The third edition of the College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday night, with undefeated Ohio State remaining No. 1 ahead of Indiana and the top 10 seeing some key changes. Only three weeks left until the final College Football Playoff bracket is selected, and it’s unclear what upsets might be in store for the nation’s top teams with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
A pair of premier SEC matchups created a new No. 4 team in the country. Alabama left that spot in the midst of a 23-21 home loss to Oklahoma, with Georgia sliding into a bye position in the first round after dominating Texas, 35-10. The Sooners now sit in 8th place, two spots ahead of the Crimson Tide.
No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 5 Texas Tech round out the top five.
The Buckeyes, the defending national champions, are seeking their seventh playoff appearance in their 12-year postseason history (2014, 2016, 2019-20, 2022, 2024). Ohio State’s last game against a ranked opponent comes in its regular season finale against Michigan.
Eight of the 11 teams ranked first in a season’s initial CFP rankings ultimately reached the playoffs, an effort now made easier by the expanded 12-team field, which is being contested for a second season.
Currently, Indiana is scheduled to meet OSU in the Big Ten championship game after both teams won by double digits on Saturday. IU enjoys a late bye week before playing Big Ten basement dweller Purdue in Week 14.
Miami (FL), despite being ranked #13, earns the 11th projected bid as the highest rated team in the ACC. However, with the Hurricanes unlikely to make the ACC Championship Game – scheduled as Georgia Tech vs. Virginia – they will almost assuredly have to earn a spot as an at-large team.
Tulane claims the last of 12 playoff spots as the top-ranked Group of Five team entering Tuesday’s exit at No. 24. With the 12-team playoff model granting automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, the Green Wave is currently projected to win the American and clinch the final spot in the field. If a team from the Group of Five did not appear in the final ranking, the CFP selection committee would choose which champion deserved the last entry.
College Football Playoff rankings, November 18
*First round bye | ~First Round Host | ^ Highest-ranked Group of Five team
- Ohio State (10-0) *
- Indiana (11-0)*
- Texas A&M (10-0) *
- Georgia (9-1)*
- Texas Tech (10-1) ~
- Ole Miss (10-1) ~
- Oregon (9-1) ~
- Oklahoma (8-2) ~
- Notre Dame (8-2)
- Alabama (8-2)
- BYU (9-1)
- Utah (8-2)
- Miami (FL) (8-2) | Seed #11
- Vanderbilt (8-2)
- USC (8-2)
- Georgia Tech (9-1)
- Texas (7-3)
- Michigan (8-2)
- Virginia (9-2)
- Tennessee (7-3)
- Illinois (7-3)
- Missouri (7-3)
- Houston (8-2)
- Tulane (8-2) ^ | Seed #12
- Arizona State (7-3)
The curious case of Miami
While losses to Louisville and SMU spoiled Miami’s chance to control its own destiny in the eyes of the committee, the good news for the Hurricanes is that there is now a better chance of reaching the group than there was two weeks ago. Playoff hopes dwindled after their overtime loss at Dallas in November, and the committee’s response was an 18th-place finish in their first top 25 as the fourth team in the ACC behind Virginia, Louisville and Georgia Tech. All of those teams have lost at least once since, pushing the Hurricanes ahead of other ACC teams at No. 13 in Tuesday’s third edition of the rankings.
Let’s talk about the leprechaun in the room when it comes to Miami. After climbing three spots last week to No. 15, the Hurricanes jumped ahead again following their blowout win over NC State. Notre Dame also handled the Wolfpack, but that game was 10-7 at halftime in South Bend. Miami held a 24-point advantage at intermission a week after NC State handed Georgia Tech its first ACC loss of the season. So there is the common point of view of the opponents when comparing the two teams which each seem to be heading towards a score of 10-2. If the Hurricanes eliminate Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh – who could no longer be ranked depending on Saturday’s result against the Yellow Jackets – they will still be behind the Fighting Irish in terms of record, game control and strength of schedule settings. These are important factors for the committee.
The Hurricanes need help from an overall standpoint, unless one of two convoluted scenarios involving various other ACC outcomes results in a league championship game opportunity. The most realistic scenario is that one of three teams at large, with two losses, before the Hurricanes lose another regular season game – looking at you, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Alabama.
Danger zone for Alabama
After being ranked — at worst — on the No. 4 line with a loss in the SEC championship game before last week’s loss to Oklahoma, the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide are another turnover-filled setback to Auburn, far from being out of the playoffs. That wouldn’t sit well with the Tuscaloosa natives, not after this team won eight straight games following the season-opening loss at Florida State, four of those wins coming against ranked teams in SEC play.
By the way, there’s no need to panic about Alabama. As long as the mistakes are corrected, the Crimson Tide should handle their rival in the Iron Bowl. The alternative is another cataclysmic November slide that would keep Kalen DeBoer out of the national championship picture for the second straight season, which could make 2026 something of a contract year given the level of expectation from Alabama’s elite.
Oregon’s Big Ten predicament
Get out the Sharpie and show some love to undefeated Ohio State and Indiana. They are there. However, the Big Ten’s third entry into the postseason has yet to materialize. No. 7 Oregon is in first place with a loss and wraps up a first-round guarantee with a win over 15th-ranked USC this weekend. If the Trojans cut off the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, the chaos begins. This could create a situation that includes three 10-2 teams in the conference at the end of the month behind the Buckeyes and Hoosiers if Michigan eliminates Ohio State on November 29. If the committee voted a fourth Big Ten team into the bracket, Oregon would be on the outside looking in.
The only extent to which the Ducks currently have a significant advantage over the Trojans and Wolverines is in control of the game. Their best win is over Iowa, while USC has the same win. And would hold leads over Oregon and Michigan and beat Nebraska on the road. Michigan’s resume would shine with the Ohio State clash, and one of its losses came to potential SEC invitee Oklahoma. How would the committee justify placing Oregon over the Trojans and Wolverines if they all end up with the same record? They couldn’t. Beating USC this weekend should reassure Dan Lanning no matter what happens in the finale in Washington.
Four teams fighting for two places in the first round
As long as Ohio State and Indiana arrive in Indianapolis undefeated, five teams will fight for the other two coveted first-round byes – the SEC champion with the SEC runner-up, Texas Tech or Georgia, competing for the other two coveted first-round byes. I don’t anticipate 11th-ranked BYU to move up enough spots to get there — even winning and winning the rematch with the Red Raiders in the Big 12.
- The most likely scenario is third-ranked Texas A&M winning the SEC at 13-0 over Alabama with an 11-win Georgia team ranked No. 4 in final deliberations. You’re not supposed to be anchored to what happens in a conference championship, but a Crimson Tide with three losses should slip behind the Bulldogs. In this scenario, Georgia’s wins over the past month would include Florida, Mississippi State, Texas, Charlotte and Georgia Tech, while Alabama would hold victories over LSU, Eastern Illinois and Auburn. This is not recency bias. This is one team entering the playoffs hot and the other leaking oil.
- Another scenario is that Alabama beats Texas A&M in the conference title game and earns the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, depending on the committee’s preference alongside the Big Ten runner-up. That would leave the fourth spot open to the Aggies, Big 12 champion Texas Tech or 11-win Georgia.
- The best-case scenario for the currently fifth-ranked Red Raiders to earn a first-round bye would be for all of these games to play out the rest of the season plus a convincing win over BYU in the Big 12 final. A 12th win and a conference title should be enough to push them past the Bulldogs for that final position.
