Conference Championship Week: The Final Countdown
It’s the most anticipated week of the college football season: conference championship week. This week, the College Football Playoff committee will release its final rankings before the bracket is set in stone. The stakes are high, and the drama is intense. Rivalry week delivered some surprising upsets, with No. 16 Texas’s victory over No. 3 Texas A&M standing out as the most significant. This upset not only shook up the rankings but also eliminated the Aggies from the SEC championship game. As a result, this weekend will feature two top-10 showdowns in the title games: Georgia and Alabama, and undefeated Ohio State and Indiana. These matchups promise to be thrilling and could have major implications for the playoff selections.
Upsets and Showdowns: A Weekend of High Stakes
Outside the Big Ten and SEC, the weekend is shaping up to be a fan’s delight. Texas Tech and BYU will vie for the Big 12 title, while Virginia will face a five-loss Duke squad for the ACC championship. These games, though less hyped, are no less important and could provide some unexpected twists in the final rankings. The Texas Tech and BYU game, in particular, is a must-watch, as both teams have shown strong performances throughout the season and will be desperate to cap off their campaigns with a victory. Meanwhile, Virginia’s game against Duke is a testament to the unpredictability of college football, where even a team with a less-than-sterling record can have a significant impact on the season’s outcome.
Where and When: The Final Rankings Release
The final set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 p.m. ET. This highly anticipated event will be broadcast on ESPN, providing fans with a comprehensive look at how the committee has evaluated the teams. For those who have cut the cord, the rankings can be streamed on the ESPN app or Fubo, which is currently offering a free trial. The release of these rankings is crucial, as it will provide the final standings that will determine the teams participating in the playoff. This is the moment fans and analysts have been waiting for, and it promises to be an exciting and sometimes controversial event.
A Look Ahead: The CFP Schedule for 2025-26
With the final rankings set, the focus shifts to the playoff games. Here’s the complete schedule for the 2025-26 College Football Playoff:
- December 19: CFP first round kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
- December 20: The first round continues with games at 12 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. ET, with various broadcast options including TNT, truTV, and DirecTV.
- December 31: The CFP quarterfinals begin with the Cotton Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- January 1: The action continues with the Orange Bowl at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. ET and the Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. ET.
- January 8: The semifinals commence with the Fiesta Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- January 9: The semifinals conclude with the Peach Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- January 19: The CFP national championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Current AP Top 25 Rankings: A Snapshot of the Field
As of December 1, the AP top 25 rankings provide a snapshot of the current field:
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Texas Tech
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- BYU
- Miami
- Vanderbilt
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- USC
- Michigan
- James Madison
- North Texas
- Tulane
- Arizona
- Navy
- Georgia Tech
- Missouri
These rankings are a testament to the competitive nature of college football, with teams from various conferences vying for a spot in the playoff. The final rankings release will likely bring some changes, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how their favorite teams fare.
Preparing for the Big Show: What to Watch For
As fans tune in for the final rankings release, several key storylines will be at play. Will Ohio State and Indiana maintain their top positions, or will there be a shake-up in the top 10? How will the outcomes of the conference championship games influence the committee’s decisions? Will there be any surprises, such as a team rising from the mid-20s into the playoff contention? These questions and more will be answered on Tuesday, and the excitement will only build as the playoff games approach. This week is a culmination of the hard-fought season, and it’s a moment that every college football fan won’t want to miss.
