Wait, did that actually just happen? If you fell asleep in 2023 and woke up looking at the final rankings for ncaa football in January 2026, you’d probably think you were hallucinating. Indiana—yes, the Hoosiers—sitting at the top of the AP Poll with a perfect 15-0 record. It sounds like a video game simulation gone wrong, but Curt Cignetti actually pulled it off.
The 2025-2026 season was a total fever dream. We had the 12-team playoff format finally settling in, blue bloods like Alabama and Ohio State stumbling in ways we haven’t seen in a decade, and a Rose Bowl that saw Indiana dismantle the Crimson Tide 38-3.
But here’s the thing: the "final" rankings aren't just one list. You have the College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket results, the AP Top 25, and the Coaches Poll. Usually, they align. This year? Not so much. There is a massive rift between how the "eye test" people feel and how the scoreboard actually looks.
The Chaos of the Final AP Top 25
The Associated Press voters clearly valued the undefeated run. Indiana stayed at No. 1 because, honestly, how do you drop a team that went 15-0 and won the Rose Bowl by five touchdowns?
Georgia and Ohio State followed behind. It’s a bit of a weird situation because Ohio State actually won the National Championship game, beating Notre Dame 34-23 in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. Yet, in some versions of the final polls, Indiana’s body of work across the entire calendar year kept them in that top conversation.
Here is how the top of the pile looked once the dust settled:
The Indiana Hoosiers took the top spot in the final AP voting after that 15-0 campaign.
Georgia ended up at No. 2 with a 12-2 record.
Ohio State sat at No. 3, despite their title win, largely because of two losses earlier in the season to Oregon and Michigan.
Texas Tech surprised everyone at No. 4, finishing 12-2.
Oregon rounded out the top five at 13-2.
It's a strange reality where the National Champion (Ohio State) isn't the unanimous No. 1. Why? Because the 12-team playoff rewards survival, but the AP Poll still rewards the "best" overall season. Ohio State’s regular-season loss to "archrival Michigan" (an upset that blew up the internet) and an earlier loss to Oregon made the voters hesitant to put them over an undefeated Indiana squad—even if Indiana's schedule didn't have the same weekly gauntlet as the SEC or Big Ten heavyweights.
Why the CFP Rankings and the Polls Don't Match
The final rankings for ncaa football in the CFP era are basically a math problem mixed with a boardroom argument. The Selection Committee released their final bracket-defining rankings on December 7, 2025.
At that moment, Indiana was No. 1, Ohio State was No. 2, and Georgia was No. 3.
But once the playoff actually starts, those rankings become "sticky." If the No. 8 seed (Ohio State) runs the table and wins the whole thing, they are the champions. Period. But does that make them the No. 1 ranked team in the history books?
Historically, the AP Poll was the only thing that mattered. Now, it’s a secondary trophy. In 2025, the committee's final rankings put huge stock in conference championships. Texas Tech winning the Big 12 and Miami making a deep run in the ACC changed the landscape.
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Vanderbilt even stayed in the top 15. Think about that. The Commodores finished 10-3 and were ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll. If you told a Vandy fan that two years ago, they’d have called the cops on you.
The Group of 5 Power Shift
We saw Tulane, James Madison, and North Texas all finish in the Top 25. This wasn't just a "pity rank" for the smaller schools.
Tulane finished 11-3 and landed at No. 17.
James Madison was right behind them at No. 19 with a 12-2 record.
North Texas, the "Mean Green," held onto No. 23.
The 12-team playoff gave these teams a reason to play hard in December. Usually, a loss in October kills a Group of 5 team's season. Now, they are fighting for that 12th seed until the very last whistle. It’s made the final rankings much more diverse than the old days when it was just the SEC and three other teams.
The SEC’s "Bad" Year was Still Better Than Yours
If you look at the SEC standings, it looks like a bloodbath. Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama all finished with 7-1 conference records.
Alabama, under Kalen DeBoer, had a "frustrating" year by their standards. They lost to Florida State by two touchdowns early on, which had people saying the dynasty was dead. Then they lost to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC title game. Then they got smoked by Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
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Yet, they still finished No. 11 in the AP Poll. Why? Because their wins were against Top 10 teams like Oklahoma and Auburn. The SEC’s depth is so absurd that an 11-4 Alabama team is still considered better than a 12-win BYU or a 10-win Utah.
The committee basically said, "We don't care that you lost four games; we care who you beat." This is the core of the debate every year when the final rankings for ncaa football come out. Is it better to be a perfect 13-0 against mediocre teams or a battle-scarred 10-3 against the best in the world?
The Disappointments and the "What Ifs"
Florida State. Man.
They started the year by beating Alabama. People thought they were back. Then they finished 5-7. They didn't even sniff the final rankings.
Oklahoma and Texas both had solid 10-3 years, but they got lost in the shuffle of the new SEC. Texas, led by Arch Manning, dropped a heartbreaker to Ohio State early in the year. Manning had the hype, but the Buckeyes' defense was just too much.
Michigan also had a weird one. They beat Ohio State in a massive upset, which basically saved their season and moved them up to No. 18 in the final polls, but they finished 9-4. It was a year of extreme highs and confusing lows for the defending 2023-24 champs.
How to Use These Final Rankings for Next Year
If you're looking at these rankings to figure out who to bet on for the 2026 season, don't just look at the Top 5.
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Look at the teams that moved the most at the end. Miami (FL) finished at No. 10. They have Carson Beck's successor and a defensive front that was Top 3 in the nation by January. They are a "buy" for next year.
On the flip side, Indiana's 15-0 run is likely a "peak" moment. Curt Cignetti is a wizard, but maintaining that level of perfection in the Big Ten is statistically impossible.
Actionable steps for the off-season:
Check the transfer portal specifically for the "Group of 5" stars. Teams like James Madison and North Texas are going to get raided by the SEC.
Watch the coaching carousel. Success in the final rankings for ncaa football usually leads to poached coordinators.
Don't overvalue the National Championship winner for the following season's preseason No. 1. Ohio State loses a lot of talent to the NFL this year, whereas Georgia returns 14 starters.
The 2025 season proved that the 12-team playoff didn't kill the regular season; it just made the final rankings a lot more complicated to argue about at the bar. Whether you think Indiana was the "real" No. 1 or Ohio State’s trophy says it all, the rankings reflect a sport that is deeper and more chaotic than ever before.
To stay ahead for the 2026 kickoff, track the returning production of the Top 15 teams, as the "COVID-year" eligibility is finally flushing out of the system, leaving a much younger, more volatile talent pool for next September.