Texas Tech hits No. 5, Texas A&M falls to No. 7 and North Texas jumps to No. 20 as the newest AP Top 25 sets the stage for championship week across college football.
HOUSTON — Texas programs once again shaped the national rankings as the newest AP Top 25 poll set the stage for championship week and the final push toward the postseason bracket.
Texas Tech surged to No. 5, its highest ranking in 17 years, after finishing the regular season 11–1. The Red Raiders haven’t been this high since their November 2008 run, when they reached No. 2 for three consecutive weeks. They now head into the Big 12 Championship Game.
Texas A&M fell four spots to No. 7, dropping out of the top five for the first time in two months after a 10-point road loss at Texas. The Longhorns only moved up two spots to No. 14 in the poll despite their win over the Aggies
North Texas climbed to No. 20, leading a season-high group of four ranked Group of Five programs.
The final poll before championship weekend delivered clarity — and pressure — for every program with postseason dreams.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech enters championship week with its best AP ranking in 17 years and a chance to add a conference crown at the perfect time.
The Red Raiders will face No. 11 BYU on Saturday in Arlington, a rematch of their November meeting in Lubbock. Texas Tech won that matchup 29–7, and the winner this weekend will secure the Big 12 Championship in both programs’ first appearance in the title game.
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M’s postseason hopes took a hit after its loss at Texas. The Aggies dropped from the top five but remained in the Top 10 at No. 7, the third-highest-ranked SEC team in a conference that placed eight programs in the Top 25, the most of any league.
Texas A&M will not play on championship weekend and now waits for the selection committee to evaluate its full résumé.
Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns didn’t gain a title game spot, but they reshaped the rankings.
Their 10-point win over Texas A&M ended the Aggies’ top-five streak and boosted Texas’ standing as the postseason approaches. Texas is ranked No. 14 and carries one of the country’s most complex résumés, with wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma but losses to Florida, Ohio State and Georgia.
Texas won’t factor into championship Saturday but could influence the postseason hierarchy based on how the bracket shakes out.
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas jumped to No. 20 and leads the way for the three AAC programs ranked this week, the conference’s most since 2022. The Mean Green will travel to No. 21 Tulane on Friday for the American Athletic Conference Championship.
SMU Mustangs
SMU entered rivalry weekend in control of its path to the ACC Championship. Instead, a missed potential game-tying field goal against Cal cost the Mustangs the game and a trip to the title matchup. The loss also dropped SMU out of the AP poll entirely.
Their defeat cleared the path for Duke to reach the ACC Championship instead of SMU.
Big Ten Championship — No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana
The top two teams in the country remain unchanged for the seventh straight poll, the longest streak of stability at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2023.
Ohio State and Indiana are both 12-0, and Saturday’s battle in Indianapolis will feature Heisman Trophy front-runners Julian Sayin of Ohio State and Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.
Indiana has scored 532 points, one of only two teams to top 530 this season. Ohio State has allowed just 93 points, the fewest in the country.
SEC Championship — No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 10 Alabama
In Atlanta, the SEC Championship will deliver another power clash. Georgia rose to No. 4, and Alabama stayed at No. 10 for the third straight week.
Alabama handed Georgia its only loss of the season, 24–21 on Sept. 27, and the Bulldogs have responded with eight straight wins since. It will be the fourth SEC Championship Game meeting between these programs since 2018.
ACC Championship — No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke
Virginia’s 27-7 win over Virginia Tech secured its place in the ACC Championship.
Duke joins them after SMU’s loss to Cal eliminated the Mustangs and opened the door for the Blue Devils.
Virginia enters at No. 16, while Duke sits outside the Top 25 but remains one of the season’s most unexpected title-game participants. Miami, ranked No. 12, is the ACC’s highest-ranked program and hopes for a playoff at-large bid.
Sun Belt Championship — No. 19 James Madison vs. Troy
James Madison moved up to No. 19 and will host Troy for the Sun Belt title on Friday. JMU is the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the latest poll.
Full AP Top 25 Poll — Sunday, Nov. 30
Presented in order, No. 1 through No. 25:
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Texas Tech
- Mississippi
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- BYU
- Miami
- Vanderbilt
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Southern California
- Michigan
- James Madison
- North Texas
- Tulane
- Arizona
- Navy
- Georgia Tech
- Missouri
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