Power Ranking the 2025-26 College Football Playoff field after 12-team bracket reveal

CBS Sports Graphic

So many people are furious right now, but there's still plenty to savor after a wild conference championship weekend delivered a College Football Playoff field nobody saw coming.

Indiana -- Indiana! -- stunned No. 1 Ohio State to win the Big Ten in a gritty, low-scoring slugfest. Texas Tech blasted BYU again to claim its first Big 12 crown. Georgia's defense strangled Alabama. And in the ACC, a former Miami coach unintentionally cleared a path for the Hurricanes by knocking off Virginia.

Only in college football.

All that entertainment was great in real time, but it led also led to broken hearts, contentious discussions and more controversy on Selection Sunday.

Notre Dame, positioned for weeks as a likely CFP entrant, got tossed aside at the eleventh hour. Suddenly -- for the first time all season -- Miami's head-to-head win mattered to the committee. You can believe Miami deserved a spot and still admit the committee's about-face was nonsensical, if not outright misleading.

You don't have to agree with the final bracket -- disagreement is built into a system run by humans -- but you can certainly understand Notre Dame's outrage and why athletic director Pete Bevacqua is livid. Sitting out bowl season in protest? That's a debate for another day, but it's certainly a development that is part of a new, disturbing trend that even the low-level bowls are dealing with today.

College Football Playoff chair on why Miami is over Notre Dame in final bracket: 'Side-by-side comparison'

Brad Crawford

Still, the sport marches on. The 12-team CFP is set, but in the near future, the next big conversation will be whether to expand the playoff to 16 or 24 teams.

The CBS Sports Power Rankings will re-rank the CFP field before, during and after the postseason. This is the first installment as we head into the first round.

1. Indiana

Is there another coach on the planet -- no, the universe -- that could lift Indiana from the basement of the Big Ten to immediate championship contention in Year 1 ... and then follow that up with an undefeated record and Big Ten title? Curt Cignetti is the only being who could have done what he's done with a 24-2 record in his first two years. Beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten title should shut up any doubters who remain. The Hoosiers enter the CFP with the nation's best passing efficiency, third-best rush defense and a scoring defense that ranks second behind the team they just beat, Ohio State.

2. Ohio State

A loss to end the regular season in 2024 fueled Ohio State to win a national title. Will the Buckeyes follow the same script this time? The Buckeyes seemed invincible heading into the Big Ten title game. The defense was -- is -- among the best in school history. The offense has more weapons than a warlord. Still, this loss to the Hoosiers feels different from last season's loss to rival Michigan. The Big Ten is not filled with stellar defenses, but against Indiana, the Buckeyes showed that a great-to-elite unit can slow them. Several similar defenses are in this playoff field. It's gut-check time (again) for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes are fully capable of winning the national championship.

3. Georgia

We can understand those who move Georgia up to No. 2 in their power rankings, but the Bulldogs remain at No. 3 because of their home loss to Alabama earlier in the season. Georgia has a fantastic draw in the playoff, with a potential quarterfinal matchup against Lane Kiffin-less Ole Miss, which the Bulldogs defeated in the regular season. The Bulldogs' defense has hit another gear over the last few weeks, holding Alabama to the fewest points by any team in the last 25 SEC Championship Games and minus-3 rushing yards, the program's worst mark in 30 years. Georgia should be a popular pick to win the national title.

4. Texas Tech

Texas Tech deserves more respect in the rankings in any other year, but its schedule and the power of the Big Ten weren't conducive to making a move. The Red Raiders won their first Big 12 title in familiar, blowout fashion in a 34-7 win against BYU. They've won their last six games by at least three touchdowns, and the defense is allowing only 10.9 points, the school's best mark since 1946. Still, that offense is abysmal in the red zone, ranking 101st in touchdown percentage (56.2%). Every potential opponent outside the two Group of Five schools in the CFP is more formidable than any team the Red Raiders played in the regular season. Tech must convert red-zone possessions into touchdowns.

5. Ole Miss

Ole Miss' dream season isn't over, but how the Rebels respond in the first round of the CFP without Lane Kiffin on the sideline is a concern. The good news is that defensive coordinator Pete Golding has been elevated to head coach, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is sticking around through the playoff to help the Rebels. Distractions? There are a few, but the players are still invested and contending in the playoffs for the first time ever. Trinidad Chambliss likely would have been a Heisman contender if he hadn't started the season on the bench. The defense isn't nearly championship level, but it's good enough (33rd in total defense) to contend.

6. Oregon

Oregon might be the popular dark horse pick to reach the national championship. The Ducks rank in the top 15 in offense and defense, and quarterback Dante Moore is only getting better in this offense. Plus, star receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant, and defensive back Sione Laulea may return to the field in the playoff. If that happens, this Ducks team will be primed to make a run. The Ducks should plow through James Madison to set up a cross-country trip to the Orange Bowl to face Texas Tech's stingy defense. A win there could set up a rematch with Indiana, the Ducks' lone loss in the regular season, in the Peach Bowl.

7. Texas A&M

Is Texas A&M this year's Ohio State. The Aggies' perfect season was ruined in a 27-17 loss to rival Texas to end the regular season, eliminating the Aggies from the SEC Championship Game. The Aggies are incredibly balanced offensively and defensively, and that thrilling 41-40 win at Notre Dame still sticks out as proof of concept for their ability to win a championship. A&M leads the nation in third-down defense. Now, the downsides: the Aggies give up too many explosive plays and penalties are an issue. Marcel Reed will need to be a gamer in some tight games, just as he was on the road against Notre Dame earlier this season.

8. Alabama

Argue all you want about whether Alabama deserves to be in the playoff, but the Tide's resume is impressive with the nation's best road win (Georgia) and wins against four teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. The team hasn't looked the part of a title contender over the last few weeks because of an offense that lacks a running threat and a passing game that has really struggled with Ty Simpson lately. Alabama is expected to have 13 players who missed or were limited in the SEC Championship back on the sideline for the playoffs, including their top two running backs (Jam Miller and Kevin Riley).

9. Oklahoma

If defense wins championships, then Oklahoma certainly looks the part of a contender. The problem is the offense, the lowest-rated unit in the playoff (88th nationally). Will three weeks off the field help quarterback John Mateer's surgically-repaired hand? Is that even the issue? Interestingly, Oklahoma is a sure bet to score in the red zone, scoring on every possession. The defense has carried the team through the last month of the regular season, forcing three turnovers to upset Alabama on the road, and slowing Missouri and LSU just enough for the offense to score enough points (17) to win. Is 17 enough to knock off the Tide in the first round?

10. Miami

Miami's offense gets a lot of attention, but it's the defense that is most impressive, ranking in the top 10 in scoring (13.8) and rushing (86.8 ypg). What could set Miami apart from the field is quarterback Carson Beck's experience and a budding offense that could be the most explosive in the field, with freshman phenom Malachi Toney. But which Beck shows up in the playoff? He has the fourth-best passer rating among QBs in the CFP, and yet he's thrown 10 interceptions. The good news: he's thrown 11 touchdowns against only one interception over the last four games (all wins) to snag the last at-large spot in the field.

11. Tulane

Another year, another championship for Jon Sumrall. The Florida-bound coach has appeared in a conference championship game in all four seasons as a head coach, and he's won three conference titles. His latest may have been the most impressive, leading Tulane to an 11-2 record and a championship in the country's most competitive G5 conference. The offensive and defensive numbers are not remarkable, ranking in the middle of the pack nationally. Still, the Green Wave are 11th in turnover margin and the offense is averaging 34.2 points during a five-game winning streak heading into the CFP. BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff is not just the team's leading passer; he also leads them in rushing (610 yards and 16 TDs).

12. James Madison

The stats are fantastic for James Madison. The Dukes own the nation's No. 2 overall defense, ranking in the top 10 in most major categories, and they dominate time of possession (also second nationally) because of a potent rushing attack. We could argue Wayne Knight is the best running back in the playoffs, averaging 6.7 yards per carry to go along with 1,263 yards. The weakness is the quarterback. The Dukes rank 94th in passing offense, which could spell trouble should the Dukes face early deficits, and they're the most penalized team in the field, ranking 132nd nationally.