The controversial reveal of the 2025 College Football Playoff has set the stage for the second year of the 12-team playoff expansion. Notre Dame, BYU, and Vanderbilt were eliminated from contention, while Tulane and James Madison both punched their ticket as non-Power 4 programs.
Ohio State and Alabama were barely penalized for their Conference Championship losses. However, BYU’s blowout loss to Texas Tech allowed Miami (FL) to qualify for its first College Football Playoff appearance.
In this edition of my College Football Power Rankings, I’ll run through all 12 teams and rank them based on their resumé, roster, coaching staff, and upcoming schedule in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more college football betting analysis and free picks before bowl games kick off on Saturday, December 13th. The first four matchups in the First Round of the 2025 College Football Playoff are slated for Friday, December 19th, and Saturday, December 20th.
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College Football Power Rankings: College Football Playoff
| Team | Power Ranking |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Ohio State | 2 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| Texas Tech | 4 |
| Texas A&M | 5 |
| Oregon | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 7 |
| Ole Miss | 8 |
| Miami (FL) | 9 |
| Alabama | 10 |
| Tulane | 11 |
| James Madison | 12 |
1. Indiana
Fernando Mendoza grinded out a 13-10 win to lead the Indiana Hoosiers to a Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State. Indiana has beaten No. 5 Oregon, No. 1 Ohio State, and won two other tightly contested games on the road against Iowa and Penn State, showcasing their ability to overcome adversity in critical situations, which is why they remain undefeated.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has his team back in the College Football Playoff as the overall No. 1 seed. Ranked second in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 10.8 points per game, Indiana is going to be a tough out for the winner of Alabama vs. Oklahoma.
2. Ohio State
The Buckeyes suffered a disappointing loss to Indiana to fall short of keeping a perfect record intact. Despite mounting lengthy drives into the red zone, Ohio State’s offense failed to convert critical short-yardage downs, leading to costly turnovers and a massive missed field goal late in the Big Ten Championship.
Expect Ohio State to have a fire lit, fueling their motivation to win a second straight National Championship under head coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes have a ton of playmakers, especially on defense, with Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, and Caden Curry, which is why they are the best scoring defense in the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State has a championship pedigree and will be prepared to face the winner of Miami (FL) vs. Texas A&M in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals.
3. Georgia
Kirby Smart has unlocked Georgia’s defense in the latter half of 2025. The Bulldogs rank 11th in points allowed per game, holding Alabama to seven points during a 28-7 win in the SEC Championship Game.
QB Gunner Stockton is a fantastic dual-threat player. He’s got a great command of Georgia’s offense, which has scored 28 or more points in four of its previous five games played. Expect them to handle Tulane or Ole Miss in the Quarterfinals without much difficulty, handing the Rebels their only loss earlier this season.
4. Texas Tech
Watch out for Texas Tech in the 2025 College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders’ defense forced a flurry of turnovers in a tight game against BYU during the Big 12 Championship Game, flipping momentum and winding up crushing the Cougars 34-7.
Both sides of the line of scrimmage play at a high level for Texas Tech. LB Jacob Rodriguez could wind up as a Heisman Trophy finalist, leading the Red Raiders’ third-ranked scoring defense, while QB Behren Morton’s arm and RB Cameron Dickey’s explosiveness are a lethal tandem to contain in the backfield.
Texas Tech is in the fourth and final seed for a First Round Bye. They will face the winner of Oregon vs. James Madison in the Quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl.
5. Texas A&M
Texas A&M has made its first College Football Playoff appearance during head coach Mike Elko’s second season with the Aggies. QB Marcel Reed is a lethal dual-threat talent, leading to an explosive offense that can beat opponents on the ground and through the air with relative ease.
A loss in Austin to a surging Texas offense kept the Aggies out of the SEC Championship Game. It’s their lone loss in 2025, so we’ll see how Elko gets his team to respond ahead of a First Round matchup at home as a -4-point favorite against Miami (FL).
The key to going on a run for the Aggies lies in their ability to stop opponents from scoring. Texas A&M ranks 41st in scoring defense, among the worst marks in the College Football Playoff, allowing Texas, South Carolina, LSU, and Arkansas to all score at least 25 points since mid-October.
6. Oregon
After winning the Big Ten Championship in 2024 and preserving a perfect record, Oregon got steamrolled by Ohio State in the Quarterfinals last season. Expect head coach Dan Lanning to play the great motivator role once again, as the Ducks draw a favorable matchup against No. 12 James Madison out of the Sun Belt Conference.
Oregon has one of the deepest backfields in the College Football Playoff. Three different running backs have at least 481 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while TE Kenyon Sadiq is QB Dante Moore’s favorite target, followed by wideout Malik Benson.
The Ducks rank inside the top-10 for scoring offense and scoring defense, which bodes well for a title run. Oregon has held five of its previous six opponents under 20 points, setting up a potential Quarterfinals matchup against Texas Tech.
7. Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s path into the College Football Playoff was secured with a crucial road win over Alabama in Week 12. QB John Mateer will have to find a way to elevate the Sooners’ offense, which is ranked 80th in points scored per game at 26.4. This is by far the lowest mark of any Power 4 team in the College Football Playoff.
Head coach Brent Venables has built a stout defense in his fourth year leading the program. Oklahoma will host Alabama in Norman during the First Round in a high-stakes revenge game, which projects as a low-scoring, physical slugfest.
If the Sooners manage a second win over Alabama in the span of a month, it’ll be with their defense leading the way. Then, it’s a Quarterfinals matchup against No. 1 Indiana at the Rose Bowl.
8. Ole Miss
Ole Miss finds itself in the most unique situation of any team in the College Football Playoff. Former head coach Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU has added an extra layer of difficulty for the Rebels’ players and coaching staff, who will need to adapt ahead of a home game against No. 11 Tulane in the First Round.
QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy are both hyper-productive players at their respective positions. Ole Miss must find a way to get some stops on defense, allowing Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida to all score 23 or more points this season.
The Rebels’ offense is explosive, scoring 30 or more points in six straight games. They’ll need to dial it up against Tulane to avoid an upset and subsequent early exit from the 2025 College Football Playoff.
9. Miami (FL)
Miami (FL) finally made its way into the College Football Playoff as the lone representative of the ACC, despite not playing in the ACC Championship Game. The Hurricanes, led by QB Carson Beck, rank 20th in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense under head coach Mario Cristobal.
Losses to Louisville and SMU kept Miami on the bubble. Conference Championship results broke in their favor, and now, the Hurricanes prepare for a road game against Texas A&M in the First Round.
Miami’s defense is stout, allowing only one opponent, SMU, to score more than 17 points in its last six matchups. If Beck can continue to throw for 250-plus passing yards and multiple touchdowns, the Hurricanes could be en route to an upset against the Aggies, leading to a Quarterfinals matchup against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
10. Alabama
Alabama didn’t show much fight on offense against Georgia’s smothering defense in the SEC Championship Game. Head coach Kalen DeBoer’s team didn’t get penalized during their 28-7 loss to the Bulldogs, staying at No. 9, setting up a rematch against Oklahoma in the First Round.
QB Ty Simpson has been one of the most productive signal-callers in the FBS this season. He’ll need to find a way to get going against the Sooners’ top-10 scoring defense, especially with only a mediocre rushing attack at his disposal.
Alabama’s defense is very good, ranked 12th in scoring defense. The Crimson Tide gave up explosive passes to Georgia in the title game, the first time they allowed more than one passing touchdown since a road trip to Missouri in early October. If they can return to form, expect Alabama to beat Oklahoma’s pedestrian offense on the road to advance to the Quarterfinals against Indiana.
11. Tulane
Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff finally gets his opportunity to showcase his skillset on the biggest stage of college football. The former BYU signal-caller fell short in 2024 after leading the Cougars to a double-digit win campaign, so expect him to take advantage against a vulnerable Ole Miss defense.
The Green Wave knows that head coach Jon Sumrall is heading to Florida after this season wraps. That shouldn’t change the sentiment in the locker room, especially with a winnable matchup against the Rebels in Oxford.
Tulane is a dominant run offense, logging 4.6 YPC and 26 total rushing touchdowns during the regular season. Retzlaff is a skilled ball carrier, leading the Green Wave with 16 rushing touchdowns, while also throwing for over 299 or more yards in a third of his starts with the Green Wave.
The Green Wave are +17.5 point underdogs against Ole Miss. This feels like way too many points, as Tulane is skilled enough to exploit the Rebels’ run defense to pull off an upset to advance to a Quarterfinals matchup against No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
12. James Madison
The Sun Belt finally has a team in the College Football Playoff, as the James Madison Dukes qualified with a 12-1 record, beating Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt Championship Game.
The Dukes are capable of airing it out or pounding the rock. They’ve averaged 5.6 YPC and 35 rushing touchdowns in 2025. Only one team, Louisville, held them under 4.0 YPC this season. However, that was their only Power 4 opponent, which doesn’t bode well for a matchup against Oregon’s stout defensive front.
On defense, James Madison is even more talented. The Dukes held opponents to 2.5 YPC and seven total rushing touchdowns, while limiting 10 of 12 opponents under two passing touchdowns, with an overall 49.5 percent completion rate.
James Madison is the biggest underdog in the College Football Playoff at +21 in Eugene, Oregon. Their defense can keep them in this game, while the offense may need to pivot to a more pass-centric game plan to pull off the upset over the Ducks.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
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