College football rankings for Week 12 of the 2025 season have been released, and the top five teams in the AP Poll remain the same for the third consecutive week.
The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0), who defeated Purdue 34-10, remain the top-ranked team and hold 55 of the 65 first-place votes in the AP Poll. The Buckeyes also top the Coaches Poll with 59 of the 63 available first-place votes.
The rest of the AP Top 5 is again Indiana (2), Texas A&M (3), Alabama (4), and Georgia (5).
Ole Miss and Oregon swapped spots in this week’s poll, with the Rebels moving up a spot to No. 6 and the Ducks falling a spot to No. 7. Texas Tech and Notre Dame each moved up one spot to No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.
The Texas Longhorns moved back into the AP Top 10 at No. 10 even though they were idle this weekend.
New teams in the AP Poll this week include Pitt (23), James Madison (24), and South Florida (25). Missouri, Memphis, and Washington each dropped out of the AP Poll following losses this weekend.
Below are the College football rankings for Week 12 of the 2025 season (first-place votes in parentheses):
AP POLL – Week 12
1. Ohio State (55)
2. Indiana (6)
3. Texas A&M (4)
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Texas Tech
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia Tech
15. Utah
16. Miami (FL)
17. USC
18. Michigan
19. Louisville
20. Virginia
21. Tennessee
22. Cincinnati
23. Pitt
24. James Madison
25. USF
Others receiving votes: Tulane 83, Missouri 59, North Texas 55, Iowa 54, Houston 43, SMU 8, Arizona St. 7, San Diego St. 5, Illinois 5, UNLV 2, Memphis 1
Dropped from rankings: Missouri 19, Memphis 22, Washington 24
FBS COACHES POLL – Week 12
1. Ohio State (59)
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M (4)
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Ole Miss
8. Texas Tech
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
10. Oklahoma
12. Georgia Tech
12. BYU
14. Vanderbilt
15. Utah
16. Miami
17. Michigan
18. USC
19. Virginia
20. Tennessee
21. Louisville
22. Cincinnati
23. Pittsburgh
24. Missouri
25. James Madison
Others receiving votes: South Florida 99, North Texas 98, Iowa 81, Houston 73, Tulane 53, SMU 32, Illinois 15, Washington 12, Arizona 7, Memphis 6, Nebraska 6, Arizona State 3, Navy 2, East Carolina 1, San Diego State 1
Dropped from rankings: Memphis 23, Iowa 24
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 – Week 12
1. North Dakota State (55)
2. Montana
3. Montana State (1)
4. Lehigh
5. Tennessee Tech
6. Tarleton State
7. Harvard
8. Mercer
9. UC Davis
10. Villanova
11. Rhode Island
12. Monmouth
13. North Dakota
14. Illinois State
15. Stephen F. Austin
16. South Dakota State
17. South Dakota
18. Abilene Christian
19. Lamar
20. Youngstown State
21. Southern Illinois
22. Jackson State
23. Southeastern Louisiana
24. Northern Arizona
25. Western Carolina
Others receiving votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): New Hampshire 74, Alabama State 69, Lafayette 39, West Georgia 36, Delaware State 35, Austin Peay 22, Yale 18, Sacramento State 11, Dartmouth 10, Central Connecticut State 9, South Carolina State 7, Southern Utah 3
Dropped from rankings: Presbyterian 25
FCS Coaches Poll – Week 12
1. North Dakota State (23)
2. Montana (1)
3. Montana State
4. Lehigh
5. Tarleton State
6. Tennessee Tech
7. Villanova
8. Mercer
9. Rhode Island
10. UC Davis
11. Harvard
12. Monmouth
13. Illinois State
14. Lamar
15. South Dakota State
16. Jackson State
17. Stephen F. Austin
18. North Dakota
19. Youngstown State
20. Abilene Christian
21. Southeastern Louisiana
22. South Dakota
23. Southern Illinois
24. West Georgia
25. Lafayette
Others receiving votes: Western Carolina 33, Alabama State 26, Yale 18, Dartmouth 11, Gardner-Webb 11, Sacramento State 11, Presbyterian 9, UT Rio Grande Valley 9, Northern Arizona 8, Austin Peay 4, Central Connecticut State 3, New Hampshire 2, South Carolina State 2, NC Central 1
Dropped from rankings: Presbyterian 23, Western Carolina 24
Interesting dynamic in the G5:
In today’s polls (which are obviously not the playoff committee’s), the highest-ranked G5 team is now JMU — with USF, North Texas and Too-lane all in hot pursuit. If any of those three can emerge from the American’s battle royal unscathed the rest of the way, including winning the title game, they obviously still have a chance to usurp JMU.
But the seeming foregone conclusion of the American repping the G5 in the CFP is now at its lowest probability in at least a couple of months.
Separately, David Hale, one of ESPN’s playoff prognosticators numbering at least a dozen, now lists JMU as the 11-seed and North Texas as the 12-seed, meaning a second G5 qualifier would box out the ACC champ.
Especially if DUKE somehow becomes the ACC champion! Roll Wave!