College Football Power Rankings: Miami, Texas in focus amid playoff debates

Ohio State
Ryan Day is off the schneid. Ohio State broke its four-year losing streak in The Game against Michigan with an emphatic 27-9 victory in the Big House. The Buckeyes have won 16 straight games and have won 11 straight by double digits. They’re the first team since 1975 to hold their first 12 opponents under 17 points. — 12-0
2

Indiana
What else can we say about Indiana? The Hoosiers are 12-0 for the first time ever and just scored 50 points for the sixth time this season. If they beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game this week, will the first Big Ten title since the 1960s also lead Fernando Mendoza to the Heisman Trophy? — 12-0
3

Georgia
Georgia and Ohio State are the only programs to win 11-plus games in the last five seasons. The Bulldogs face Alabama with a chance to earn back-to-back SEC titles. The win Saturday against Georgia Tech wasn’t impressive – Gunner Stockton threw for a career-worst 70 yards – but it was yet another ranked win for the Bulldogs. 1 11-1
4

Ole Miss
Ole Miss completed the greatest regular season in school history, finishing 11-1 with a 38-19 victory at Mississippi State. Then, as expected, the Rebels lost Lane Kiffin to LSU. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is now in charge, and just how much that affects this team on the field (and in the CFP rankings) remains to be seen. 1 11-1
5

Oregon
Oregon defeated Washington 26-14 to move to 11-1. The Ducks should host a playoff game at Autzen. Dan Lanning has been incredible, leading the Ducks to a 17-1 record in their first two seasons in the Big Ten. 1 11-1
6

Texas Tech
Texas Tech faces BYU for the second time this season when the two meet Saturday at the Big 12 Championship Game. The Red Raiders beat West Virginia in a 49-0 road victory to end the regular season. Joey McGuire’s crew knocked off BYU 29-7 in Week 11. We’ll see if they can repeat it. If so, they’ll be conference champs for the first time since finishing in a three-way tie in the since-defunct Southwest Conference in 1994. 1 11-1
7

Notre Dame
Notre Dame is on a 10-game winning streak since starting 0-2 and should be in the CFP. Head-to-head matchups matter, yes, but let’s also admit that teams change from Week 1 to Week 14. Miami should not be ranked ahead of the Irish, who have won these last 10 games by double digits. 1 10-2
8

Texas A&M
We know you’re hurting, Aggies. Falling short of an SEC title game appearance because you lost to your rival is hard to swallow, but you’re still safely in the playoff. One trend to watch is quarterback Marcel Reed, who didn’t throw a touchdown and was picked off twice last week. He’s thrown two interceptions in three of the last five games. 5 11-1
9

Oklahoma
It hasn’t been easy, and the Sooners have a lot of problems on offense, but they rallied to beat LSU 17-13 and likely secured a spot in the CFP. The good news? The Sooners still won despite committing three turnovers, and that elite defense has forced nine turnovers in the last four games. — 10-2
10

Alabama
Alabama heads to the SEC Championship Game in a rematch against Georgia, likely needing a win to reach the CFP. The Tide used a 15-play drive in the fourth quarter to pull ahead against Auburn on the road. Ty Simpson threw three touchdown passes. — 10-2
11

Texas
Let the debates rage. Texas deserves a spot in the playoff. The Longhorns own three wins against AP Top 10 teams, and replace the season-opening trip to No. 1 Ohio State with a top-15 foe or worse, Texas is a two-loss team and is safely in the CFP after beating the Aggies. 4 9-3
12

Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt finally has its first 10-win season in school history. The Commodores beat Tennessee 45-24 on the road to record their fourth win against an AP Top 25 team. Diego Pavia should be in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. He threw for 268 yards and rushed for a career-high 165 yards against the Vols. 1 10-2
13

BYU
The 1-2 punch of Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin is potent. Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown while only misfiring four times, and Martin rushed for three touchdowns in a 41-21 win against UCF. The Cougars face Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game this week. 1 11-1
14

Miami (Fla.)
Miami needs all the style points it can score to garner attention from the CFP committee. The Hurricanes drilled nationally ranked Pitt by 31 points on the road, but will that be enough? Miami owns four wins against top 25 teams, including the Week 1 victory against Notre Dame. That loss to Louisville, even when the Cards were at full strength, lingers over the program. 1 10-2
15

Utah
Utah has trailed in the fourth quarter in its last two games (both wins), but the Utes have 10 wins for the first time since 2022. Devon Dampier scored three touchdowns. Elijah Davis helped the Utes pull away for the 31-21 victory with a 97-yard interception return midway through the fourth quarter. 1 10-2
16

Virginia
Virginia is in the ACC Championship Game for the first time since 2019 and will be the favorite against five-loss Duke in one of the weirdest conference title matchups in ACC history. The Cavaliers defeated rival Virginia Tech 27-7 to end the regular season with their largest margin of victory in the rivalry since 1991. 1 10-2
17

James Madison
James Madison has the third-best chance to reach the CFP among the Group of Five schools, according to Sportsline, but we’ve got the Dukes ranked as the top G5 team. The Dukes’ lone loss is on the road against a full-strength Louisville, a game the Dukes seemed primed to upset. 2 11-1
18

USC
Lincoln Riley finished his best regular season at USC since his first with a 29-10 victory against UCLA. The nine-win Trojans finished the season undefeated at home and were one win at Oregon away from reaching the CFP. 2 9-3
19

Michigan
Michigan jumped out early against Ohio State, and for a few minutes, it seemed like the ghosts were still circling Ryan Day. Then, the Buckeyes settled down and controlled the rest of the game. The Wolverines managed only 39 yards in the second half. 5 9-3
20

North Texas
North Texas can probably clinch a spot in the CFP with a win against Tulane in the American Conference Championship Game. The Mean Green host the title game in Denton. Oklahoma State has promised Eric Morris he can coach through the CFP, so how will North Texas react this week? 1 11-1
21

Tulane
Tulane is in the American Conference Championship Game for a fourth straight season, a remarkable streak for a program that has had two coaches during that time and will soon have a third. Coach Jon Sumrall took the Florida job over the weekend after defeating Charlotte 27-0. 4 10-2
22

Arizona
What a bounce-back year for Arizona and coach Brent Brennan. The Wildcats won their ninth game with a 23-7 victory against rival Arizona State. Arizona’s pass defense is the best in the Big 12, allowing only nine touchdowns. NR 9-3
23

Navy
Navy defeated Memphis 28-17 on the road and sent Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield out with his third straight loss before taking the Arkansas job. The Midshipmen shut out the Tigers in the second half. Blake Horvath is now the only quarterback in Navy history to pass and rush for 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons. NR 9-2
24

Iowa
Iowa needs to open up a satellite campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Hawkeyes won their seventh straight game on the road in the Nebraska series with a 40-16 blowout Saturday. Mark Gronowski broke the school record for rushing yards (491) by a quarterback in a single season. NR 8-4
25

Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets just don’t look like the team from a month ago, but they continue to fight despite losing three of the last four games. Georgia Tech did not score a touchdown in the 16-9 loss against rival Georgia. 1 9-3