Week 12 CFP Rankings Shakeup: Bracket Updates and Key Highlights

The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings just got a shakeup after Week 12. Major upsets and some downright dominant performances have turned the top 10 upside down.

The third of six CFP rankings came out Tuesday, Nov. 18, and now the regular season’s finish looks wild. Oklahoma, sitting at No. 11, stunned then-No. 4 Alabama, while Georgia crushed Texas at home.

Those results didn’t just mess with the rankings—they’ve changed the potential first-round CFP matchups, too.

Week 12 Highlights and Major Upsets

Week 12 brought chaos nobody really saw coming. Oklahoma’s win over Alabama, on the road no less, was the big headline.

The Sooners jumped into the top 10, suddenly looking like real CFP contenders—if they can keep their momentum. Alabama, meanwhile, took a big hit and dropped six spots.

Georgia Dominates Texas

Georgia, meanwhile, made a statement by taking down Texas at home. That win pushed Georgia securely into the top four.

Texas, previously No. 10, got bumped all the way to No. 17 after losing 35-10. Their path to the CFP? It’s looking pretty bleak right now.

Impactful Week 13 Matchups

Week 13 could shake things up even more. The game everyone seems to be circling is No. 7 Oregon hosting No. 15 USC in a Big Ten clash.

This one might have a ripple effect on the top 12 and the entire CFP bracket.

Key Games to Watch

• No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 15 USC: A Big Ten battle that could make or break both teams’ CFP dreams.
• No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Tulane: Tulane, the top non-Power Four team, is fighting for that conference championship auto bid.
• No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Notre Dame: Both need a win to improve their seeding in the bracket.

Current CFP Rankings and First-Round Matchups

The latest CFP rankings have set up some intriguing first-round games. Here are the rankings and the corresponding matchups:

• No. 1 Ohio State
• No. 2 Indiana
• No. 3 Texas A&M
• No. 4 Georgia
• No. 5 Texas Tech
• No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 7 Oregon
• No. 8 Oklahoma
• No. 9 Notre Dame
• No. 10 Alabama
• No. 11 Miami
• No. 12 Tulane

First-Round Games

• No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
• No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma
• No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Oregon

CFP Committee Insights

Hunter Yurachek, the new CFP committee chair, shared a bit about how the committee looks at things. He said they’re weighing the quality of wins and losses when stacking teams up against each other.

Miami’s two losses to unranked teams didn’t help their case. Notre Dame, on the other hand, lost to two top 13 teams, which pushed them higher in the rankings.

Alabama’s Drop in Rankings

Alabama’s slide down to No. 10, behind two-loss teams like Notre Dame and Oklahoma, raised some eyebrows. Sure, Alabama has four ranked wins this season—including a big one at Georgia—but the loss to Oklahoma really hurt.

Notre Dame’s best win came against USC, who’s still in the CFP mix. That’s part of why they’re slotted above Alabama right now.

Upcoming CFP Rankings Release Schedule

The CFP rankings will be released on these dates as we get closer to the end:

• Tuesday, Nov. 4: 8 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Nov. 11: 7 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Nov. 18: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Nov. 25: 7 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Dec. 2: 7 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Dec. 7: noon ET

You’ll catch the latest rankings live on ESPN, or you can stream them through the ESPN app and Fubo (which, by the way, has a free trial). The reveal will happen between Champions Classic games at Madison Square Garden.

Predictions for the Final CFP Bracket

So, what about the final bracket? USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg and Austin Curtright have made their predictions.

Paul Myerberg’s Rankings Predictions

• Ohio State
• Indiana
• Texas A&M
• Georgia
• Texas Tech
• Mississippi
• Oregon
• Oklahoma
• Alabama
• Notre Dame
• Brigham Young
• Utah

Austin Curtright’s Final Bracket Predictions

• Ohio State*
• Georgia*
• Indiana
• Texas A&M
• Texas Tech*
• Ole Miss
• Oklahoma
• Alabama
• Oregon
• Notre Dame
• Virginia*
• Tulane*

*Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions.

CFP Schedule and National Championship

The CFP first-round games are set for Dec. 19-20. Those will happen at on-campus sites, so expect some real home-field energy.

Quarterfinals? Mark your calendar for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The semifinals follow on Jan. 8-9, just when the holiday haze starts to fade.

The CFP National Championship will land at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. That’s Monday, Jan. 19, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Want the latest CFP rankings and bracket updates? You can find more details at USA TODAY.