Ohio State Holds Firm at No. 1 as Championship Weekend Looms: A Look at the New AP Top 25
With just one week to go before the postseason picture is finalized, the latest AP Top 25 poll delivered a shakeup in the top five, a historic rise for Texas Tech, and a strong showing from Group of Five programs. But one thing stayed the same - Ohio State remains king of the hill.
The Buckeyes locked down the No. 1 spot for the seventh straight week after a win over Michigan, setting up a high-stakes Big Ten Championship clash with No. 2 Indiana.
Both teams are undefeated, both have Heisman-caliber quarterbacks, and both have been steamrolling opponents all year. It’s the kind of matchup that could define the playoff race - and maybe even the Heisman.
Top Five Shuffle: Texas Tech Makes History
Ohio State and Indiana continue to set the pace, but the rest of the top five saw some movement. Georgia climbed to No.
3, Oregon slid into No. 4, and Texas Tech jumped to No. 5 - their highest ranking since 2008, when they briefly held the No. 2 spot. The Red Raiders have been riding a wave of momentum all season, and now they’ll get their shot at a Big 12 title against No.
11 BYU in Arlington.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, tumbled out of the top five after a 10-point loss to Texas. The Aggies now sit at No. 7, behind No.
6 Ole Miss. Rounding out the top 10 are Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Alabama - all holding steady for the third straight week.
Championship Weekend: Playoff Implications Everywhere
This weekend’s slate of conference championship games is loaded with playoff implications, especially with two top-10 matchups on deck.
- **Big Ten Championship: No. 1 Ohio State vs.
No. 2 Indiana**
It doesn’t get much bigger than this. Two 12-0 teams, two elite quarterbacks, and one conference title on the line in Indianapolis.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza leads an offense that’s put up 532 points this season - second-best in the nation. Ohio State’s defense?
Best in the country, allowing just 93 points all year. Something’s got to give.
- **SEC Championship: No. 3 Georgia vs.
No. 10 Alabama**
Georgia hasn’t lost since Alabama handed them a 24-21 defeat back in late September. Since then, the Bulldogs have rattled off eight straight wins.
This will be the fourth SEC title meeting between these two since 2018, and the stakes are as high as ever.
- **Big 12 Championship: No. 5 Texas Tech vs.
No. 11 BYU**
Both programs are making their first appearance in the Big 12 title game. Texas Tech dominated the regular-season matchup, winning 29-7 in Lubbock.
BYU will be looking for revenge - and possibly a playoff bid if things break right.
Group of Five Making Noise
This week’s poll features four Group of Five teams - the most we've seen all season. James Madison leads the pack at No. 19 and will host Troy in the Sun Belt title game on Friday.
Behind them are three teams from the American Athletic Conference: No. 20 North Texas, No.
21 Tulane, and No. 23 Navy.
North Texas and Tulane will face off Friday in the AAC championship. Tulane, at No. 21, was the only G5 team included in last week’s College Football Playoff rankings, but the Green Wave will have to fend off a surging Mean Green squad to keep their New Year’s Six hopes alive.
Navy, meanwhile, enters the rankings for the first time this season after a 28-17 win at Memphis. The Midshipmen now gear up for their annual showdown with Army on December 13 - and they’ll do it with their highest ranking since 2019.
Other Notable Moves
- Miami (No. 12) jumped one spot after a dominant 31-point road win at Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes are now the top-ranked ACC team and remain in the hunt for a potential at-large playoff bid.
- Vanderbilt (No. 13) dropped one spot despite a convincing 21-point win over Tennessee. It’s a curious slide, but the Commodores still sit firmly inside the top 15.
- Arizona (No. 22) re-entered the rankings for the first time since September 2024 after a 23-7 victory over rival Arizona State. The Wildcats have now won five straight.
- Missouri (No. 25) returned to the Top 25 after a two-touchdown win over Arkansas. They replace Tennessee, who fell out after their loss to Vanderbilt ended a 33-week run in the poll.
- James Madison’s Rise continues, as the Dukes climb to No. 19. They’re not just the top-ranked G5 team - they’re also hosting a conference title game with real stakes.
Conference Breakdown
The SEC leads the way with eight ranked teams, including three in the top 10. The Big Ten follows with five, and the Big 12 has four - all in the top 22. The ACC and the American each have three, while the Sun Belt and Independents each claim one.
Here’s how the rankings shake out:
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Texas Tech
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- BYU
- Miami (FL)
- Vanderbilt
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- USC
- Michigan
- James Madison
- North Texas
- Tulane
- Arizona
- Navy
- Georgia Tech
- Missouri
What’s Next
With the playoff picture still wide open, this weekend’s championship games will serve as the final audition for the nation’s top contenders. Whether it’s the heavyweight clash in the Big Ten, the revenge storyline in the SEC, or the rising stars in the Big 12 and Group of Five, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Buckle up. Championship Saturday is going to be a wild ride.