CFP Rankings vs. the AP Poll
The College Football Playoff committee's rankings of next to the AP poll of , team by team. See when the next rankings come out.
- Notre Dame (#11, AP #4) dropped 7 spots, the biggest drop ever for an AP top-5 team in any CFP ranking. The old record was 5, Wisconsin in 2017.
- Alabama at #5 is the highest a two-loss team has ever been ranked in the opening CFP rankings. The old record was #8, Wisconsin in 2016.
- All 12 teams in the committee's top 12 were in the AP's top 12. Since 2014, opening rankings have averaged 11.
- 4 of the 24 teams in both Top 25s sit in the exact same spot.
- In the committee's top 12 but not the AP's: none.
- In the AP's top 12 but not the committee's: none.
- The AP's top smaller-conference team, Boise State (AP #20), is committee #25. The committee had the AP's top smaller-conference team lower in 8 of 12 opening rankings since 2014.
Want your own say? Rank your Top 25. Is the AP poll any good? Read our AP poll report.
CFP Top 25, Nov. 3, and Where the AP Has Each Team
| CFP | Team | Record | AP | Committee vs. AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Miami | 8-0 | #1 | Same |
| #2 | Georgia | 7-1 | #2 | Same |
| #3 | Utah | 8-0 | #3 | Same |
| #4 | Indiana | 8-1 | #6 | 2 higher |
| #5 | Alabama | 6-2 | #9 | 4 higher |
| #6 | Kentucky | 7-1 | #8 | 2 higher |
| #7 | Texas | 6-2 | #10 | 3 higher |
| #8 | UCLA | 8-0 | #5 | 3 lower |
| #9 | BYU | 7-1 | #7 | 2 lower |
| #10 | Ole Miss | 6-2 | #12 | 2 higher |
| #11 | Notre Dame | 7-1 | #4 | 7 lower |
| #12 | Ohio State | 6-2 | #11 | 1 lower |
| #13 | Tennessee | 6-2 | #16 | 3 higher |
| #14 | LSU | 6-2 | #15 | 1 higher |
| #15 | Texas Tech | 7-1 | #13 | 2 lower |
| #16 | Wake Forest | 7-1 | #14 | 2 lower |
| #17 | Houston | 6-2 | #17 | Same |
| #18 | Missouri | 6-2 | #19 | 1 higher |
| #19 | Iowa | 6-2 | #21 | 2 higher |
| #20 | USC | 7-2 | #18 | 2 lower |
| #21 | South Carolina | 5-3 | #23 | 2 higher |
| #22 | Arizona | 6-2 | #24 | 2 higher |
| #23 | Oregon | 5-3 | NR | Committee only |
| #24 | Florida | 5-3 | #25 | 1 higher |
| #25 | Boise State | 7-1 | #20 | 5 lower |
In the AP Top 25 but not the committee's: New Mexico (AP #22).
How the Committee's Opening Rankings Compare, 2014 to 2025
Every year since 2014, we put the committee's opening rankings next to the AP poll from two days earlier.
- The two top 12s shared 11 teams on average (134 of 144).
- 30% of the teams in both Top 25s sat in the exact same spot (85 of 283).
- The committee had the AP's top smaller-conference team lower in 8 of 12 opening rankings.
That doesn't prove the committee copies the AP. Rankings built on the same games tend to agree, and the Coaches poll matches the AP even more closely (141 of 144 top-12 spots in the same weeks).
| Season | Top 12 in common | Same spot | AP's top smaller-conference team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 11 of 12 | 6 of 24 | East Carolina: AP #21, committee #23 |
| 2015 | 11 of 12 | 0 of 24 | Memphis: AP #15, committee #13 |
| 2016 | 11 of 12 | 6 of 25 | Western Michigan: AP #17, committee #23 |
| 2017 | 12 of 12 | 9 of 25 | UCF: AP #15, committee #18 |
| 2018 | 11 of 12 | 6 of 23 | UCF: AP #9, committee #12 |
| 2019 | 12 of 12 | 8 of 24 | Cincinnati: AP #17, committee #20 |
| 2020 | 10 of 12 | 8 of 24 | Cincinnati: AP #7, committee #7 |
| 2021 | 11 of 12 | 3 of 19 | Cincinnati: AP #2, committee #6 |
| 2022 | 11 of 12 | 11 of 24 | Tulane: AP #19, committee #19 |
| 2023 | 11 of 12 | 7 of 24 | Air Force: AP #17, committee #25 |
| 2024 | 12 of 12 | 13 of 24 | Boise State: AP #12, committee #12 |
| 2025 | 11 of 12 | 8 of 23 | Memphis: AP #22, committee unranked |
Sources: the College Football Playoff committee's rankings and the AP poll, via ESPN. History counts every opening committee ranking from 2014 to 2025 and the AP poll released the same week.
Questions and answers
What's the difference between the CFP rankings and the AP poll?
The CFP rankings come from a 13-person selection committee, and they decide the 12-team playoff. The AP poll comes from about 70 media voters, and it has no say in the playoff.
When do the CFP rankings start?
The AP poll starts in the preseason. The committee waits until November, and its opening 2026 ranking came out Nov. 3.
How closely does the committee follow the AP poll?
Closely at the top. Since 2014, 134 of the 144 teams in the committee's opening top 12 (93%) were already in the AP's top 12.
When is the next CFP ranking?
Rankings come out Tuesday nights on ESPN through Dec. 1, then Selection Day is Sunday, Dec. 6. See all six dates and who's on the committee.