• BYU moves into the top three: The Cougars improve a few spots as they are one of the only undefeated teams remaining with an impressive resume.
• Georgia falls out of the top-10: The Bulldogs go from a national title contender to a team on the brink of being eliminated from the playoff altogether.
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Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Week 11 in college football whittled the playoff race down. Two SEC schools, Ole Miss and Alabama, stayed alive in the College Football Playoff race with massive victories over top-15 opponents. Others, like LSU, suffered fatal blows to their candidacies.
Here’s what PFF’s top 25 looks like going into Week 12. Please note that these are not the same as PFF’s power rankings.
1. Oregon Ducks (Record: 10-0, Previous: 1st)
Week 12 Matchup: at Wisconsin Badgers
Oregon remains at the top, moving to 10-0 for the third time in school history with a 39-18 victory over Maryland. The Ducks dominated on defense, posting an 84.2 defensive grade while holding the Terrapins to just 3.3 yards per play.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (Record: 8-1, Previous: 3rd)
Week 12 Matchup: at Northwestern Wildcats
Ohio State shut out Purdue this past weekend, winning by a 45-0 final score. Will Howard was outstanding in the victory, finishing with a 90.2 passing grade to go along with two big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays.
3. BYU Cougars (Record: 9-0, Previous: 6th)
Week 12 Matchup: vs. Kansas Jayhawks
BYU barely escaped from Utah in the Holy War, winning 22-21 on a game-winning field goal. So why are the Cougars this high when they’re seventh in the AP poll?
It’s hard to find too many resumes better than BYU’s through 11 weeks. The Cougars are one of four undefeated teams remaining in the country and have victories over two current top-20 teams in SMU and Kansas State.
4. Texas Longhorns (Record: 8-1, Previous: 5th)
Week 12 Matchup: at Arkansas Razorbacks
Texas took care of business with a 49-17 victory over Florida on Saturday. The Longhorns’ pass protection continued to show why it’s the best in college football, surrendering just three pressures on 35 pass-blocking snaps on its way to a 91.4 pass-blocking grade.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (Record: 8-1, Previous: 7th)
Week 12 Matchup: at Purdue Boilermakers
Penn State bounced back from its loss to Ohio State last week with a 35-6 win over Washington. Abdul Carter continued to stamp his case as the top edge defender in the 2025 NFL Draft with a 92.1 PFF grade in the victory. Since Week 2, Carter’s 91.7 grade leads all edges in the nation.
6. Indiana Hoosiers (Record: 10-0, Previous: 8th)
Week 12 Matchup: Bye
For the first time in program history, Indiana won 10 games in a season. The Hoosiers continued their magical run with a 20-15 win over Michigan on Saturday. Indiana allowed just two yards per carry from the Wolverines in the win, the fewest for Michigan in a game in the PFF College era (since 2014).
7. Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 8-1, Previous: 9th)
Week 12 Matchup: at No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs
Tennessee’s pass defense suffocated Mississippi State in a 33-14 victory. The Bulldogs averaged just -0.778 EPA per pass with 3.5 yards per attempt. If the Volunteers are that stingy this upcoming week against Georgia, they’ll likely win and end the Bulldogs’ playoff hopes.
8. Miami (FL) Hurricanes (Record: 9-1, Previous: 4th)
Week 12 Matchup: Bye
Miami suffered its first loss of the season this past weekend against Georgia Tech by a 28-23 final score. The Yellow Jackets dominated on the ground, rushing for 271 yards with 193 coming after contact.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 7-2, Previous: 11th)
Week 12 Matchup: vs. Mercer Bears
Alabama kept its playoff hopes alive with a dominant 42-13 win over No. 15 LSU. Jalen Milroe ran wild against the Tigers with a career-high 185 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 8-2, Previous: 15th)
Week 12 Matchup: Bye
Ole Miss also kept its playoff aspirations afloat with a 28-10 win over then-No. 3 Georgia. The Rebels’ defense dominated, allowing just -0.403 EPA per pass. That’s the Bulldogs’ worst mark since the 2020 COVID season.
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