Oklahoma Cracks Top 10 in Week 12 Power Rankings

As the 2025 college football season barrels toward its finale, Week 12 gave everyone plenty to chew on. Texas A&M’s wild comeback, Michigan’s stressful finish, and Alabama’s unexpected stumble—there’s no shortage of drama.

Every top-25 squad seems to have something to fix as they stare down the final stretch. Let’s dig into the power rankings, spotlighting what’s working, what’s not, and what’s looming just ahead.

Texas A&M: A Historic Comeback and Areas for Improvement

Texas A&M’s Saturday started with news of a contract extension for coach Mike Elko. By nightfall, the Aggies had pulled off the biggest comeback in school history—down 30-3 to South Carolina, they stormed back to win 31-30.

Now they’re 10-0 for the first time since 1992. Still, you can’t ignore the defense’s ups and downs, or Marcel Reed’s rollercoaster performance at quarterback—ugly first half, electric second half.

Elko’s probably losing sleep over the inconsistency. You’d expect he’ll be pushing for steadier play the rest of the way.

Key Stats and Upcoming Games

• Red Zone Defense: Texas A&M ranks a dismal 134th, surrendering points on 96.6% of opponent trips.
• Third-Down Defense: On the flip side, they’re No. 1 in the nation, allowing just 24% conversions.

Next up: a tune-up against 1-10 Samford. After that, a massive showdown with Texas in Austin on November 28. That’s the one fans are circling.

Michigan: Surviving Turnovers and Looking Ahead

Michigan took the show to Wrigley Field in Chicago and coughed up the ball five times, but somehow edged Northwestern 24-22. Freshman Bryce Underwood tossed a couple of ugly picks and fumbled a handoff—one of those “welcome to college football” afternoons.

Despite the chaos, Underwood led a last-minute drive that set up the game-winning field goal. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

Areas for Improvement

The Wolverines have to get the turnover bug under control. With Ohio State coming to Ann Arbor in two weeks, there’s no way they survive another sloppy outing against that kind of firepower.

Alabama: Seeking Consistency

Alabama gave the ball away three times at home in a loss to Oklahoma. That’s half their season total for turnovers in just one game.

The running game didn’t do them any favors either—just 2.4 yards per carry. Special teams? Let’s just say fumbling a punt and botching a field goal didn’t help.

Key Takeaways

• Turnovers: Three giveaways, including an 87-yard pick-six. Ouch.
• Running Game: Only 2.4 yards per rush—hard to win that way.

If the Tide want to finish strong and crash the playoff, these are the issues they have to fix. No way around it.

Ole Miss: Offensive Firepower and Defensive Inconsistencies

Ole Miss slipped past Florida 34-24, but the defense has been a bit of a mess in SEC play. They’re No. 11 in the conference for scoring defense, giving up 25.6 points on average.

They’ve only forced eight turnovers all season. That’s not going to cut it down the stretch.

Upcoming Challenges

The Egg Bowl’s coming up. If the Rebels want to keep the good times rolling, the defense has to get its act together—sooner rather than later.

Ohio State: Dominance and the Michigan Hurdle

The defending champs have looked unstoppable most weeks. This Saturday, they steamrolled UCLA 48-10.

But when it comes to Michigan, Ohio State’s had a weird mental block—four straight losses to their biggest rival. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Buckeye fans.

Focus Areas

They’ve basically locked up a playoff spot already. Still, if they want to finally snap that losing streak, they’ll need to keep their edge and maybe shake off some ghosts.

Indiana: Injury Concerns and Offensive Line Woes

Indiana moved to 11-0 with a win over Wisconsin. But the injury list is getting long, and the run game sputtered—just 2.2 yards per rush.

Star defensive end Mikail Kamara left with a shoulder injury, and several other key players are banged up. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Looking Forward

The Hoosiers need their offensive line back at full strength and the ground game to wake up. Luckily, there’s only one more game before the Big Ten title clash.

Other Notable Teams

Georgia Tech: Defensive Struggles

Georgia Tech is somehow still alive in the ACC race. But after giving up 82 points over two weeks, the defense is on thin ice.

If they can’t plug the leaks, that ACC title game dream might just slip away.

Notre Dame: Waiting Game

Notre Dame wrapped up the bulk of its schedule with a win over Pitt. Now, they’re just sitting around, hoping for chaos elsewhere to boost their playoff chances.

Oklahoma: Defensive Prowess

Oklahoma’s win over Alabama was a defensive gem. But on offense, there’s room for concern—quarterback John Mateer hasn’t been sharp lately.

Oregon: Depth and Talent

Oregon outgained Minnesota by over 300 yards. The Ducks cruised to a dominant 42-13 win.

The health of key wide receivers will be crucial down the stretch. Oregon needs those playmakers for the College Football Playoff push.

For a comprehensive look at the Week 12 power rankings and detailed analysis of each top-25 team, visit the full article on ESPN.