The first College Football Playoff rankings drop soon. AP sports writers say what to expect

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night. On Wednesday, join AP sports writers Eric Olson and Eddie Pells for an “Ask Me Anything,” hosted on Reddit r/CFB.

Olson is an Omaha-based AP sports writer who covers college football, including the Big Ten, the NCAA and the College Football Playoff, alongside local teams Nebraska and Creighton. Pells is an AP national writer who reports on the intersection of power, money and sports.

They’ll respond to thoughts, comments and questions about the first set of College Football Playoff rankings and college football’s final month of the regular season.

Ask them anything.

One of the bigger question marks approaching the first CFP ranking is where Notre Dame might land.

The Irish responded to an 0-2 start with six consecutive wins, one of which was against a ranked USC team. The Fighting Irish have improved from No. 24 to No. 10 and are now considered a contender, but plenty of people are questioning why.

Notre Dame’s two losses are against an undefeated Texas A&M team and Miami, considered a front-runner before losses to Louisville and SMU.

And outside upsets have significantly helped Notre Dame. While the Irish have steadily won the past six, teams in front of them — Miami, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, LSU and Missouri — have fallen.

Still, Notre Dame’s story is compelling, coming off a National Championship loss and having to adapt to significant turnover on defense and a young quarterback.

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Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, left, celebrates his sack against Penn State with teammate defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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Indiana wide receiver Jonathan Brady (0) celebrates with tight end Riley Nowakowski (37) after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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Alabama running back Jamarion Miller (26) reaches for a pasl during the second half against South Carolina in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)

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Defending national champion Ohio State should be a lock over Indiana for No. 1 and maybe the only question will be whether Texas A&M or Alabama has a better case for No. 3.

First, North Texas has one of the great nicknames in college sports. The Mean Green. And the job coach Eric Morris is doing is one of the great under-the-radar stories of the season. If not for one bad night a month ago – that 63-36 home loss to South Florida – I’m pretty sure UNT would be in the Top 25 for the first time since 1959.

Drew Mestemaker, who hadn’t started a game since his freshman year of high school, has come on the scene this year and averages 300 yards passing for one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country. The Mean Green are among six teams with one conference loss in the American, so there’s a lot to be sorted out the next four weeks.

Whichever team wins the American almost certainly get the Group of Five auto CFP, though James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference will try to make a case if it wins out. JMU is 7-1, and its only loss was to Louisville.

Boise State was favored in the preseason to win the G5 bid out of the Mountain West, but the Broncos are down this season and San Diego State doesn’t move the needle.

Eric Olson is an AP college football reporter.

▶ Ask him a question about the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings

This is an excellent question given that Georgia Tech lost over the weekend.

I lean toward the ACC being a one-bid conference now that it will have no unbeaten team in the regular season. To me, Virginia, Georgia Tech and Louisville have proved to be the best teams and there is a lot to unpack to separate them.

Louisville has the best win, having gone on the road and beat a then-No. 2 Miami. However, that victory lost a bit of luster when Miami lost in OT at SMU a week ago. Louisville’s one loss was to Virginia.

Now consider that Virginia and Ga Tech both have lost to NC State. If a 2-loss Miami wins out and finds a way into the ACC title game, the Hurricanes might have an argument for an at-large bid on the strength of its win over Notre Dame.

Eric Olson is an AP college football reporter.

▶ Ask him a question about the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings

I feel most optimistic about Louisville here. A head-to-head loss against Virginia hurts, but the Cardinals could win out with upcoming games against California, Clemson, SMU and Kentucky. Louisville would likely have to win the ACC Championship game, which isn’t entirely far-fetched.

Oklahoma and Texas are likely relying on at-large bids and both teams have challenging roads ahead. The Sooners face No. 4 Alabama, No. 19 Missouri and LSU. The Longhorns have an even more daunting schedule, with two top five opponents remaining: No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 5 Georgia. They’ll also face unranked Arkansas.

Knocking off two top five teams is a steep challenge for a Longhorns team that has struggled with consistency all season. But if they continue to play like they did against Vanderbilt, it’s possible.

I don’t know if it’s possible for the Cornhuskers to lean on 1,000-yard rusher Emmett Johnson more than they have the past two games. If it is possible, they will.

You can’t replace the experience Raiola gained over his 22 starts. He’s better than he was a year ago and has proved to be incredibly tough. I mean, the guy had a broken fibula and he still wanted to go back into the game.

Freshman TJ Lateef shows all the signs of being a solid quarterback, but it’s going to take time. The final three games are at UCLA, at Penn State and at home against what could be a highly motivated Iowa. It’s more likely they go 0-3 rather than 3-0 over that stretch.

The deadline is Dec. 1 to decide whether to expand the playoff in 2026. If expansion is adopted for next year, the momentum appears to be favoring a 16-team field rather than the 24 teams proposed by the Big Ten.

The 16-team playoff would have a “5+11” model that would provide five automatic bids to winners of the highest-ranked conferences and 11 at-large bids chosen by a committee.

Myself? I would not be surprised to see the can kicked down the road.

I expect the CFP’s top four to be in line with the AP Top 25: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama.

Where I think we’ll see some fluctuation is at Nos. 3 and 4, where the CFP committee may rank Alabama higher than Texas A&M. Though the Aggies remain unbeaten, Alabama has a stronger overall resume, with wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee.

A&M has played weaker opponents, though they have an edge with an 8-0 record and a win against Notre Dame.

The real question is: Does the Crimson Tide’s recent streak of ranked wins outweigh its Week 1 blunder against Florida State?

▶ Read more about the potential top four CFP seeds or ask a question about the AP Top 25 and the CFP rankings

The College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings Tuesday night in the run-up to the CFP bracket release.

AP college football writers Maura Carey and Eric Olson will answer a few questions on Monday at 12:30 p.m. ET about what the latest Top 25 could signal about the playoff rankings, how the ranking systems differ and more.

Notre Dame, Virginia and Texas Tech are on the College Football Playoff mock bracket based on The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday while Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama remain the top four seeds.

The CFP committee will release its first rankings of the season on Tuesday night.

With Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami all losing Saturday and dropping off the AP bracket, three of the four first-round matchups changed and one would be an all-Big 12 game.

▶ Read more about the AP Top 25 playoff predictions

As for Tuesday night’s reveal, I think each of the three teams have a strong case to be No. 1.

My guess is Ohio State will be because the selection committee is always in love with brand names. That’s why TCU got screwed in, what, 2014, when it went from like third to five after bludgeoning an Iowa State team like 56-3.

The Buckeyes are the defending champs, which brings some merit even though it’s a new year; they beat Texas in as challenging a non-conference game as you’ll find, while Indiana played ODU, FCS Indiana State and Kennesaw State, even though the latter is bowl eligible. A&M’s right there, unbeaten, and with a road win over the Irish in their pocket.

My guess is it’ll go OSU, Indiana, A&M, but every committee is different.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

The first College Football Playoff rankings drop Tuesday night, setting the tone down the stretch and giving an early look at the playoff picture. But several Week 11 matchups could shake up those standings.

No. 8 BYU vs. No. 9 Texas Tech headlines the slate, a showdown between the top two Big 12 teams that could carry postseason implications. No. 3 Texas A&M hopes to keep its undefeated streak alive on a trip to No. 19 Missouri. And No. 6 Oregon faces Iowa, where a Hawkeyes’ win could derail the Ducks’ season and boost Iowa into the rankings.

I think the Big 12 might have a better shot than the ACC.

I believe BYU and Texas Tech are both worthy of high CFP seedings, and Utah can be a dominant team at times, as in Saturday when the Utes demolished Cincinnati. Since Tech has a loss, it would serve the Big 12 better if the Red Raiders win the league and the Cougars could get an at-large berth.

I think the ACC is fading because North Carolina State is cutting the legs out from under the league by knocking off Georgia Tech and Virginia.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

Four FBS teams remain unbeaten through Week 10: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 8 BYU.

Texas A&M and BYU were both idle in Week 10, while No. 1 Ohio State beat Penn State 38-14, and No. 2 Indiana defeated Maryland 55-10.

Texas-Texas A&M. It’s a beaut of a rivalry.

Last year’s renewal was electric. This year figures to be just as wild, if not more, if the Aggies remain unbeaten.

I really like this Aggie team. It’s as complete on both sides of the ball as the Buckeyes and Hoosiers. Marcel Reed has come light years since last year and should be a Heisman favorite along with Mendoza and Sayin.

But Texas has a very good defense, even though it didn’t show it, giving up 66 points to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt the last two games. That said, the Horns had a makeshift secondary with about four to five reserves playing a ton because of injuries to Michael Taaffe and Jelani McDonald.

But Texas’ confidence is growing, and Arch Manning is looking like the real deal. He’s a different quarterback than he was in September.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

Iowa remains outside the rankings looking in, but received the most votes of any unranked team this week (71).

The Hawkeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) have the same conference record as No. 6 Oregon and are on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Minnesota 41-3 before a bye week. Two tough challenges await in back-to-back weeks, with Oregon coming to town next weekend and a trip to USC on the schedule for mid-November.

I think 12 is fine, and there’s nothing wrong with using that model for a while and letting it marinate. But I’d be OK with a 16-team format.

One thing that could be done is to eliminate the byes, which are precious, although all four teams with the byes lost their first game last year. But going to 16 would mean more on-campus games, which were a bit hit.

It’s just sad we didn’t have this model decades ago. I do think the public got burnt out on the four-team model and had Alabama and Clemson fatigue and were ready for more of an open field.

Personally, I loved the fact that teams like Indiana, SMU and Arizona State got in last year as new blood. I don’t really think the number of teams should go beyond 16, but I think it inevitably would climb to 24.

I really don’t like guarantees beyond conference champions. I found it outrageous that the SEC and Big Ten wanted guarantees of three or four teams before we even kicked off the season. That’s un-American. Decide it on the field.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

I wouldn’t say so. Wins are always better than narrow losses, even those to good teams.

That said, I give Texas credit for scheduling Ohio State. Not sure if any other team could beat the Buckeyes in the Shoe. Plus, the Longhorns lost 14-7 in Arch Manning’s first start as the quarterback and he got stuffed at the 1 on two plays and one of OSU’s two touchdowns came on a 45-yard drive helped by two personal foul calls against Texas.

As for Virginia, it’s cornered the market on close wins.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

College football’s Big 12 has two top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 for the first time in two years thanks to No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech moving up the rankings. It won’t last long, however. The Cougars and Red Raiders meet in Week 11 in Lubbock in a matchup that will carry postseason implications.

The two other ranked Big 12 teams — Utah and Cincinnati — squared off on Saturday. The Utes rolled past the Bearcats, outscoring their conference foe 45-14. Cincinnati fell from No. 17 to No. 25 as Utah moved up from No. 24 to No. 17.

Houston was knocked out of the rankings after dropping to West Virginia.

Oklahoma kept its playoff hopes afloat on Saturday with a 33-27 road win against Tennessee.

The Sooners held off a fourth-quarter comeback by the Vols, securing a Tennessee-attempted onside kick and promptly responding with a touchdown to pull ahead 33-24.

Oklahoma’s defense held a Tennessee offense averaging over 40 points a game to 27 points and picked off quarterback Joey Aguilar twice.

The Sooners improved to No. 11, their highest ranking since Week 6. The Vols dropped to their lowest ranking since the preseason, coming in at No. 23.

Heating up: BYU (8), Texas Tech (9), Notre Dame (10), Oklahoma (11), Virginia (12), Texas (13), Louisville (14), Utah (17), USC (20), Memphis (22), Washington (24).

Cooling off: Vanderbilt (15), Georgia Tech (16), Miami (18), Tennessee (23), Cincinnati (25).

Steady: Ohio State (1), Indiana (2), Texas A&M (3), Alabama (4), Georgia (5), Oregon (6), Ole Miss (7), Missouri (19), Michigan (21).

It makes no sense to me that Oklahoma is ranked two spots ahead of Texas.

The Longhorns crushed the Sooners in mid-October and have won four straight games while OU not only lost to Texas but also to Ole Miss. I’ll give OU credit for surviving at Tennessee, too, but the Volunteers were their own worst enemy for much of the game with more than 100 yards more offense than the crimson and cream.

OU does, however, have a great kicker with a bionic leg.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

I dropped the Irish from my Top 25 after they fell to 0-2. I don’t care if you’re the Kansas City Chiefs, if you go 0-2, you’re out.

Obviously, ND had plenty of time and opportunity to jump back into the rankings as it has. As a rule, I always keep a very fluid ballot, especially in September. I remember putting Appalachian State in my top 5 after they knocked off Michigan that year because they proved it on the field.

Now I’m ready to drop a team that has a huge upset if it doesn’t follow that up with more wins, but I always try to keep an open mind. Back to Notre Dame, I think they could stumble against Pitt, which I have at No. 24 after being the only voter to have Pitt in my poll last week.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

The highest changes in this week’s college football AP Top 25 came at spot Nos. 8 through 10.

BYU moved up to No. 8 despite having the week off. Texas Tech improved to No. 9 after a convincing 43-20 win against Kansas State paired with losses by Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami.

Notre Dame moved up to No. 10, its highest ranking since Week 2, following a 25-10 win over Boston College.

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Ole Miss
8. BYU
9. Texas Tech
10. Notre Dame
11. Oklahoma
12. Virginia
13. Texas
14. Louisville
15. Vanderbilt
16. Georgia Tech
17. Utah
18. Miami (Fla.)
19. Missouri
20. USC
21. Michigan
22. Memphis
23. Tennessee
24. Washington
25. Cincinnati

My biggest climbers in my rankings this week were Ole Miss returning to my Top 10 almost by default since Georgia Tech, Miami and Vanderbilt all lost and Texas Tech at No. 9 up from 13 by crushing a pretty hot Kansas State team on the road.

I dropped Miami all the way to No. 17 after losing two of its last three games. Carson Beck just has to quit throwing to the other team.

I also dropped out Houston for its bad loss to a weak West Virginia team (although Morgantown is a tough place to play) and Cincinnati for getting drubbed by Utah.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

Miami is one of several teams set for a steep fall in today’s poll after a 26-20 overtime loss to an unranked SMU team.

The Hurricanes had a 20-17 lead with 9:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hold off the Mustangs. SMU forced the game into overtime with a tying field goal from kicker Sam Keltner. Then SMU safety Ahmaad Moses picked off Miami quarterback Carson Beck in overtime, queuing the Mustangs up for the win.

Running back T.J. Harden ran the ball in for the game-winner.

I’d say just keeping score 50 points a game. That should do it.

Boy, have the Hoosiers ever been impressive. I do think they’d better not stumble late and maybe lose the Big Ten title game because their creampuff non-conference schedule won’t help them. But they look so complete — they have as strong a case for No. 1 as Ohio State and Texas A&M.

Kirk Bohls is a college football reporter and columnist for The Houston Chronicle. He’s been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989. You can follow him on X: @kbohls.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

Stock up: Texas Tech, Virginia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah.

Stock down: Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Miami, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Houston.

Arch Manning earned his highest passer rating of the season (189.2) in the Longhorns’ 34-31 win against Vanderbilt.

Manning looked sharp after spending much of the week in concussion protocol. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns.

Saturday’s win marked the fourth straight SEC victory for the Longhorns and improved their record to 7-2 on the season, poising them to jump in this week’s rankings.

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Georgia running back Chauncey Bowens, right, tries to avoid a tackle by Florida safety Jordan Castell (14) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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CORRECTS TO RUNS PAST, NOT TACKLED - Indiana running back Roman Hemby (1) runs the ball past Maryland defensive lineman Sidney Stewart (29) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

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Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith plays against Penn State during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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No. 1 Ohio State’s defense rose to the occasion during the second half against Penn State. The Buckeyes kept the Nittany Lions scoreless in the third and fourth quarters, while putting up 21 points of their own to win it 38-14.

No. 2 Indiana improved to 9-0 on the season after cruising past Maryland in a 55-10 rout.

No. 5 Georgia narrowly came out on top in a historic rivalry game against Florida. No. 4 Alabama was idle this week, and has a head-to-head win against Georgia already in the books, likely keeping the Bulldogs at No. 5 for another week.

No. 3 Texas A&M had the week off.

Four top 10 teams came out on top of their matchups this week, but three lost games.

Ohio State (1), Indiana (2), Georgia (5) and Ole Miss (7) notched conference wins on Saturday.

The remaining top 10 teams weren’t as fortunate. NC State outscored No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36, handing the Yellow Jackets their first loss of the season. No. 9 Vanderbilt dropped 34-31 to No. 20 Texas. And No. 10 Miami suffered its second defeat in the past three games, falling 26-20 to SMU in overtime.

Texas (3), Alabama (4), Oregon (6) and BYU (T-10) were idle.

College football writer and Top 25 voter Kirk Bohls will answer a few questions once the rankings drop.

No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.

AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.

Voting is a straight points system: A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote is worth 24 points, down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote.

Then it’s just a summary of which teams are 1-25 based on the totals. Others receiving votes are also noted.

Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.

▶ Read more about the history of the AP Top 25 poll and how it works