The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its second set of rankings on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, confirming the dominance of the undefeated top two while rewarding a major Big 12 victory with a significant jump. The Ohio State Buckeyes remain the unanimous No. 1 seed, followed by the Indiana Hoosiers at No. 2, but the most impactful movement came just outside the top five with the Texas Tech Red Raiders surging into the top six.
With the expanded 12-team playoff format, these rankings offer a crucial glimpse into which teams are currently projected to receive first-round byes and automatic bids as conference champions with just a few weeks left in the regular season.
🥇 The Unchanged Top Five: A Strong Hold on the Byes
The first five spots in the rankings were a carbon copy of last week’s debut, indicating the committee is firmly committed to the résumés of these powerhouse programs. The top four of these teams are currently projected to receive the coveted first-round byes.
| Rank | Team | Record | Projected Playoff Status |
| 1 | Ohio State | 9-0 | First-Round Bye |
| 2 | Indiana | 10-0 | First-Round Bye |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 9-0 | First-Round Bye |
| 4 | Alabama | 8-1 | First-Round Bye |
| 5 | Georgia | 8-1 | At-Large Bid |
Key Committee Debates
- Indiana vs. Texas A&M: Committee chair Mack Rhoades acknowledged the debate over keeping the 10-0 Indiana Hoosiers at No. 2 despite a narrow, last-second victory over a struggling Penn State team. Rhoades stated the decision was the second-longest conversation, but the committee ultimately favored Indiana’s overall “body of work” and their defensive edge over the 9-0 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 3.
- The First-Round Bye Race: All four top teams remain on track for a first-round bye. Alabama (8-1) at No. 4 holds the last bye spot, but the one-loss teams behind them are putting pressure on the Crimson Tide.
⬆️ Texas Tech’s Leap: Big 12 Rises to No. 6
The most consequential move near the top of the bracket was the Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-1) jumping two spots from No. 8 to No. 6.
- Dominant Victory: Texas Tech’s commanding 29-7 victory over then-No. 7 BYU was the decisive factor. The committee was highly impressed by the Red Raiders’ “convincing” win and strong defensive performance, leading them to be ranked ahead of a surging Ole Miss team.
- Big 12 Outlook: The No. 6 ranking significantly bolsters Texas Tech’s position in the Big 12 race and makes them a strong contender for a high at-large seed, setting them up for a potential home game in the first round of the 12-team playoff.
Ranking Fallout
- Ole Miss Drops: Despite a blowout win over Citadel, the Ole Miss Rebels (9-1) dropped one spot to No. 7, a casualty of Texas Tech’s impressive performance and the committee’s decision to place the Red Raiders ahead of them.
- BYU’s Fall: The team Texas Tech beat, the BYU Cougars (8-1), fell five spots from No. 7 to No. 12, demonstrating the severe penalty for their first loss of the season, especially given the lopsided score. BYU is now on the outside looking in for the projected 12-team field.
🌪️ The 12-Team Projected Bracket and Automatic Bids
The full rankings demonstrate the chaos the expanded 12-team format creates, as two highly-ranked at-large candidates are currently displaced by lower-ranked conference champions who secure automatic bids.
| Rank | Team | Record | Change | Conference |
| 1 | Ohio State | 9-0 | — | Big Ten |
| 2 | Indiana | 10-0 | — | Big Ten |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 9-0 | — | SEC |
| 4 | Alabama | 8-1 | — | SEC |
| 5 | Georgia | 8-1 | — | SEC |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 9-1 | +2 | Big 12 |
| 7 | Ole Miss | 9-1 | -1 | SEC |
| 8 | Oregon | 8-1 | +1 | Pac-12 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 7-2 | +1 | Independent |
| 10 | Texas | 7-2 | +1 | SEC |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 7-2 | +1 | SEC |
| 12 | BYU | 8-1 | -5 | Big 12 |
| 13 | Utah | 7-2 | — | Big 12 |
| 14 | Vanderbilt | 8-2 | +2 | SEC |
| 15 | Miami | 7-2 | +3 | ACC |
| 16 | Georgia Tech | 8-1 | +1 | ACC |
| 24 | South Florida | 7-2 | NR | AAC |
Projected Playoff Seeding
In the projected 12-team bracket, the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a spot, with the top four receiving byes.
- Automatic Bids: The highest-ranked champions are Ohio State (Big Ten), Texas A&M (SEC), Oregon (Pac-12), Miami (ACC), and South Florida (Group of Five).
| Seed | Team | CFP Rank | Playoff Path |
| 1 | Ohio State | 1 | Big Ten Champion (Projected) |
| 2 | Indiana | 2 | At-Large |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 3 | SEC Champion (Projected) |
| 4 | Alabama | 4 | At-Large |
| 5 | Georgia | 5 | At-Large |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 6 | At-Large |
| 7 | Ole Miss | 7 | At-Large |
| 8 | Oregon | 8 | Pac-12 Champion (Projected) |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 9 | At-Large |
| 10 | Texas | 10 | At-Large |
| 11 | Miami | 15 | ACC Champion (Projected) |
| 12 | South Florida | 24 | Group of Five Champion (Projected) |
Note on Displacement: Due to the automatic bids, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 12 BYU are currently the first two teams out of the projected bracket, despite being ranked higher than Miami and South Florida.
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