There isn’t much new in this year’s College Football Playoff, but the mixed results of a strange season could produce a unique field.
The only change for the 2025 College Football Playoff is seeding after the number of teams expanded from four to 12 for the 2024 season. Last year, the top four conference champions received four first-round byes regardless of where they finished in the committee’s final standings.
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This season, the top four teams will receive the top four seeds regardless of whether they are conference champions. Regardless, the top five division winners will earn a spot.
The playoffs also announced some changes to how teams will be evaluated for the 2025 season, although the impact is unclear. Before the start of the season, the playoff committee stated that it will pay more attention to games against strong teams, giving more rewards to teams that beat strong teams and giving less punishment to teams that lose to better opponents.
What do these changes mean for the 2025 playoffs?
The preseason changes won’t have much of an impact, but the way the 2025 college football season unfolds will make Selection Sunday interesting for different reasons.
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The rules state that the five highest-ranked division champions advance to the playoffs. While the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC champions have locked up playoff spots, the other two are essentially up for grabs due to the weaker ACC.
No. 17 Virginia will face Duke on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. If the Cavaliers win, they advance. If the Blue Devils win, things could get complicated. Due to a poor ACC season, Duke entered the ACC Championship Game through a series of tiebreakers. Virginia finished with a 7-1 record in conference play and a 6-2 record among five teams, with the Blue Devils clinching second place via a series of tiebreakers.
If the Blue Devils win, they still might not be ranked, as they’ve already lost to Illinois, Tulane, Georgia Tech, UConn and Virginia.
Which schools/conferences will replace them?
At this point, the American Division Champions are essentially guaranteed a playoff berth.
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No. 24 North Texas will take on No. 20 Tulane in New Orleans on Friday night. The winner of this game effectively locks in a playoff berth.
Another conference that could surpass the ACC is the Sun Belt, as No. 25 James Madison is having a great year and is 11-1 heading into the game against Troy. Duke will almost certainly be the last team to win and lose against Virginia in this game.
What the College Football Playoff looks like after the second-to-last place. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
1. Ohio State University (12-0)
2. Indiana (12-0)
3. Georgia (11-1)
4. Texas Tech (11-1)
5. Oregon State (11-1)
6. Ole Miss (11-1)
7. Texas A&M (11-1)
8. Oklahoma State (10-2)
9. Alabama (10-2)
10. Notre Dame (10-2)
11. Brigham Young University (11-1)
12. Miami (10-2)
13. Texas (9-3)
14. Vanderbilt (10-2)
15. Utah (10-2)
16. University of Southern California (9-3)
17. Virginia (10-2)
18. Arizona State (9-3)
19. Michigan State (9-3)
20. Tulane University (10-2)
21. Houston (9-3)
22. Georgia Tech (9-3)
23. Iowa State (8-4)
24. North Texas (11-1)
25. James Madison (11-1)