AP Poll Top 25 Prediction: Final 2025 Rankings Projection
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Trying to predict the final AP Top 25 Poll at the end of the 2025 college football season isn’t nearly as easy as it was last year.
We knew Ohio State was the best team. You knew Ohio State was the best team. The only ones who didn’t seem 100% sold were Ohio State.
This season? Would anything surprise you out of Indiana, Oregon, Miami, and Ole Miss? All four of them have looked worthy to win the final two games, with the right breaks.
But before the College Football Playoff semifinals get rolling, we’ll predict what we think the final AP Poll will be.
Projecting the Final AP Top 25 Rankings
Here’s the best guess. Unlike last season, when Oregon could realistically finish in the top four – it ended up third, with Ohio State 1 and Notre Dame 2 – despite not being in the semifinals, it doesn’t seem likely that Ohio State or Georgia have a shot to crack the top four.
Here’s our projected final AP Top 25, and at the very bottom are all the possible scenarios for what the top four could be.
– Coaches Poll Top 25 Prediction
Top 5 Predicted Others Receiving Votes: SMU, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Arizona, North Texas
25 Duke Blue Devils
Record: 9-5
Final Regular Season Rank: NR
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Duke 42, Arizona State 39
24 Illinois Fighting Illini
Record: 9-4
Final Regular Season Rank: NR
Music City Bowl: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28
23 Iowa Hawkeyes
Record: 9-4
Final Regular Season Rank: NR
ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
22 Houston Cougars
Record: 10-3
Final Regular Season Rank: NR
Texas Bowl: Houston 38, LSU 35
21 Navy Midshipmen
Record: 11-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 22
Liberty Bowl: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13
20 James Madison Dukes
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 19
CFP First Round: Oregon 51, James Madison 34
19 Tulane Green Wave
Record: 11-3
Final Regular Season Rank: 17
CFP First Round: Ole Miss 41, Tulane 10
18 Michigan Wolverines
Record: 9-4
Final Regular Season Rank: 18
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Texas 41, Michigan 27
17 USC Trojans
Record: 9-4
Final Regular Season Rank: 16
Alamo Bowl: TCU 30, USC 27 OT
16 Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 10-3
Final Regular Season Rank: 13
ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
15 Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 11-3
Final Regular Season Rank: 20
Gator Bowl: Virginia 13, Missouri 7
14 Utah Utes
Record: 11-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 15
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah 44, Nebraska 22
13 Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 10-3
Final Regular Season Rank: 8
CFP First Round: Alabama 34, Oklahoma 24
12 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 11-4
Final Regular Season Rank: 11
CFP Quarters Rose Bowl: Indiana 34, Alabama 3
11 Texas Longhorns
Record: 10-3
Final Regular Season Rank: 14
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Texas 41, Michigan 27
10 BYU Cougars
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 12
Pop-Tarts Bowl: BYU 25, Georgia Tech 21
9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 10-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 9
Regular Season Final: Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
8 Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 11-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 7
CFP First Round: Miami 10, Texas A&M 3
7 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 4
CFP Quarters Orange Bowl: Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0
6 Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 3
Cotton Bowl: Miami 24, Ohio State 14
5 Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 2
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34
4 Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 13-1
Final Regular Season Rank: 6
CFP Semifinal: Fiesta Bowl vs Miami
3 Oregon Ducks
Record: 13-1
Final Regular Season Rank: 5
CFP Semifinal: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs Indiana
2 Miami Hurricanes
Record: 12-2
Final Regular Season Rank: 10
CFP Semifinal: Fiesta Bowl vs Ole Miss
1 Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 14-0
Final Regular Season Rank: 1
CFP Semifinal: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs Oregon
Possible Final AP Poll Top Four Scenarios
Scenario 1: Indiana beats Miami for the CFP national title. Then (remember, these are just our predictions) 1 Indiana, 2 Miami, 3 Oregon, 4 Ole Miss
Scenario 2: Indiana slips by Oregon, destroys Miami: 1 Indiana, 2 Oregon, 3 Miami, 4 Ole Miss
Scenario 3: Oregon beats Miami: 1 Oregon, 2 Indiana, 3 Miami, 4 Ole Miss
Scenario 4: Miami beats Indiana: 1 Miami, 2 Indiana, 3 Oregon, 4 Ole Miss
Scenario 5: Miami beats Oregon: 1 Miami, 2 Oregon, 3 Indiana, 4 Ole Miss
Scenario 5: Indiana blows out Ole Miss: 1 Indiana, 2 Oregon, 3 Ole Miss, 4 Miami
Scenario 5: Indiana beats Ole Miss close: 1 Indiana, 2 Ole Miss, 3 Oregon, 4 Miami
Scenario 6: Oregon beats Ole Miss close: 1 Oregon, 2 Ole Miss, 3 Indiana, 4 Miami
Scenario 7: Oregon beats Ole Miss easily: 1 Oregon, 2 Indiana, 3 Ole Miss, 4 Miami
Scenario 8: Ole Miss beats either Indiana or Oregon: 1 Ole Miss, 2/3 Indiana, 2/3 Oregon (depending on which one wins the semi), 4 Miami
Related: Coaches Poll Top 25 Prediction: Final 2025 Rankings Projection
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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