Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Texas Tech retained command of the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night, setting the stage for a decisive conference championship weekend. Georgia and Texas Tech each climbed one place after then-No. 3 Texas A&M fell to Texas, creating a gentle reshuffle in the upper tier. Oregon and Ole Miss also nudged upward to Nos. 5 and 6, while the Aggies slid to seventh.
The most intriguing movement came just below that cluster, where Alabama and Notre Dame swapped spots despite closing their regular seasons with wins. Alabama edged ahead from No. 10 to No. 9 after a 27–20 victory at Auburn, while Notre Dame’s 49–20 road win at Stanford was not enough to hold position. The Crimson Tide’s jump carries added weight as they head into the SEC title game, whereas Notre Dame has no championship stage left to influence the committee.
CFP chair and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek acknowledged the Alabama-Notre Dame debate has lingered for weeks, reported AP. He noted that while Notre Dame’s performance impressed, Alabama’s sharper first half in a rivalry setting ultimately persuaded some committee members. That modest shift has significant implications: Alabama and Notre Dame currently hold the final two at-large spots in the projected 12-team bracket.
Just outside the field sit BYU, Miami and Texas, waiting for chaos from championship weekend. Two guaranteed playoff tickets will be claimed by conference title winners from leagues without top-12 teams: the ACC, American and Sun Belt. Under this year’s rules, seeding is determined strictly by ranking, with no automatic byes for top conference champions.
Yurachek also emphasized that idle teams can move in either direction, leaving the door open for late turbulence. The final rankings arrive Sunday at noon ET, completing the new 12-team field.
1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Georgia 4. Texas Tech 5. Oregon 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas A&M 8. Oklahoma 9. Alabama 10. Notre Dame 11. BYU 12. Miami 13. Texas 14. Vanderbilt 15. Utah 16. USC 17. Virginia 18. Arizona 19. Michigan 20. Tulane 21. Houston 22. Georgia Tech 23. Iowa 24. North Texas 25. James Madison
The most intriguing movement came just below that cluster, where Alabama and Notre Dame swapped spots despite closing their regular seasons with wins. Alabama edged ahead from No. 10 to No. 9 after a 27–20 victory at Auburn, while Notre Dame’s 49–20 road win at Stanford was not enough to hold position. The Crimson Tide’s jump carries added weight as they head into the SEC title game, whereas Notre Dame has no championship stage left to influence the committee.
CFP chair and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek acknowledged the Alabama-Notre Dame debate has lingered for weeks, reported AP. He noted that while Notre Dame’s performance impressed, Alabama’s sharper first half in a rivalry setting ultimately persuaded some committee members. That modest shift has significant implications: Alabama and Notre Dame currently hold the final two at-large spots in the projected 12-team bracket.
Just outside the field sit BYU, Miami and Texas, waiting for chaos from championship weekend. Two guaranteed playoff tickets will be claimed by conference title winners from leagues without top-12 teams: the ACC, American and Sun Belt. Under this year’s rules, seeding is determined strictly by ranking, with no automatic byes for top conference champions.
Yurachek also emphasized that idle teams can move in either direction, leaving the door open for late turbulence. The final rankings arrive Sunday at noon ET, completing the new 12-team field.
1. Ohio State 2. Indiana 3. Georgia 4. Texas Tech 5. Oregon 6. Ole Miss 7. Texas A&M 8. Oklahoma 9. Alabama 10. Notre Dame 11. BYU 12. Miami 13. Texas 14. Vanderbilt 15. Utah 16. USC 17. Virginia 18. Arizona 19. Michigan 20. Tulane 21. Houston 22. Georgia Tech 23. Iowa 24. North Texas 25. James Madison
