Only 3 Major Teams Have Never Been Ranked In CFB Playoff Top 25

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Only 3 Major Teams Have Never Been Ranked In CFB Playoff Top 25

We are now in the 12th year of the College Football Playoff and the first ranking of the 2025 season has been unveiled. Making their debut on the list for the first in those 12 years was Texas Tech and Vanderbilt.

The Red Raiders have used their massive NIL coffers to great success, developing a team that has a top-five scoring offense and a top-five scoring defense. The end result has been an 8-1 record and prime position for the Big 12 Championship Game.

The Commodores, while not nearly as prolific and with two losses already, have been one of the darlings of college football this year. They've enjoyed heights that they haven't seen in over 75 years and are hoping to achieve their first-ever 10-win season, if not a trip to the College Football Playoff.

But with those two teams enjoying their immense success, there are now only three schools left in the four power conferences that have never been ranked in the College Football Playoff even once in its 12 seasons.

Those three teams are California, Maryland and Rutgers.

Cal

Less than 20 years ago the Golden Bears ran the stellar running duo of Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett to a Pac-10 title, capping off three straight years of top-25 finishes – a feat they hadn't achieved since the 1940s.

Now, as an ACC team under the leadership of Justin Wilcox, they're just keeping their heads above water and barely bowl eligible. They haven't beaten a ranked team since the 2020 pandemic year and barely even beat the FCS teams they face every so often.

Rutgers

Where do you even start with Rutgers? Since joining the Big Ten in 2014 they've never had a winning record in their conference play, they have just three winning seasons and two bowl wins. They have yet to win nine games as a Big Ten team.

At one point Rutgers might have had a stranglehold on football recruiting in the Northeastern United States, but nothing they do seems to work in any sustained way.

COLUMBUS, OHIO – OCTOBER 01: Head Coach Greg Schiano of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights watches a replay during the second quarter of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 01, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)Ben Jackson/Getty Images

Maryland

Much like Rutgers, Maryland have also had a tough time in the transition to the Big Ten, though not nearly as hard as the Scarlet Knights. Like Rutgers, they've never had a winning record in Big Ten play and also have yet to reach nine wins as a Big Ten team. They've been average but never exceptional in their current conference.

These last two seasons have been especially tough though. They're 8-12 since 2024 after making three straight bowl games under head coach Mike Locksley between 2021 and 2023.

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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