The J

1: Ohio State – 13-0 – BIG 10 Champions

Why: Ohio State has one of the best defenses in college football’s recent memory. Teams facing Ohio State have scored under 6 ppg, converted on third downs 21.35% of the time, and averaged 3.81 yards per play. 

How: In all likelihood, the only team on the Buckeyes’ schedule who has a shot at being ranked is their November 29th rivalry game in Ann Arbor. Beyond that, Ohio State will be double-digit favorites against the rest of the Big Ten. Along with their fantastic defense, Julian Sayin has been a welcome surprise for the Buckeyes this year. Sayin has found great chemistry with teammates Jerimiah Smith and Carnell Tate on his way to an 88.4 QBR that is good for 4th in the nation, while also holding a 19/3 TD/INT ratio. Sayin has beaten the teams he’s supposed to and needs to continue to do so. 

Keys: The defense is out of the question. Now, it’s about tuning up the offense for when the Buckeyes face a team that is of a better caliber than the likes of Purdue or Rutgers. Keeping their foot on the gas and focusing on personal improvement should be A1 for Ryan Day and Co.

2: Alabama – 12-1 – SEC Champions

Why: The Alabama Crimson Tide has played one of the most rigorous schedules in recent college football memory. Since conference play started, they have played four top 20 opponents and have beaten them all. The Tide’s only loss was opening weekend at Florida State, but since then, they have rattled off six straight wins.  At quarterback, Ty Simpson has looked like the Heisman favorite, playing out of his mind during his first year in Tuscaloosa. Simpson has thrown 18 touchdowns and 1 interception while racking up 1,931 yards. This team has shown a lot of resilience since the week one loss to the Seminoles and is playing some of the best football in the country. On defense, they have gotten better and held the Tennessee Volunteers, who previously were leading the country in scoring, to 20 points.  

How: As long as the Tide has Ty Simpson playing like a Heisman favorite, they will be able to compete for a National Championship. Alabama’s remaining schedule consists of South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Eastern Illinois, and Auburn. Their only road games come by way of South Carolina and the Iron Bowl against Auburn. Alabama has been fantastic at home this season with a 4-0 record. The Tide is averaging 44.5 ppg and is holding opponents to 12.0 ppg at home this season. They still have two of their toughest opponents at home in LSU and Oklahoma. 

Keys: Alabama’s path to the number two seed in the College Football Playoff (CFP) is to win out, which is very possible based on who they have played and who is left on their schedule. Winning out would clinch a bid to the SEC title game in Atlanta against either Texas A&M or Georgia. We believe that it will be a rematch vs. Georgia, and Kalen DeBoer has had the Dawgs’ number. The Tide’s daunting defense is led by Justin Jefferson, who leads the team with 40 tackles and has a sack and an interception on the year. Alabama definitely needs to improve its run game, but running the football has not been the mantra of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. As long as Ty Simpson is slinging it for the Tide, they are in good shape to make a National Championship run. 

3: Indiana – 12-1

-Why: Wake up, America. The Indiana Hoosiers are a football school now. Their out-of-conference schedule was definitely not the strongest, with wins against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State. Yet, once conference play started, the Hoosiers hit their opponents with haymakers, including a 63-10 win against Illinois and their first top 5 road win in the history of the program at Oregon. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has thrown his hat into the Heisman race with 21 touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games. In the 31-21 win in Eugene, Mendoza threw an interception returned for a touchdown, then on the ensuing drive, led a game-winning touchdown drive to Elijah Sarratt. This Indiana team is playing better than almost every team in the sport right now.  

– How: Indiana’s remaining schedule is one a lot of people would consider a cakewalk, but as we have seen in CFB, anything can happen on any given Saturday (or Friday). If Indiana, led by Coach Curt Cignetti, wins out, they would clinch a spot in the Big Ten title game against most likely Ohio State. The Buckeyes will be their hardest opponent to date, but the Hoosiers do match up well against the Buckeyes, who will face the toughest defensive front since their opening weekend win against Texas. Isaiah Jones has 4.5 sacks and Stephen Daley has 3.5 sacks this season;both will put pressure on Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. The Buckeyes’ defense has given up a total of 41 points in 2025, which is the least amount of points given up through seven games since the 1993 Florida State Seminoles, who gave up 38 in seven games. Ohio State may come out victorious over the Hoosiers, but Cignetti’s squad will likely still be a top-four seed lock.

-Keys: Indiana will need to continue to play hard-nosed football, winning with defense, running the football, and then taking the top off the defense. Their schedule is very winnable, especially since Penn State is not the same as it was just a month ago. Indiana averages 226 rushing yards per game, 271.3 passing yards per game, and 13.5 opponents’ points per game, which is number four in the nation. Running backs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby have been carrying most of the load for the Hoosiers this season with 871 combined yards and five total touchdowns. If Indiana wants a real shot at winning a title, they will have to keep their identity of finding ways to win. 

4: Georgia – 11-2

Why: Georgia just claimed a marquee win in Saturday’s 43-35 thriller over Ole Miss. Kirby Smart’s Bulldog offense is humming, and Gunnar Stockton has looked fantastic. With Georgia already boasting wins over Alabama and Tennessee, they have one of the best resumes in all of college football. Georgia has stood tall against three top-15 offenses and continues to flesh out its already high-quality offense.

How: For Georgia, they can make sure everyone in the SEC still sees them as the top Dawgs. Games versus Florida and Texas at home will give good chances for more high-quality wins in the regular season. Plus, if Gunnar Stockton continues to play like he has, the Heisman conversation will be tough to deny.

Keys: When the Dawgs were winning national championships in 2022 and 2021, they hung their hat on their run defense. In both of those seasons, they held opponents to under 3 yards per rush. This year, they are allowing exactly 3 yards per rush. Want to get through the rest of their SEC schedule unscathed? Continue to stop the run and force teams to air it out.

5: Oregon – 11-1

Why: The Oregon Ducks have started the season 6-1, with their one loss being against Indiana, who is now the number two team in the nation. Dante Moore has played well after replacing Dillion Gabriel at quarterback in 2025, with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions while throwing for 1,686 yards. Moore struggled in the loss to Indiana, but being able to flush the loss and bounce back with four touchdowns and 290 yards in the Rutgers game showed major growth. This Ducks team has continued their explosive offense from a year ago and is led by a quarterback who a lot of scouts and draft talent evaluators believe is a guy who could be the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft. 

How: The Ducks’ remaining schedule includes Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, and Washington. The Ducks’ toughest matchup is versus USC in Eugene in late November. USC has played very well this season and is led by quarterback Jayden Maivaa. USC needs to win out to keep its name in the CFP ring, but it will be a tough match for the Ducks. The Ducks will then travel north for a rivalry game in Seattle, which looks to be a dogfight with the Huskies. The Ducks, unless helped, will most likely not be playing for the Big 10 title but have a lot of resume-building matchups down the stretch. 

Keys: The Ducks average 41.7 ppg this season, which is number 3 in the country. Also, their 6.7 yards/rush is good for second in the nation this season. These are stats that will need to continue for the Ducks to get the number 5 seed in the CFP. Coach Dan Lanning always has his teams ready to go and will have his team prepared, especially in those tough games vs. USC and at Washington. Dante Moore will need to play better than he did against Indiana for the Ducks to host the 12-seed in the CFP. 

6: Miami – 12-1 – ACC Champions

-Why: The Canes looked almost untouchable heading into their weekend date with Louisville. Though, they exited the game with more questions than answers. Miami’s high-powered offense is their calling card, but their defense has been just as good, if not better. On Saturday, nothing clicked for the Canes, and the score reflected it. Still, being in a close game when quarterback Carson Beck throws 4 interceptions is a feat in and of itself. Miami already has two serious ranked wins on their resume and most likely won’t play another ranked squad until the ACC championship.

-Why: Miami playing in a cupcake ACC is a strength when it comes to playoff talks. Their upcoming games are as follows: Stanford, SMU, Syracuse, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, and Pitt. In all of these games, Miami should be quality favorites. Their ACC championship game versus most likely Georgia Tech may well define their season.

-Keys- Keeping quarterback Carson Beck comfortable in this offense is the main key for success. Miami’s pure strength and size are enough for them on the defensive side, but Beck has to continue to activate freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney and senior wideout CJ Daniels in order to keep this offense working as a well-oiled machine.

7: Texas A&M – 11-1

Why: Thus far in the season, Texas A&M is undefeated and ranked third in the Week 9 AP Poll. Still, the real story is a team that could very well have two losses. After close calls to Notre Dame, Auburn, and Arkansas, it seems like the luck of these close games must run out eventually. Despite the close calls, a win is a win, and quarterback Marcel Reed has been electric. With his 15/4 TD/INT ratio, 1770 passing yards, 241 rushing yards, and four rushing TDs to pair, the sophomore from Nashville has become a bonafide premier SEC talent.

How: The Aggies are 7th in this projection because they still have to play SEC road matchups versus LSU, Missouri, and Texas. With the grueling schedule and the shaky defense versus high-powered offenses, the Aggies are likely to drop a game and fall out of the SEC championship.

Keys: Defense wins championships. If this is the case, the Aggies are not championship ready. On Saturday, A&M allowed 42 points and 527 total yards to a 2-5 Arkansas squad. Scoring 45 points of your own is stellar, but unsustainable at a large scale.

8: Notre Dame – 10-2

Why: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish need to run the table. After starting the season 0-2 with losses to Miami and Texas A&M, they have rattled off five straight wins, including a win against their big rival USC. CJ Carr, the redshirt freshman quarterback for the Irish, has thrown for 1,758 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. Carr has played well all season, and even in the close losses to the Hurricanes and Aggies, he kept them in the game.  Star running back Jeremiyah Love has also been clutch this season with nine rushing touchdowns and 758 yards. 

How: The Irish finish the season against Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Stanford. Without a conference championship, the Irish will most likely need help around them, but they first have to do their job, and it starts with Jeremiyah Love and CJ Carr. Junior wideout Jordan Faiison will also need to continue to produce each week. He has two touchdowns and leads the Irish with 436 receiving yards. Adon Shuler, on the defensive side, leads Notre Dame with 40 tackles and one interception. The Irish are averaging 39.1 ppg, which will need to continue in order to make the playoff. 

Keys: The Irish have done what they need to do to continue to keep their name in the hunt for the CFP. But, they need more production from their offense; they only average 270 passing yards per game and 191.7 rushing yards per game. To make their playoff case rock-solid, they need to prove they belong and handle business against these inferior opponents. 

9: Texas Tech-12-1-BIG XII Champions

Why: Texas Tech’s 2025 offense has been pure electricity. Heading into the loss to Arizona State in Tempe, the Red Raiders were averaging 558.8 yards per game. Tech’s starting QB, Behren Morton, missed Saturday’s matchup with a knee injury, but when healthy, the Red Raiders are a scary offense to play. Chalk Saturday’s loss up to missing their starting QB, visiting an underrated squad in the desert, and Sam Leavitt’s heroics.

How: According to our calculations, the Red Raiders’ best route to the playoff is beating BYU twice. One of these games is guaranteed to be in Lubbock (11/8), but the other would come in Arlington, Texas, at the Big 12 Championship. BYU has looked super solid but may not have the pure firepower to beat a healthy Texas Tech. Other than the Cougars, Tech faces Oklahoma State, Kansas State, UCF, and West Virginia, all of which should be Red Raider wins.

Keys: Obviously, Behren Morton’s health is the number one contingency for Texas Tech. That’s not to say that backup QB Will Hammond has been unplayable, but their style and comfort clearly swing towards Morton. Beyond that, get ready to game plan for BYU, because you know what’s harder than beating a good team once? Beating a good team twice.

10: Ole Miss – 10-2

Why: The Mississippi Rebels have had a great start to the season with a key win against LSU and a close loss at Georgia. In Saturday’s loss to Georgia, the Rebels played outstandingly offensively, with 351 total yards and 263 passing yards. Defensively, the Rebels struggled against the Dawgs, giving up 510 total yards and 221 yards on the ground. The Rebels led 35-26 going into the fourth quarter, but Georgia scored 17 points in the fourth to rally back and beat Ole Miss. Still, it was a good loss and gave plenty to learn about what can be improved down the stretch. 

How: The Rebels hold the easiest remaining schedule in the SEC. Ole Miss will travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma this week. In this matchup, Ole Miss has a 45% chance to beat the Sooners. After Oklahoma, Ole Miss’s schedule includes South Carolina, Citadel, Florida, and Mississippi State. Lane Kiffin’s best job as head coach in Oxford has to be Trinidad Chambliss, who was a Division II quarterback at Ferris State and at the Division I level has shone in five games after taking over for Austin Simmons with eight touchdowns and one interception. Ole Miss does not have one receiver; they have four, which includes Harrison Wallace III, Deuce Alexander, De’Zhaun Stribling, and tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who all have at least 300 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Rebels’ receivers will need to come up big for them down the stretch.  

Keys: The Rebels do have room for a loss, which we believe they will lose again, but the dual threat ability of Trindad Chambliss and his explosiveness is key for Ole Miss. The running game will be big; they only ran for 88 yards in the loss to Georgia, and they will need to give the ball to Kewan Lacy, who has run for 618 yards so far this season, but only 21 yards, which was his season low vs. the Dawgs. If the Rebels can run the football along with their explosive offense, they will be a team to be reckoned with not only in the SEC but also in the CFP. 

11. Georgia Tech – 11-2

Why: The Yellow Jackets are in the midst of a magical 7-0 season. Yet, a closer look tells a bit of a different story. 6 unranked wins in a weak ACC, and a win over the struggling Clemson Tigers is all Georgia Tech really has to go off of. Still, kudos to Tech’s offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and the way he has been able to activate quarterback Haynes King’s dynamic ability in various run-pass options that have opened up the offense in Atlanta.

How: lucky for Georgia Tech, the rest of their schedule is primarily ACC games in which they are heavy favorites. An end-of-season rivalry game with Georgia should define Tech’s season, but if they drop that one in a close contest and then follow it with a loss to Miami in the ACC Championship, they should still be playoff likely. 

Keys: It’s easy to lose focus amongst the buzz on campus. This 7th place rank in the week 9 AP poll is the program’s highest since 2009 and may keep climbing. The task for Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets is simple: remain focused and handle business. 

12. Navy- 12-1 – American Champions 

Why: Going into week 9, the Navy Midshipmen have a 6-0 record. This includes wins vs. Tulsa and Air Force. The Midshipmen are led by quarterback Blake Horvath, who has thrown seven touchdowns and three interceptions with 980 yards passing so far this season. Horvath is a dual-threat quarterback; he has also accumulated 640 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Navy is known for rushing the ball, and that is what they have done this season. Coach Brian Newberry is 16-3 in the past two seasons and 21-10 overall at Navy. He is changing the program into a team that finds ways to win football games. 

How: Navy’s remaining schedule includes Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Notre Dame, South Florida, Memphis, and Army. The Midshipmen, as of October 20th, have only two ranked opponents left on their schedule, which are the Irish and the Bulls. To make the college football playoff, they will need to almost win out. The only likely loss on their schedule is Notre Dame, and we project them to lose by less than 10 to Notre Dame and win the American Conference Championship. 

Keys: Down the stretch, Navy will have a battle to win the American, but whoever wins the American will be the 12th seed in the CFP and be the 5th conference champion. It is important for the Navy to continue to lean on what they are successful at, which is running the football. Navy leads the nation with 1830 yards on the ground with 22 rushing touchdowns, including 305 yards per game.