Instant Reaction to Pivotal College Football Playoff Rankings Release

The penultimate College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night, and then-ranked No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies fell to No. 7 after suffering an upset loss to the No. 13 Texas Longhorns. The No. 5 Oregon Ducks stayed behind the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The official College Football Playoff bracket will be released on Sunday after the conference championship games have been played, meaning Tuesday's rankings from the CFP Selection Committee are quite pivotal.

Teams that aren't playing on Saturday have little to no opportunity to add to their respective résumés, meaning then rankings of teams like No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Texas and No. 14 Vanderbilt could be somewhat finalized. Notably, CFP Committee chair Hunter Yurachek clarified that idle teams can move in either direction during championship weekend, opening the door for more movement than previously anticipated.

No. 7 Texas A&M fell from No. 3 down to No. 7 after losing to the Longhorns, but the biggest surprise of the top 10 was Notre Dame falling behind No. 9 Alabama.

No. 4 Texas Tech, No. 5 Oregon, and No. 6 Ole Miss have all been grouped together by the CFP Selection Committee, and that did not change in the latest top 25.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Updated College Football Playoff Rankings

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Georgia
4. Texas Tech
5. Oregon
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma
9. Alabama
10. Notre Dame
11. BYU
12. Miami
13. Texas
14. Vanderbilt
15. Utah
16. USC
17. Virginia
18. Arizona
19. Michigan
20. Tulane
21. Houston
22. Georgia Tech
23. Iowa
24. North Texas
25. James Madison

Biggest Remaining Questions for CFP Selection Committee

The coaching carousel is in full swing, but there are still games to be played. Is No. 9 Alabama now safe in the CFP no matter what happens in the SEC Championship Game? The Crimson Tide might not be guaranteed a spot if they lose to No. 3 Georgia. On the other hand, how high would Alabama climb if the Bulldogs lose to the Crimson Tide?

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer watches on during warm ups before Auburn Tigers take on Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Similarly, what happens to No. 11 BYU if the Cougars lose the Big 12 Championship to Texas Tech? The Red Raiders are likely safe in the 12-team field, but BYU is at risk of falling out. The CFP Selection Committee typically hasn't punished teams for losing a conference championship game, but BYU's margin for error is presumably slim.

Additionally, BYU's first loss to Texas Tech was by 22 points, and the Cougars will need to be more competitive in the Big 12 title game.

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The ranking of No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 12 Miami has been hotly debated because of the Hurricanes' head-to-head win over the Fighting Irish. Miami will be rooting for No. 11 BYU to lose, or else the Hurricanes might be on the outside looking in.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The chances are even smaller for No. 14 Vanderbilt, but crazier things have happened in college football.

Will Duke be ranked at all before the Blue Devils' appearance in the conference title game? Only the five highest-ranked conference champions make the CFP, meaning No. 17 Virginia has an inside track to the postseason.

With No. 24 North Texas and No. 25 James Madison ranked, the Group of Five could steal multiple bids. As a result, Oregon's potential opponent in the first round is rather unclear if the Ducks stay in the No. 5 seed.

College Football Playoff Rankings Week 13

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
13. Utah
14. Vanderbilt
15. Michigan
16. Texas
17. USC
18. Virginia
19. Tennessee
20. Arizona State
21. SMU
22. Pittsburgh
23. Georgia Tech
24. Tulane
25. Arizona