College Football Playoffs 2025-26 Bracket Elimination Scenarios in Week 12 After Poll
Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings produced a few interesting talking points.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders moved up to No. 6, but the BYU Cougars didn't fall too far after their loss in Lubbock. BYU is one of two other Big 12 teams inside the top 15.
The Miami Hurricanes were the last team into the top 15, despite owning two bad losses. Miami is the highest-ranked team in the ACC now, but it doesn't have a clear path to the ACC Championship Game.
Some clarity was brought to the Group of Five race, though, as the South Florida Bulls entered the rankings at No. 24. The G5 bid belongs to USF as long as it wins out.
Texas Tech Up To No. 6, Positioning For First-Round Bye
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Texas Tech elevated to No. 6 following its home domination of BYU on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Raiders are now two spots away from the first-round byes and it is possible for them to climb into the top four.
First, the Red Raiders have to win out, including a potential Big 12 Championship Game rematch with BYU.
They also need some help from the SEC with the Texas A&M Aggies, Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide directly in front of them.
At least one of those teams is guaranteed to lose if they face each other in the SEC Championship Game.
A&M and UGA have challenges on Thanksgiving weekend against the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, respectively, that could shake up the rankings.
Texas Tech isn't guaranteed to finish in the top four yet, but there's at least a path to those places now that it is up in the top six.
Miami Benefits from ACC Shakeup
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Miami was the biggest beneficiary of the upsets across the ACC in Week 11.
The Hurricanes vaulted back up to No. 15 ahead of Georgia Tech at No. 16, the Virginia Cavaliers at No. 19 and the Louisville Cardinals at No. 20.
Miami's position is interesting because it can't reach the ACC Championship Game without a ton of help. The Hurricanes are 3-2 in conference play. There are five teams with one league defeat ahead of them.
Miami still has two road games against the Virginia Tech Hokies and Pittsburgh Panthers in which it could slip up.
If the Canes keep winning, though, they could be in the mix for an at-large spot.
Georgia Tech currently leads the ACC, but it has two difficult matchups to close the regular season against Pitt and Georgia.
Virginia is ahead of Louisville because of a head-to-head win. Louisville also needs help to reach the ACC title game because it is 4-2 in league play.
Pitt could be the wild-card in the whole ACC situation since it has the opportunity to beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Georgia Tech and Miami in the next three weeks.
If the Panthers win all three of those games, they might be the clear favorite to take the ACC's automatic bid.
Big 12 Could Benefit from SEC Misfortune
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The Big 12 resides in a spot to earn multiple bids despite BYU's big loss to Texas Tech.
BYU checked in at No. 12, one spot ahead of biggest rival, the Utah Utes at No. 13.
BYU and Utah are now in line to benefit from losses across the SEC, mainly from the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners.
Texas plays both Georgia and Texas A&M, while Oklahoma visits Alabama on Saturday in a game the Sooners must win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
A Notre Dame loss to Pitt would also benefit the Big 12 rivals. The Irish must keep winning to stay alive for an at-large berth.
BYU has the toughest remaining game between the two teams with a road trip to face the Cincinnati Bearcats ahead next week.
If BYU wins out, including at Cincy, it will make the Big 12 Championship Game. Utah needs BYU and Cincinnati to both lose to make it to the first weekend of December.
If Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Texas all lose at some point, BYU and Utah could both win out and have real chances to qualify for the 12-team field.
