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College Football Playoff rankings predictions have historic program at No. 1

The weekly College Football Playoff rankings do not begin getting released until Nov. 4. Let's take a look at our predictions for how the CFP rankings would be heading into Week 7.
Jonathan Adams|
Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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There is still plenty of time for chaos to hit before the College Football Playoff rankings are solidified. We are still weeks away from the initial CFP rankings dropping on Nov. 4, but let's take a look at how the postseason picture is starting to take shape.

As a reminder, there is a slight change to the College Football Playoff format for 2025. The top four ranked teams will earn a bye regardless of whether the program is a conference champion.

Like last season, the four Power 4 champions plus the highest-ranked Group of 5 champ will all earn automatic bids. The following projected rankings are based on each team's current resume and not how things will shake out the rest of the season.

Here's a look at our predicted College Football Playoff rankings heading into Week 7.

No. 1 Miami Hurricanes

Miami is coming off an impressive performance on the road against rival Florida State. The Hurricanes have done most of their work in the state of Florida.

Miami is likely to be heavily favored against all of the team's remaining opponents. The Hurricanes' win over Notre Dame in the season opener is looking better as the Irish have found their footing.

No. 2 Oregon Ducks

Most projections have Ohio State in this spot, but the Ducks' win at Penn State is more impressive than the Buckeyes' victory over Texas. A strong case can be made for either team, and Oregon can help their case even more with a win against Indiana on Saturday.

No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State already has solid wins against Texas and Washington. The Buckeyes offense is starting to find its form with quarterback Julian Sayin under center.

Ohio State faces more upcoming tests with games against Illinois, Penn State and Michigan before the season ends.

No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels

Lane Kiffin and company are putting together a strong resume for the committee. Ole Miss has a statement win against LSU with other notable victories over Tulane, Arkansas and Kentucky. Don't look now, but Ole Miss is a legit contender to play in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M has a case to be ranked ahead of Ole Miss thanks to wins over Notre Dame, Mississippi State and Auburn. Mike Elko has the Aggies looking like a title contender.

No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama has recovered nicely since opening the season with a stunning loss to Florida State. The Crimson Tide have one of the most impressive wins of the college football season topping Georgia at Athens.

Alabama followed it up by making short work of a Vanderbilt team that did not sneak up on the Crimson Tide this time around.

No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma's resume has a chance to get a lot better, but the Sooners do have a win over Michigan. Oklahoma's postseason hopes depend on how quickly quarterback John Mateer can recover.

No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers

This version of Indiana may be even better than the Hoosiers team that made the playoff in 2024. We will know a lot more about Indiana after the team's Week 7 clash against Oregon.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is generating real NFL draft buzz.

No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders

There is no guarantee that spending $28 million in NIL money is going to make your program a contender, but the early results at Texas Tech show it does not hurt. It is early, but Texas Tech is living up to the hype and looks to be the class of the Big 12.

Arizona State and BYU are Texas Tech's most notable remaining tests, but the Red Raiders would be wise not to overlook Kansas this week.

No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia is going to be just fine if the Dawgs can string together some victories. Despite losing to Alabama, the Bulldogs can make their case to the committee with upcoming matchups against Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia Tech.

No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers

It is hard to impress in a loss, but the Vols did just that during the team's overtime loss against Georgia. Tennessee has a gauntlet of a remaining schedule with marquee matchups against Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida and Vanderbilt.

No. 12 USF Bulls

There may be a Power 4 team like LSU or Georgia Tech technically ranked above USF, but one of these 12 spots is reserved for the highest ranked Group of 5 conference champion. USF and Memphis are the early favorites, but there is plenty of competition behind the two squads.

South Florida may have lost to Miami, but we're giving the edge to the Bulls thanks to a challenging non-conference schedule. USF already has made a strong case for the playoff with wins over Florida and Boise State.

Memphis also has a statement win against Arkansas, and we are already looking forward to the Tigers taking on USF on Oct. 25.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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