At long last, we’ve arrived to the next step towards deciding a true champion: the first College Football Playoff rankings.
Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern, the 12 men and women tasked with setting the field of at-large teams and seeding all 12 in the playoff will let us know how they view the college football landscape.
The AP’s been a good judge so far, but it’s time for the real deal. The ones that truly matter to how this season turns out.
Then again, you’ve been looking at my rankings all season, so how about we stick with those for the time being? After all, I’m clearly better at ranking teams than the committee, right? Yes, you can debate that point in the comments if you so please.
2025 Week 11 Top 25
Indiana (9-0) LW: 1
Another week, another 45+ point victory. Indiana is the nation’s most complete team. They’re the ones to beat.Ohio State (8-0) LW: 2
Another week, another easy Ohio State victory. The Buckeyes may have more top tier talent than Indiana (hello, Arvell Reece, Jeremiah Smith, etc.), but the Hoosiers are blowing teams out much worse than Ohio State is. So, Indiana remains on top.Texas A&M (8-0) LW: 3
It’s time to see if the Aggies are doomed to eternal 8-4 or can actually break through in a road trip to Missouri down to their third quarterback. The bye likely helped the Aggies, but curses have a funny way of ignoring common sense and asserting themselves when you are trying to avoid them.Alabama (7-1) LW: 4
The clear-cut top four ends with the Tide, once again. Simply because of that one pesky loss, even if it was in the first week of the season. Like many top 10 teams, Alabama got a nice off week last week to prepare for what has been the Tide’s kryptonite in the Kalen DeBoer era: an unranked SEC opponent. His four losses to unranked teams in two seasons already matches the entirety of Nick Saban’s time in Tuscaloosa.Georgia (7-1) LW: 5
A scare in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party almost dropped the Dawgs, but they have a head-to-head win over Ole Miss to stay in the fifth slot, no matter how tenuous their grip is. This isn’t the unflappable Georgia you’ve come to expect in recent years. There are serious concerns on consistency for both the offense and defense that can come back to bite the Dawgs.Ole Miss (8-1) LW: 6
Six sacks of LaNorris Sellers prove Lane Kiffin’s boys aren’t just all offense. The defense, like I’ve said the past few weeks, has the playmakers to get it done. Kewan Lacy is a terrorizing tailback, but the recent stretch of play from Trinidad Chambliss is a bit concerning, as he’s hovering around 50 percent completion and not breaking through much else.
Oregon (7-1) LW: 7
Finally, a team changing spots! It wasn’t a big move, mostly because the Ducks were on a bye after an ugly rain-drenched win over Wisconsin. But Oregon looks similar to last year, with a stout defense and hyper-efficient offense. They’re dangerous, no doubt.BYU (8-0) LW: 8
Another top-10 team coming off a bye. Eventually we’ll talk about actual football. I think the bye week came at a great time, though, ahead of a massive Big 12 showdown against Texas Tech this weekend. Bear Bachmeier is willing the Cougar offense to new heights, but he’s putting his body on the line each and every play. Admirable play, young man, but he needed this off week to recuperate. Either that, or he’s a cyborg.Texas Tech (8-1) LW: 13
Chaos below the Red Raiders has Texas Tech back in the top 10. And, they actually played a game this week, dominating a red hot Kansas State team. It’s clear that Texas Tech’s offense just runs smoother and better overall with Behren Morton under center, and now that the senior gunslinger is healthy, I’m all-in on this Texas Tech team again.Notre Dame (6-2) LW: 12
Let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head and are not ranked ahead of the Irish. This is a body of work ranking that pits the Irish ahead of the Canes. Boston College was never a threat and Chris Ash finally has the Notre Dame defense tackling. Thought that was never going to happen.Texas (7-2) LW: 21
So, yeah. This will be controversial. But I think the Longhorns have turned a corner. Arch Manning the past few weeks has looked like the budding star he had the potential to be. The defense is banged up and giving up more points - a major concern - but they’ve netted wins against Vandy and Oklahoma while playing solid, complimentary ball. Yes, the early season struggles were concerning, but this Texas team is looking like the one that got multiple playoff wins last year.
Oklahoma (7-2) LW: 22
Speaking of Oklahoma, the Sooners are just behind their arch rivals after a big win over Tennessee on the road. I’ll admit that I had concerns about their defense coming into this game - see last week’s rankings - and they did get torn up through the air by Tennessee. But, they also forced three turnovers that turned the tide of the game. John Mateer didn’t look the best, but Xavier Robinson finally gave the Sooners a non-Mateer rushing threat.USC (6-2) LW: 14
A solid comeback win for USC on the road in a hostile environment. Part of that is due to a Dylan Raiola injury, but the knock on USC was that they couldn’t travel or hang with these physical programs. Well, they just did. I’m still higher on the Trojans than most anyone else, but they’re firmly in contention now.Virginia (8-1) LW: 16
NC State might be good if they knocked off this Virginia team (non-conference game) and Georgia Tech. Quality loss for the Hoos? You tell me! Either way, Tony Elliott has this offense humming behind the arm of Chandler Morris and the legs of J’Mari Taylor. They don’t have a ton of star power, but don’t let them fool you.Georgia Tech (8-1) LW: 7
We’re now entering the “What is going on the ACC” block of rankings. Georgia Tech lost to NC State in a worse way than Virginia, so the Yellow Jackets fall below the Cavaliers in the pecking order. The rushing attack couldn’t really get things going past Haynes King, who also threw for 408 yards. Too bad the defense neglected to make the trip to Raleigh.Louisville (7-1) LW: 17
Once again, Louisville is pounding the rock down somebody’s throats, this time Virginia Tech. Miller Moss is doing enough to not lose, the Cardinal rushing attack between Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown (no relation) is dominating, and the defense is suffocating any passing opportunity. Isaac Brown getting injured is a concern, but Keyjuan showed he’s well-equipped to keep the offense rolling.
Vanderbilt (7-2) LW: 10
The magic had to end, but Vanderbilt isn’t out of it yet. They got dominated in the first half by Texas, and then attempted a torrid fourth-quarter comeback that came up just short. There are concerns on the Vandy defense after Texas exploited bad outside tackling and coverage, but with only one loss and a ton of fire, Vandy can still make a run.Miami (6-2) LW: 11
In their first trip out of the state of Florida, Miami couldn’t hang. Carson Beck once again got bit by the turnover bug, tossing two back-breaking interceptions. The improving Miami defense provided no resistance to Kevin Jennings and SMU. At this point, I’m saying the Hurricanes are getting exposed. The recipe is out: throw the ball and force Carson Beck into uncomfortable situations.Utah (7-2) LW: Next Five Out
So long, undefeated contender Cincinnati. It’s clear that the Utes are the bar in the Big 12 between contenders and pretenders. Their losses? Texas Tech and BYU. Their wins? Arizona State and Cincinnati. At this point, we know who Utah is with their RPO/zone read offense and stout defense. They can capitalize on a tight conference race, but aren’t breakout stars. Thus is the curse of being the bar.Missouri (6-2) LW: 19
A much-needed bye week will allow Eli Drinkwitz to build his offense around his new starting quarterback Matt Zollers. And, by that, I mean let Ahmad Hardy cook and stand behind a surprisingly strong defense. They’re only allowing 16.8 points per game, so if Zollers can play mistake-free football, Mizzou may not be dead quite yet.Tennessee (6-3) LW: 18
Live by the sword, die by the sword. The Vols’ defense is banged up and without their star cornerback Jermond McCoy, but the offense will always be the ticket here. And Joey Aguilar is always going to provide a show. They just can’t get it done. It’s going to be a solid season for Tennessee, but ultimately a disappointment compared to last year’s playoff berth.
Memphis (8-1) LW: 23
A 38-14 win over Rice is what you expect from Memphis. Holding the Owls’ unique option attack to just 112 rushing yards is a great thing and Brendan Lewis has added a dual-threat under center that has taken Memphis to higher highs. Right now, the American crown is Memphis’s to lose.Michigan (7-2) LW: 25
Purdue is better, but still very bad. Michigan is decent. 21-16 is expected. They are exactly what we think the Wolverines are: a decent team that will be competitive against better foes and beat up on lesser foes.South Florida (6-2) LW: Next Five Out
The Bulls enjoyed a much-needed bye week following their loss to Memphis two weeks ago, and now get a red hot UTSA this weekend. If USF wants to make a run, it starts now. Quarterback Byrum Brown is the entire offense and it’s time to keep an eye on the defense.Cincinnati (7-2) LW: 15
The Bearcats got absolutely trounced by Utah. Brendan Sorsby was bad. The rushing attack disappeared without Evan Pryor. And the defense got dominated. This season can still be special for the Bearcats, but this loss took a lot out of Cincinnati’s sails.
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Next Five Out: North Texas, Iowa, James Madison, SMU, Washington.
Well this is a collection of teams, isn’t it?
North Texas is red hot with Drew Mestemaker slicing and dicing his way through opposing defenses, positioning the Mean Green for a solid run. Iowa has figured out offense and still has a top-tier defense that can make some conference noise. I’m still imploring people to pay attention to this James Madison team that absolutely is dangerous. After all, they took Louisville to the wire while playing a wild two-quarterback system that didn’t work. SMU is back on the rise after the upset of Miami and have another great looking offense, even if the defense is a bit spotty. Finally, Washington is what they are this year, very similar to Michigan: they’ll score a lot of points and won’t stop much.
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