CFP rankings after Week 12: Bracket, highlights from third top 25 reveal

The third of six College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 18, and the top 10 saw a substantial shakeup.

Then-No. 11 Oklahoma upset then-No. 4 Alabama on the road in Week 12, which vaulted the Sooners into the top 10 with a strong chance at a CFP bid should the Sooners win out. Georgia also dominated Texas at home, which moved Texas out of the CFP picture for the time being. While the win was big for Oklahoma, it spelled disaster for Alabama, which dropped six spots in the newest rankings.

The Week 13 schedule also has several games that could be impactful to the final 12-team CFP bracket, none bigger than No. 7 Oregon hosting No. 15 USC in a Big Ten matchup that could once again shake up the top 12 once again for next week's reveal.

Here are the full rankings, including each of the first-round matchups after Week 12.

CFP rankings reveal highlights

CFP rankings after Week 12

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech
Ole Miss
Oregon
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Alabama
BYU
Utah
Miami
Vanderbilt
USC
Georgia Tech
Texas
Michigan
Virginia
Tennessee
Illinois
Missouri
Houston
Tulane
Arizona State

CFP bracket after Week 12

First round

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Oregon

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State
No. 10 Alabama/No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 2 Indiana
No. 11 Miami/No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Texas A&M
No. 12 Tulane/No. 5 Miami vs. No. 4 Georgia

CFP first-round matchups after Week 12

No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Oregon

Tulane enters top 25

Tulane comes in at No. 24, which makes the Green Wave the highest-ranked non-Power Four program in the CFP rankings.

Tulane is the new favorite to secure the fifth and final conference championship auto bid for the CFP.

Texas takes biggest fall in top 25

The Longhorns took the biggest stumble in the rankings, falling from No. 10 to No. 17 after their 35-10 loss on the road at Georgia in Week 12.

Texas is out of the picture for now and needs some chaos to creep back into the CFP race.

Hunter Yurachek explains Miami and Notre Dame's ranking

Miami and Notre Dame both have two losses, although Miami defeated the Fighting Irish in Week 1. Miami is ranked No. 13 and Notre Dame is No. 9.

New CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek explained the committee's process during the reveal.

"I think when you look Rece (Davis) at Miami, you really look at the losses of those two teams," Yurachek said on the broadcast. "Miami has lost to two unranked teams. Notre Dame has lost to two teams that are ranked in the top 13. We really haven't compared those two teams. They haven't been in similar comparable pools to date.

"But Miami is creeping up into that range where they will be compared to Notre Dame if something happens above them."

Alabama falls to No. 10

The CFP committee wasn't a fan of Alabama's loss to Oklahoma, moving the Crimson Tide down to No. 10 in the rankings, behind two-loss Notre Dame (No. 9) and two-loss Oklahoma (No. 8).

It's interesting to see the committee favor Notre Dame over Alabama, given the Crimson Tide have four ranked wins this season, including a road win over Georgia. The Fighting Irish's best win is at home vs. USC, who's still in the CFP hunt.

CFP rankings release schedule

All times Eastern.

Here's a look at the full CFP rankings release schedule in 2025.

Tuesday, Nov. 4 (8 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 11 (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 18 (8:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 25 (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, Dec. 2 (7 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 7 (noon)

CFP bracket predictions

Here's a look at CFP rankings for this week and final bracket predictions from USA TODAY Sports.

Rankings predictions from Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY

Ohio State
Indiana
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech
Mississippi
Oregon
Oklahoma
Alabama
Notre Dame
Brigham Young
Utah

Final bracket predictions from Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State*
Georgia*
Indiana
Texas A&M
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Alabama
Oregon
Notre Dame
Virginia*
Tulane*

*Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

What time do CFP rankings release tonight?

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 18
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

The latest CFP rankings are set to release at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 18, live on ESPN. The rankings will release in between Champions Classic games between Kentucky-Michigan State and Duke-Kansas at Madison Square Garden.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings reveal

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

The CFP rankings reveal will air live on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN app (with a TV provider login) or Fubo, which offers a free trial.

CFP schedule 2025-26

First round, Dec. 19-20

On campus sites