CFP Committee Stays the Course in Second Poll of 2025

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The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its second set of 2025 rankings, offering another look into the minds of the people who will ultimately decide the field for the 12-team tournament. While the top of the poll remained static, a crucial weekend of games caused significant shifts below the surface, reshaping the race for first-round byes and the vital automatic bids.

The Unchanged Top 5: The Blue Chip Contenders

For the second straight week, the top five teams held their ground, establishing a clear separation at the top. The conversation remains dominated by the Big Ten and the SEC, which together claim the five highest spots.

Rank	Team	Record	Key Takeaway
1	Ohio State	9-0	The defending national champions remain the undisputed top team, boasting dominant wins and a strong overall resume. They are in prime position for one of the four first-round byes.
2	Indiana	10-0	The Hoosiers narrowly escaped an upset, but the committee continued to reward their undefeated record and high defensive metrics. They still control their destiny for a top-two seed.
3	Texas A&M	9-0	A comfortable win over an SEC opponent kept the Aggies firmly in the mix for a bye. Their initial marquee win continues to provide a strong foundation for their ranking.
4	Alabama	8-1	The Crimson Tide’s lone loss to a top-ranked team is seen as a quality defeat, keeping them in the fourth and final bye slot, provided they continue to win.
5	Georgia	8-1	The other one-loss SEC powerhouse. Georgia’s resume is strong, but they currently sit just outside the crucial top four and would have to host a first-round game if the season ended today.

The Weekend’s Big Movers: The Red Raiders Rise

The most notable shifts this week occurred in the middle tier, primarily driven by results from the Big 12 and the ACC.

Texas Tech (9-1) Leaps Up: The Red Raiders saw a significant jump after a dominant performance, moving ahead of both Ole Miss and Oregon. They are now positioned to potentially host a first-round playoff game and are solidifying their place as a top contender in the Big 12.
The ACC Collapse: The losses by previous ACC hopefuls Virginia and Louisville created chaos for the conference’s at-large hopes. This instability makes the ACC’s automatic bid—which goes to the highest-ranked conference champion—highly volatile and likely to be claimed by a team currently ranked lower.
Texas and Oklahoma Remain Relevant: Despite being two-loss teams, Texas (7-2) and Oklahoma (7-2) still sit in the top-12. Their schedule strength and high-profile wins keep them firmly in the at-large picture, with key matchups ahead that will likely settle the Big 12 race.

12-Team Playoff Implications: The Auto-Bid Scramble

Under the new 12-team format, the five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids, with the next seven highest-ranked teams rounding out the field. The current rankings highlight the fascinating battle for these auto-bids.

Conference Auto-Bid Race	Key Teams	Analysis
Big Ten, SEC, Big 12	Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M	These are all but certain to be claimed by teams in the Top 5-10, likely earning them a first-round bye or a high home seed.
ACC	Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia	The losses by higher-ranked teams leave the door open for a team like Georgia Tech to claim the auto-bid if they win out, highlighting the value of winning a conference championship even with a lower ranking.
Group of Five	South Florida, Tulane, James Madison	This is the most unpredictable race. South Florida currently holds the distinction as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion, which grants them the final auto-bid spot and the 12th seed—a first-round date with the No. 5 seed.

The Road Ahead

The second ranking clarifies the necessity of winning. For the four teams vying for a first-round bye (Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama), any slip-up in the final weeks would be catastrophic, likely dropping them into a treacherous road-to-the-title scenario.

The remaining schedule is loaded with playoff-caliber matchups that will act as de facto eliminations:

Texas at Georgia
Oklahoma at Alabama
The Big Ten Championship Game (likely Ohio State vs. Indiana)

The committee’s preference for undefeated and one-loss Power Conference teams is evident, but the volatility of the ACC and the unpredictable Group of Five battle promise major drama as the season heads toward its climactic conclusion.