College Football Playoff Rankings: Big Ten to Decide No. 1 Seed

Big Ten title game will settle top seed, while Texas and Ole Miss climb after turbulent weekend

03.12.2025

CFP Bracket to Be Unveiled Sunday

The College Football Playoff bracket will officially be announced Sunday, but the penultimate rankings have already given fans a strong idea of how the postseason is shaping up later this month.

Big Ten title game will settle top seed

Big Ten Championship Poised to Decide Top Seed

In the latest CFP rankings, Ohio State and Indiana once again checked in at No. 1 and No. 2.

Ohio State finally got payback on Michigan, ending a four-year stretch of frustration with a convincing victory on Saturday. Indiana, meanwhile, closed out its regular season in dominant fashion by rolling past Purdue.

Both teams finished the season 12–0 and will meet in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday. The winner is expected to lock up the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Big Ten title game will settle top seed

Texas A&M Falls, Opens the Door for Climbers

Texas A&M’s loss to Texas not only cost the Aggies a spot in the SEC title game, but also dropped them to No. 7 in the rankings. Even with the setback, they still project as a likely playoff host if the current structure holds.

Their slide allowed several teams to move up a rung. Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, and Ole Miss each climbed one spot from last week. Texas Tech now finds itself holding a coveted first-round bye position.

Despite Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, Ole Miss continued its rise, while Texas used its rivalry win over Texas A&M to strengthen its broader playoff case. Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning both made statements with that performance, but the Longhorns are still stuck at No. 13 and currently sit outside the projected bracket.

Playoff Picture: Top 10 In, Bubble Teams Watching

If the season ended today, every team in the top 10 would be in the playoff field. The 11th and 12th seeds are effectively reserved for two remaining conference champions, which complicates matters for a few hopeful programs.

That reality leaves No. 11 BYU and No. 12 Miami on the outside looking in for now. BYU still has a clear path to punch its ticket, as it will face Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game with a chance to grab a conference title and potentially a playoff spot.

Miami’s situation is far murkier. The ACC Championship Game will feature No. 17 Virginia and unranked Duke, a matchup that likely shuts the Hurricanes out of the playoff bracket unless chaos erupts elsewhere. In the wake of Miami’s position, the school’s athletic director has publicly called for the ACC to revisit its tiebreaker format after the Hurricanes missed out on the title game.

Big Ten title game will settle top seed