4 Takeaways From the First CFP Rankings Release of 2025

The College Football Playoff selection committee loves a good loss.

Just ask Iowa — a team neither I nor the AP ranked — or Texas, which somehow sits behind a Notre Dame squad with losses to Miami and the last undefeated team in the SEC (Texas A&M). 

The message is clear: Lose valiantly to a good team, and you might find yourself comfortably inside the top 25. Meanwhile, the Group of 6 teams are left scratching their heads, wondering what more they have to do to earn respect.

Here are my takeaways from the first set of CFP rankings:

1. Ohio State and Indiana lead the way

Perhaps the strongest indication that these two programs are the best in the country is that Iowa — who played Indiana closest so far this season — and Texas — the only team to play Ohio State to a one-score game — are each ranked among the top 20 teams in this week’s CFP ranking.

No team defends like Ohio State. The Buckeyes are giving up just 6.9 points and 214.8 yards per game — both the best marks in the country. 

Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are elite on both sides of the ball, leading the country in point differential (+321) and scoring (46.4 points per game), while ranking third in both scoring defense (10.8 PPG allowed) and plays of 20-plus yards (100). Indiana is also one of only two FBS teams with two wins over AP top-10 opponents.

2. Oregon (No. 9) and Ole Miss (No. 6) need to run the table

A few weeks ago, Oregon’s double-overtime win over No. 2 Penn State looked like the best victory in college football. But after Penn State’s five-game skid, the Ducks’ most impressive win is now at Northwestern — the only team they’ve faced with a winning record. In the second half of the season, Dan Lanning’s squad needs to bolster its résumé with