 7-3
22. Missouri, 7-3
23. Houston, 8-2
24. Tulane, 8-2
25. Arizona State, 7-3

2025-26 College Football Playoff round-by-round schedule

First round | Week of Saturday, Dec. 20
Location: the home field of the higher-seeded team or another site designated by the higher-seeded program.
One game | Friday, Dec. 19
Three games | Saturday, Dec. 20
Quarterfinal sites:
Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Orange Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 4 p.m. | ESPN
Sugar Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8 p.m. | ESPN
Semifinal sites:
Fiesta Bowl | Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Peach Bowl | Friday, Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
CFP National Championship Game:
Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 (in Miami, Florida) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

The 2025 College Football Playoff Committee
Hunter Yuracheck - Committee Chair - Arkansas Athletic Director
Chris Ault - Former College Football Head Coach
Troy Dannen - Nebraska Athletic Director
Mark Dantonio - Former College Football Head Coach
Jeff Long - Former College Football Playoff Committee Chair
Ivan Maisel - Sportswriter
Chris Massaro - MTSU Athletic Director
Mike Riley - Former College Football Head Coach
David Sayler - Miami (Ohio) Athletic Director
Wesley Walls - College Football Hall of Famer (Ole Miss)
Carla Williams - Virginia Athletic Director
Mark Harlan - University of Utah Athletic Director

Alabama in the College Football Playoff Ranking Through 2025

Week 1 (After Second BYE): No. 4
Week 2 (After LSU Win): No. 4
Week 3(After Oklahoma Loss): No. 10