The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has dropped its first bombshell of the 2025 season, and the message is clear: Ohio State is the team to beat. The defending national champions claimed the No. 1 spot in Tuesday’s inaugural CFP rankings, with fellow Big Ten powerhouse Indiana and SEC contender Texas A&M rounding out the top three—a move that’s already sparking heated debates across the college football landscape.
Big Ten Flexes Muscle, SEC Holds Strong
In a year marked by upsets and unpredictability, the committee’s decision to put
two Big Ten teams—Ohio State and Indiana—at the top signals a shift in the power dynamic, at least for now. Texas A&M, despite a perfect record and a dramatic 41-40 win over No. 10 Notre Dame, landed at No. 3. Committee chair Mack Rhoades explained the choice:
“Statistically when we looked at A&M defensively, they’re just lower than both Ohio State and Indiana. We had to make a hard decision, and you’re trying to find separators, and that was a separator for us.”The rest of the top six is a familiar SEC-Big Ten battleground:
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No. 4 Alabama-
No. 5 Georgia-
No. 6 MississippiAll three have one loss, but their resumes and conference strength kept them firmly in the playoff conversation.
Surprises and Snubs: Pitt, BYU, and the ACC
Perhaps the biggest surprise is
Pittsburgh’s debut at No. 24 after a five-game winning streak, signaling the committee’s respect for late-season momentum. Meanwhile, undefeated BYU of the Big 12 sits at No. 7, just outside the top tier, while the ACC was largely snubbed, with only Virginia (No. 14) making a significant appearance.
Sports Illustrated noted the committee’s “harsh message” to the ACC, as the Big 12 surged ahead in the rankings, further fueling debates about conference strength and playoff access.
How the New 12-Team Playoff Would Look
This year marks the debut of the expanded
12-team playoff format, and the first rankings offer a glimpse at how the bracket could shake out:
- The
top four seeds (currently Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama) would get first-round byes.
- Seeds 5-8 would host on-campus quarterfinals December 19-20.
- The final will be played January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
A key twist:
The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed playoff spots, even if they’re outside the top 12. That means teams like Virginia (ACC) and Memphis (AAC) could bump out higher-ranked teams like Texas and Oklahoma if the bracket were set today.
What’s Next: High Stakes and High Drama
With five more weekly rankings to come before the final bracket is set December 6, every game now carries playoff implications. Teams on the bubble—like Oregon (No. 9), Notre Dame (No. 10), Texas (No. 11), and Oklahoma (No. 12)—will be fighting for their postseason lives, while conference championship races take on even greater significance.
Expert Take: The committee’s early emphasis on defensive stats and dominant wins over strength of schedule could shift as the season progresses. Expect more shakeups as rivalry games and conference championships loom.
Key Takeaways
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Ohio State leads the first CFP rankings, followed by Indiana and Texas A&M.-
Big Ten and SEC dominate the top six, with only BYU (Big 12) breaking in at No. 7.-
Pitt surprises at No. 24; ACC largely snubbed.-
Expanded 12-team playoff format means more teams—and more drama—down the stretch.The playoff race is officially on, and if this first ranking is any indication, expect fireworks all the way to Miami.
Sources
1. College Football Playoff Selection Committee Releases First Rankings of 2025
2. College Football Playoff rankings released: Ohio State gets top ...
3. Where Tennessee Football Lands In Initial College Football Playoff Rankings
4. College Football - NCAA Football News, Scores, Standings, Stats ...
5. Texas A&M Selected No. 3 in First 2025 College Football Playoff Ranking
6. College Football News, Scores & Analysis - Sports Illustrated
7. College Football Playoff Final Prediction: Who Will Be the 12th Team?
8. College Football on ESPN - Scores, Stats and Highlights
9. CFP top 12: One last projection before the first committee ranking
10. Texas A&M ranked No. 3 in first CFB Playoff rankings
11. Rankings - College Football Playoff
12. NCAA.com – The Official Website of NCAA Championships | NCAA ...
13. College Football Playoff Rankings: Ohio State, Indiana lead first top ...
14. College Football News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, Standings, and ...
15. College Football Playoff Rankings Released - Vanderbilt Athletics
16. 2025 college football SP+ rankings for all 136 FBS teams - ESPN
