2025 College Football Playoff Rankings Week 14 Top 25: Irish roll, SEC, Big Ten, ACC prepare for rivalry week

Wow! The ACC is heating up with three teams tied for first-place, the Big 12 has Texas Tech and a field of three trying to make the title game, while the Big Ten and SEC prepare for rivalry week as a total of 10 combined teams are still in the hunt to make the college football playoff!

Here's my list of top 12 teams to make the college football playoff with breakdowns, plus the remaining 13 to make up my Week 13 Top 25. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the College Football schedule!

Vaughn Dalzell’s Week 14 College Football Playoff Rankings

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET at #15 Michigan
Last Game: 42-9 win vs Rutgers

Even without Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Ohio State had no trouble running all over Rutgers. The Buckeyes recorded 254 rushing yards on 38 carries (6.7 ypc) and held the Scarlet Knights to 147 total yards. Luckily, OSU is expecting the star receiver duo back for their finale at Michigan.

Michigan has won four straight meetings versus Ohio State after the Buckeyes won the previous eight. Michigan's entire college playoff hopes rely on beating the Buckeyes, so Ohio State will once again take on all it can handle during the best rivalry in the Big Ten.

2. Indiana Hoosiers (11-0, 8-0)
Next Game: Saturday 7:30 PM ET at Purdue
Last Game: Bye Week

Indiana wraps up its regular season at Purdue on Peacock Saturday night as large favorites. The Hoosiers come out of the bye week after a 24-point win over Wisconsin, which. gave Indiana its 15th straight win at home — a program record.

If Indiana beats Purdue, the Hoosiers will have completed its first-ever undefeated regular season. Their current win total of 11 is tied for the best mark in program history.

3. Texas A&M Aggies (11-0, 7-0)
Next Game: Saturday 7:30 PM ET at #16 Texas
Last Game: 48-0 win vs Samford

Texas A&M is coming off a cupcake win over Samford and has its final test of the season when the Aggies visit the Longhorns as road underdogs. The Aggies need to win to make the SEC Championship, or the door will be open for Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss. The Texas Longhorns need this win for any hope of making the college football playoff, so it's safe to say this could be Texas A&M's toughest challenge.

4. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1, 7-1)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET vs #23 Georgia Tech
Last Game: 35-3 win vs Charlotte

Georgia was another team that scheduled a cupcake late in the season and rolled them. The Bulldogs beat Charlotte, 35-3, and head to Atlanta for a neutral site game versus interstate rival Georgia Tech.

Unfortunately for Georgia, the only loss on the season came to Alabama who is a half-game back of the Bulldogs for second-place in the SEC. If Alabama beats Auburn, then the Tide are in the SEC Championship and Georgia is out. Georgia can reach the title game if Auburn beats Alabama and Texas beats Texas A&M, which isn't out of the realms of possibility.

5. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET at West Virginia
Last Game: Bye Week

Texas Tech is coming off a bye week and in a glorious spot to end the season. If the Red Raiders beat a 4-7 Mountaineers team in West Virginia, then Texas Tech is in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, if the Red Raiders lose, then BYU, Utah, and Arizona State all have a chance to make the Championship Game or replace Tech completely. The Red Raiders should be safe, but West Virginia does have a history of playing spoiler late in the season.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2)
Next Game: Saturday 10:30 PM ET at Stanford
Last Game: 70-7 win vs Syracuse

One of the most impressive wins on the entire season came last Saturday when Notre Dame destroyed Syracuse, 70-7. It felt like a high school game, which is a hat-tip to the Irish offense and defense. I mean, it was 21-0 before Notre Dame touched the ball on offense thanks to two interceptions for touchdowns and a blocked punt for a score. The Irish's nine-game winning streak has been exciting and dominant with a 10-point win over USC being its closes contest.

7. Ole Miss Rebels (10-1, 6-1)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET at Mississippi State
Last Game: Bye Week

Ole Miss is coming off a bye week to wrap its regular season up at Mississippi State. With a little help, Ole Miss can make the SEC Championship Game, but first they must win in Starkville. The Rebels have ripped off four straight wins, but this will mark the fourth true road game of the season. Ole Miss is 2-1 on the road with wins over Kentucky and #13 Oklahoma, plus a loss to #9 Georgia.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 5-2)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET vs LSU
Last Game: 17-6 win vs #22 Missouri

Oklahoma beat another ranked opponent, this time it was #22 Missouri. The Sooners have five ranked wins on the year and are 5-1 with the lone loss coming to Ole Miss. The Sooners have the better resume between Oklahoma and Ole Miss, but the Sooners dropped the head-to-head versus the Rebels, so I have to rank Ole Miss higher as of now.

9. Oregon Ducks (10-1, 7-1)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET at Washington
Last Game: 42-27 win vs #15 USC

Oregon jumps a spot for me after earning a ranked win over #15 USC. The Ducks have two ranked wins over the past three games and three overall on the season (3-1 record, lost to Indiana). Oregon is fighting for a first round home game and with a dominant win at Washington, plus a loss or two from a SEC team like Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama, or Oklahoma — The Ducks could have just that, a home college football playoff game.

10. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-2, 6-1)
Next Game: Saturday 7:30 PM ET at Auburn
Last Game: 56-0 win vs Eastern Illinois

After hosting Eastern Illinois as your final home game, a week before playing your rival that you have to beat in order to get into the SEC Championship — I have to move Bama down. College Football is changing a lot and scheduling cupcakes this late in the year isn't one of the changes I like. However, if Alabama beats Auburn, then the Tide are in the SEC Championship and Georgia is out. Alabama versus Texas A&M would be a thrilling SEC Championship Game, but Ole Miss and Georgia are still in the mix.

11. Utah Utes (8-2, 5-2)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET at Kansas
Last Game: 51-47 win vs Kansas State

Utah had to go to the wire in order to beat Kansas State and remain in the mix for the College Football Playoff. The Utes certainly have party-crasher vibes written all over them, but not if their defense plays like it did versus the Wildcats. Joe Jackson set a Kansas State record and a record versus Utah with 293 rushing yards and K-State had 492 rushing yards overall — the most-ever against Utah. The Utes have a lot of work ahead of them a road trip to Kansas to face another mobile quarterback and dangerous running game to end the season.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (9-2, 5-2)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET at #19 Tennessee
Last Game: 45-17 win at Kentucky

Vanderbilt is 3-1 in ranked games this season and will have its fifth ranked outing when the Commodores travel to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Vols. Vanderbilt and Tennessee have been on the fringe of making the college football playoff all season long, so this game will be equally meaningful to both programs.

Rest of the Field breakdown

The ACC just go interesting! Pitt crushed Georgia Tech and are now tied with SMU and Virginia for the ACC-lead! All three teams went 3-0 last week to put themselves in share positions of the drivers seat. Virginia plays Virginia Tech, Pitt goes to #12 Miami, and SMU hosts California to end the regular season. Since SMU, Pitt, and Virginia have not played each other, the trio will have tiebreakers to rely on if all three win again this week.

For the SEC, If Alabama beats Auburn, then the Tide are in the SEC Championship and Georgia is out. Georgia can reach the title game if Auburn beats Alabama and Texas beats Texas A&M, which isn't out of the realms of possibility. Texas A&M juts needs to win to be in, so the Aggies have the simplest route to the title game.

The Big 12 comes down to Texas Tech and who else? I can't see Tech losing to the 4-7 Mountaineers of West Virginia, but who knows? Utah, BYU, and Arizona State all have a punchers chance of making the title game alongside Texas Tech, and it would take a lot of upsets to knock the Red Raiders off completely. Either way, they are in the college football playoff.

The Big 10 is a three-team college football playoff field between Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon. If Michigan beats Ohio State this weekend, then there is a path for a fourth Big Ten school, which would effectively eliminate one of the fringe SEC, or the second options in the Big 12 or ACC.

Talking non-Power 4 schools, Notre Dame, North Texas, James Madison, and Tulane lead the charge right now, which means bad news for North Texas, James Madison, and Tulane. The Irish were the only non-P4 team to make the playoff last year and should be the only this year.

13. BYU Cougars (10-1, 7-1)
Next Game: Saturday 1 PM ET vs UCF
Last Game: 26-14 win at Cincinnati

14. SMU Mustangs (8-3, 6-1)
Next Game: Saturday 8 PM ET at California
Last Game: 38-6 win vs Louisville

15. Miami Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET at #22 Pitt
Last Game: 34-17 win at Virginia Tech

16. Virgina Cavaliers (9-2, 6-1)
Next Game: Saturday 7 PM ET vs Virginia Tech
Last Game: Bye Week

17. Pitt Panthers (8-3, 6-1)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET vs #12 Miami
Last Game: 42-28 win at #16 Georgia Tech

18. Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 7-1)
Next Game: Saturday 12 PM ET vs #1 Ohio State
Last Game: 45-20 win at Maryland

20. Tennessee Volunteers (8-3, 4-3)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET vs #14 Vanderbilt
Last Game: 31-11 win at Florida

21. Arizona State Sun Devils (8-3, 6-2)
Next Game: Saturday 9 PM ET vs #25 Arizona
Last Game: 42-17 win at Colorado

22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-2, 6-2)
Next Game: Saturday 3:30 PM ET vs #4 Georgia
Last Game: 42-28 loss vs Pitt

23. North Texas Mean Green (10-1, 6-1)
Next Game: Friday 3:30 PM ET vs Temple
Last Game: 56-24 win at Rice

24. James Madison Dukes (10-1, 7-0)
Next Game: Friday 3:45 PM ET at Coastal Carolina
Last Game: 24-20 win vs Washington State

25. USC Trojans (8-3, 6-2)
Next Game: Saturday 7:30 PM ET vs UCLA
Last Game: 42-27 loss at #7 Oregon

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