College football rankings: ESPN updates Top 25 poll for Championship Week

Where things stand in the updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings coming out of an active Rivalry Week and moving into a consequential Championship Saturday.

The updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings for Championship Weekend. | Brett Davis | Imagn Images

Coming out a major Rivalry Week slate and looking ahead to Championship Saturday, let’s take a look at the updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings moving into the postseason.

How is this poll made? Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance. 

Rankings and predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season and games, using a combination of key analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, team talent, recruiting, and a team’s schedule.

Teams are slotted not in order of talent like in other traditional rankings, but by a projected point margin per game against an average team on a neutral field.

College football rankings: ESPN updates Top 25 poll after Rivalry Week

25. LSU

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Rankings change: None

Not much offense and two very serious lapses on defense conspired against LSU to win an eighth game in the regular season finale at Oklahoma, instead falling to 7-5 and looking ahead to a new era with a new head coach on the sideline.

24. SMU

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Rankings change: Down 1

With a shot to play for the ACC championship a second-straight year, the Mustangs fell behind Cal on the road, stormed back, lost the lead, and then shanked a field goal as time ran out, sending 7-5 Duke to Charlotte against Virginia instead.

23. USF

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Rankings change: Up 3

Tulane is not ESPN’s highest-ranked Group of Five team. Instead that place goes to the Bulls coming off a 52-3 rout against Rice, even though they can’t play for the American Conference championship. USF finishes 9-3.

22. Washington

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Rankings change: Down 1

Demond Williams had 2 touchdowns but also 2 interceptions and while the Huskies came within 5 of rival Oregon, that couldn’t stop a game-winning drive on the other side, falling to 8-4 to finish the season.

21. Missouri

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Rankings change: Down 1

Once again relying on their superb ground game, Mizzou celebrated getting head coach Eli Drinkwitz on a new contract extension by piling up over 300 rushing yards in a win over Arkansas to close out at 8-4.

20. Iowa

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Rankings change: Up 2

For the 10th time in the last 11 tries, the Hawkeyes got the better of the Cornhuskers, as Mark Gronowski ran for 2 touchdowns en route to a 40-16 statement victory and now at 8-4 overall, await their bowl assignment in two weeks.

19. Michigan

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Rankings change: Down 1

Having won four straight against Ohio State and with a chance to make it five and take a step towards the College Football Playoff, instead the Wolverines laid an egg, scoring just 9 points in a loss to their arch-rivals to finish 9-3.

18. Tennessee

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Rankings change: Down 2

Some changes are due on the Volunteers’ defense after allowing 45 points at home against rival Vanderbilt, dropping a fourth game to end the 2025 season, splitting their final six games despite playing some of college football’s most productive aerial offense.

17. Penn State

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Rankings change: Up 2

ESPN’s computer rankings model has stuck by the Nittany Lions through it all, and hasn’t abandoned them after a four-point win over Rutgers to finish bowl eligible at 6-6 and as Kaytron Allen ran for a career-high 226 yards.

16. Oklahoma

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Rankings change: Down 2

A close-run victory against LSU at home is just what the Sooners needed to stay on the right side of the playoff bracket. Once again, their defense did most of the heavy lifting, with John Mateer overcoming 3 picks by scoring twice, but only on plays where LSU’s defense looked the other way. OU’s postseason chances hinge on this D.

15. BYU

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Rankings change: None

Bear Bachmeier had almost 300 yards and a touchdown as the Cougars rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to take down UCF and clinch a spot against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game and a shot at the playoff with a win there.

14. Vanderbilt

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Rankings change: Up 3

Diego Pavia put himself definitively into the Heisman Trophy picture and may have put Vandy in the College Football Playoff conversation with a statement win at rival Tennessee, the first time these schools met on the same field when both were ranked.

13. Texas

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Rankings change: Down 1

Arch Manning had a slow start, but recovered in the second half to lead a spirited comeback and take down undefeated rival Texas A&M, throwing for and running for a touchdown to throw a wrench into the Aggies’ shot at a perfect season and SEC title.

12. Ole Miss

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Rankings change: Up 1

A dominant victory in the Egg Bowl ensures the Rebels complete the first-ever 11-win regular season in school history and all but clinches their first spot in the College Football Playoff. But it appears Lane Kiffin is on the way out and headed for LSU.

11. USC

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Rankings change: None

A slow start for the Trojans, who trailed by a field goal at halftime, but rebounded in the second half by holding rival UCLA scoreless after the break, finishing at 9-3 and building some momentum to take into next season.

10. Texas A&M

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Rankings change: Down 1

Undefeated no more, the Aggies’ perfect record was no match for an inspired Texas rival, falling apart in the second half and putting their playoff position in some peril now that they don’t have a shot to play for the SEC championship.

9. Utah

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Rankings change: Down 1

Devon Dampier had 253 yards passing with 3 touchdowns and Elijah Davis ran an interception 97 yards the other way for a score as the Utes came back from a deficit to deprive Kansas of bowl eligibility in a 10-point win to win their 10th game of the year.

8. Georgia

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Rankings change: Down 2

Just a three point loss to Alabama keeps the Bulldogs from being perfect this season, coming off a statement win over rival Georgia Tech, but a win by Texas over Texas A&M puts Kirby Smart’s team back in the SEC Championship Game in a rematch with the Tide.

7. Miami

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Rankings change: Up 3

Amid questions that the Hurricanes should be ranked above the Notre Dame team they beat, they sent a message of sorts to the playoff selectors by haranguing Pittsburgh on the road as Carson Beck had 3 touchdowns passing to complete a 10-win season.

6. Alabama

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Rankings change: Down 1

Nick Saban called Jordan Hare a haunted house where anything could happen, and for much of the Iron Bowl it did, before Ty Simpson connected with Isaiah Horton on a daring fourth down TD play and the Tide picked up an Auburn fumble to secure a win that propels Bama to the SEC Championship Game against Georgia.

5. Texas Tech

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Rankings change: Up 2

Behren Morton had 3 TDs and Jacob Rodriguez scored on offense again to smash West Virginia, booking a rematch against a BYU team it already dominated this season, this time for the Big 12 championship next week.

4. Oregon

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Rankings change: None

While the Ducks allowed a fourth quarter touchdown, Dante Moore hit Malik Benson, who raced through Washington’s defense on a 64-yard touchdown in the final frame to preserve a one-loss season and remain a sure thing for the playoff.

3. Notre Dame

MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rankings change: None

Notre Dame predictably dominated against overmatched Stanford on the road, winning its 10th straight game since that 0-2 start to the season, and remains in playoff contention as a result, but there are some concerns after star rusher Jeremiyah Love was dinged up in the process.

2. Indiana

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Rankings change: Down 1

The historic Hoosiers leapfrogged Ohio State on Black Friday into the No. 1 position in ESPN’s rankings after demolishing rival Purdue and completing their first-ever 12-0 regular season finish, and moved back to No. 2 after the Buckeyes’ big win at Michigan.

1. Ohio State

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Rankings change: Up 1

That agonizing four-game losing streak is history as the Buckeyes overpowered arch-rival Michigan in the snow at the Big House to clinch a place in the Big Ten championship game against the Hoosiers.