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CFB Playoff Picture, Standings and Bracket Predictions After Week 12 of 2025-26 Season
The Oklahoma Sooners provided the latest twist in the 2025-26 college football season with a road win over the fourth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Oklahoma now has a clear path to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners entered the weekend at No. 11.
Saturday was almost a chaotic day across the SEC, as the third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies needed a 27-point comeback to take down the South Carolina Gamecocks at home.
There will be at least one non-SEC major change in Tuesday's CFB Playoff rankings, as the James Madison Dukes are expected to take over for the South Florida Bulls.
USF fell to the Navy Midshipmen, while JMU steamrolled the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Week 12.
Oklahoma Upsets Alabama
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John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners earned their fourth, and most significant, win over a ranked opponent on Saturday.
The Sooners went into Tuscaloosa and won two weeks after they picked up a victory in Knoxville.
Oklahoma is now 8-2 with a clear path to the CFB Playoff field as long as it beats the Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers at home in the next two weeks.
At least right now, the Sooners aren't in danger of suffering a third regular-season loss in the SEC Championship Game. They need to win out and get plenty of help to land in Atlanta.
It's probably better if the Sooners don't go to Atlanta so they don't risk a third loss and get into the 12-team field.
As for Alabama, it's still in good shape to qualify for the 12-team field. The Crimson Tide just need to win their next two games to finish with a 10-2 regular-season mark.
Alabama can still make the SEC Championship Game, where it would have a shot at Texas A&M. For now, the Tide's focus has to be on getting to 10-2 and avoiding a loss that would knock them out of the playoff field.
Texas A&M Survives Scare At Home Against South Carolina
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Texas A&M looked like it would suffer a stunning loss at halftime.
However, the Aggies rebounded from a 30-3 deficit to take down South Carolina 31-30.
The nature of the win wasn't great, but all that matters for the Aggies is that they are still undefeated.
After Alabama's loss to Oklahoma, A&M is the lone team with a perfect record in SEC play.
A&M needs to beat the Texas Longhorns on Thanksgiving weekend to confirm its spot in the SEC Championship Game.
That's no easy task, but A&M proved throughout the season that it has a championship-caliber roster.
Mike Elko's team will have the trip to Austin and the SEC Championship Game to prove it should reside in the same class as the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers entering the playoff.
James Madison Takes Control in Group of Five Race
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James Madison is now the clear favorite to earn the automatic bid from the Group of Five leagues.
JMU annihilated Appalachian State to move to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in the Sun Belt.
A nonconference game against the Washington State Cougars, a Sun Belt matchup with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Sun Belt Championship Game are the last three games JMU needs to win to secure a playoff spot.
JMU is in this position because South Florida fell to Navy on Saturday. USF now has two losses, and despite their early-season success in nonconference play, the Bulls haven't had the same level of consistent as JMU.
The American Athletic Conference can still put a team in the playoff, but it needs JMU to stumble at any point. Navy and the North Texas Mean Green are currently on a collision course for the conference title game.
