Unlike last week, there will actually be some movement throughout the top 12 of the College Football Playoff Rankings when the next set is released on Tuesday evening.
The final week of the regular season saw Texas A&M suffer its first loss, Vanderbilt prove itself even more and Ole Miss lose its head coach before the postseason even begins. With that chaos and just conference championship games left before the final CFP rankings and 12-team field are revealed, here's what the top 12 should (not will) look like Tuesday evening with the Oklahoma Sooners securely in the mix.
The defending champions have been No. 1 all season, and there's no argument against it with the regular season now complete, especially after the Buckeyes' dominant 27-9 win over Michigan at The Big House. However, the Big Ten Championship Game will feature No. 1 vs. No. 2, so Saturday night will certify which team belongs on top.
It doesn't matter if the Hoosiers are second, because they have the chance to earn that No. 1 spot and a Big Ten title over Ohio State on Saturday night. But with Texas A&M no longer perfect, there's no longer an argument against the two undefeated Big Ten squads competing for the top spot.
Other than a close loss to Alabama in September, Georgia has, as usual, proven to be one of the best teams in the country. The Bulldogs can now avenge that early loss in the SEC Championship Game and might even be able to argue for the No. 1 seed with that win.
Some could rightfully point out Texas Tech's schedule in the Big 12, but the Red Raiders have been more dominant than anyone else in Big 12 history with eight conference wins by 22 or more points. In their only loss to Arizona State, Texas Tech was without its starting quarterback. Texas Tech rightfully deserves a first-round bye with a Big 12 title.
Ole Miss concluded the regular season with a win over in-state rival Mississippi State, but the Rebels still suffered their biggest loss of the season over the weekend. Head coach Lane Kiffin on Sunday left Ole Miss for LSU and will not coach the Rebels during the postseason.
That will likely hurt the Rebels' standing with the committee, but the fact is, we really have no idea what Ole Miss will be like without Kiffin on the sidelines, so what we've actually seen from the Rebels should trump a guess of what might happen. This team has done enough to be here, with or without Kiffin going forward.
Some will scoff at a two-loss team being this high, but the Sooners' resume is that stacked with five ranked wins, which is more than anyone else in the country. And if you want to talk losses, those came to Ole Miss, which is right above, and to Texas, which just took down previously unbeaten Texas A&M. Other fan bases will squawk about OU's offense, but the defense is superior and the Sooners have beaten plenty of playoff caliber teams.
Similar to the Sooners, Alabama also has a loaded resume, but lost to OU in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide still did enough to earn a spot in the SEC Championship Game with a chance to win the toughest conference in college football. However, a loss will likely knock Bama out of the 12-team field thanks to automatic bids.
Oregon has been dominant and only lost to Indiana, but that was also the Ducks' only real chance to prove how good they are. The Ducks will be a scary matchup for anyone in the CFP, but, unlike how the committee thinks, actual results should mean more than the eye test while playing weak competition. The No. 8 spot still gives Oregon a home game, though.
The Aggies finally lost a game and fell hard after that undefeated record was the only thing keeping them afloat. Although Texas A&M competes in a loaded SEC, the Aggies lucked out by having to play only the bottom dwellers of the conference. However, the Aggies did at least beat committee darling Notre Dame in nonconference play.
This is so funny, y’all have no idea pic.twitter.com/CedCuXv925
— Kyle Umlang (@kyleumlang) November 29, 2025
The Cougars have a solid win over Utah on their resume, but they'll still have to avenge their only loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship to make up for an otherwise lackluster schedule.
History tells us Vanderbilt doesn't belong here, but these aren't your grandfather's, or even father's, Commodores. Vandy, at 10-2, just notched another impressive win over Tennessee to jump inside the top 12. The Commodores also have the potential Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Diego Pavia.
Those who say the Commodores shouldn't be in the CFP conversation just don't want to face them. However, in this spot, Vandy would be the first team left out of the field.
Miami beat Notre Dame, and although the committee and ESPN pundits ignore that glaring fact for ratings, that matters. The Hurricanes deserve this spot over Notre Dame because of that head-to-head outcome, but no matter what, both teams should be left out after either not making their conference championship game or not having one at all.