Week 15 College Football Playoff 2025 Rankings: Top Risers and Fallers Announced
With just one week remaining to secure spots in the 2025 College Football Playoff, the season’s penultimate rankings were announced. This Tuesday’s release provided insight into which teams are front-runners for the playoffs and which ones face a last-minute push ahead of Decision Day on Sunday.
Ranking Changes and Major Upsets
This week saw significant movement following Texas’ unexpected victory over Texas A&M. This upset put the Aggies’ chances of securing a first-round bye in jeopardy.
Top 25 Rankings Overview
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Oregon
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Notre Dame
- BYU
- Miami
- Texas
- Vanderbilt
- Utah
- USC
- Virginia
- Arizona
- Michigan
- Tulane
- Houston
- Georgia Tech
- Iowa
- North Texas
- James Madison
Vanderbilt and Utah fell outside the projected 12-team playoff cut in these rankings. Ole Miss finished the regular season strong with a decisive 38-19 win over Mississippi State, elevating them by one ranking spot.
Key Team Performances
Ohio State maintained its top rank after overcoming Michigan in their season finale. Indiana also kept its undefeated status with a dominating performance against Purdue. However, the rankings shifted dramatically for the top four teams due to Texas A&M’s loss to Texas.
- Texas A&M dropped to No. 7.
- Texas moved up to No. 13.
- Georgia is positioned to possibly enter the top three.
This new structure of the College Football Playoff allows the top four ranked teams to receive first-round byes. The stakes are incredibly high as teams prepare for their championship games.
Conference Highlights
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is advocating for Texas Tech and BYU to secure playoff spots, regardless of their upcoming title game. The Red Raiders are currently positioned favorably, while BYU’s future may depend on their performance this weekend.
In the SEC, Alabama remains in the top 10 after a victory over Auburn but will need to defeat Georgia once more to claim the SEC championship. Virginia’s ranking surged after they defeated Virginia Tech, putting them in contention for their inaugural playoff berth with a win over Duke in the ACC championship game.
Meanwhile, Miami finds itself below Notre Dame in the rankings, despite winning their Week 1 matchup against them. Miami’s hopes may have taken a hit due to a recent overtime loss to SMU and missing the conference title game due to a tiebreaker.
Upcoming Championship Decisions
The final bracket for the expanded 12-team playoff will be set on Sunday during the CFP selection show, airing on ESPN at noon.
As the landscape of college football prepares for its climax, teams are positioning themselves for a shot at glory in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
