College Football Playoff Chaos: Ohio State Dominates No. 1 Spot as Miami Makes Huge Leap in Week 12 Rankings

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its second set of rankings for the 2025 season on Tuesday night, and while the top of the bracket remained predictable, the ACC race provided the night’s biggest shakeup. The Ohio State Buckeyes solidified their position as the unanimous No. 1 seed, but the Miami Hurricanes engineered a significant three-spot jump, vaulting into the projected 12-team field as the ACC’s highest-ranked champion, dramatically altering the playoff picture.

This week’s rankings, which reflect games played through Saturday, November 8, confirm that with three weeks left in the regular season, the expanded 12-team playoff race is shaping up to be a ferocious battle for both first-round byes and automatic conference champion bids.

 

 The Unstoppable Force: Ohio State Locks Down No. 1

 

The message from the CFP committee is clear: the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) are the gold standard of college football this season. For the second consecutive week, the Buckeyes sit atop the rankings, securing one of the four coveted first-round byes in the projected bracket.

 

Why Ohio State is Untouchable

 

• Dominant Resume: Ohio State boasts an unblemished 9-0 record and has navigated its Big Ten schedule with minimal difficulty, including convincing road wins over formidable opponents. Their defense has been suffocating, and the offense remains one of the most explosive in the nation.
• Controlling the Destiny: With the rest of the top five remaining unchanged—(2) Indiana (10-0), (3) Texas A&M (9-0), (4) Alabama (8-1), and (5) Georgia (8-1)—the Buckeyes control their destiny. Their remaining schedule, which includes a challenging rivalry game against Michigan, is enough to secure the top spot, provided they remain undefeated.
• The First-Round Bye: Being the No. 1 seed is critical in the new 12-team format. The first-round bye is an invaluable advantage, allowing the team to rest and prepare while its competitors face a grueling first-round matchup.

Rank	Team	Record	Projected Playoff Status
1	Ohio State	9-0	First-Round Bye (Highest-Ranked)
2	Indiana	10-0	First-Round Bye
3	Texas A&M	9-0	First-Round Bye
4	Alabama	8-1	First-Round Bye

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🌪️ The Miami Hurricane: Big Move Shakes the ACC

 

The biggest climber and most significant storyline in the mid-to-lower portion of the bracket is the Miami Hurricanes (7-2), who surged three spots to No. 15. This move propelled them past Georgia Tech (No. 16) and Virginia (No. 19), placing them as the highest-ranked team in the muddled ACC conference.

 

The ACC Automatic Bid Drama

 

The new 12-team CFP format grants automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions. For the Hurricanes, the jump to No. 15 is crucial because it makes them the ACC’s representative in the projected bracket, currently claiming the No. 11 seed.

• The Justification: Committee chair Mack Rhoades specifically cited Miami’s head-to-head win over then-ranked Notre Dame earlier in the season as a key factor in placing them ahead of a strong Georgia Tech team. This shows the committee is now heavily weighing key resume victories over mere overall record, even with Miami’s two losses.
• Bracket Impact: As the No. 11 seed, Miami is projected to face the No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first round. This is a massive boost for a program that appeared to be sliding out of contention just two weeks ago.
• The Path Forward: Despite their new ranking, the Hurricanes’ playoff hopes are far from solidified. They are 3-2 in the conference and must win out—including securing a spot and winning the ACC Championship Game—to hold onto their automatic bid. Any additional loss will likely cost them the chance to finish as the ACC’s highest-ranked champion, opening the door for teams like Virginia, Louisville, or Pittsburgh to steal the bid.

CFP Committee Take: “Certainly, the win versus Notre Dame was a key factor for placing Miami ahead of Georgia Tech,” explained committee chair Mack Rhoades, highlighting the importance of the early-season signature victory.

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📉 Key Movers and Playoff Bubble Watch

 

Beyond the top and the ACC shakeup, several key movements defined the second set of rankings:

 

Texas Tech’s Leap to No. 6

 

• The Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-1) made the second-biggest jump, moving up two spots to No. 6 following a decisive victory over a previously unbeaten BYU. This placement puts them right on the cusp of the first-round bye conversation and sets them up as a major contender for the Big 12 championship. They are the committee’s darling right now, and their win over BYU (which dropped five spots to No. 12) was the major factor.

 

The SEC Logjam (No. 3, 4, 5, 7)

 

• The SEC still dominates the playoff field. While the top five remained unchanged, Ole Miss (9-1) dropped one spot to No. 7 despite a comfortable win, and the debate over the No. 2 and No. 3 spots (Indiana vs. Texas A&M) was the committee’s longest conversation. The SEC still has four teams in the top seven and is poised to fill multiple at-large bids.

 

The First Teams Out: Oklahoma and BYU

 

• The new 12-team bracket structure means some highly-ranked teams are “knocked out” by conference champions ranked below them. This week, No. 11 Oklahoma (7-2) and No. 12 BYU (8-1) would be the first two teams eliminated from the projected field because their at-large spots are taken by the automatic bids given to No. 15 Miami (ACC Champion) and No. 24 South Florida (Group of Five Champion). This perfectly illustrates the high-stakes chess match of the expanded CFP.