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How far does Oklahoma rise and Alabama fall? College Football Playoff ranking prediction

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How far does Oklahoma rise and Alabama fall? College Football Playoff ranking prediction


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  • Oklahoma is expected to climb to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings after defeating Alabama.
  • Alabama’s loss to the Sooners will likely drop them to No. 9, just ahead of Notre Dame.
  • Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M are projected to remain the top three undefeated teams.

Three high-profile teams — Oklahoma, Alabama and Notre Dame — will take the spotlight in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

After beating the Crimson Tide 23-21, look for the Sooners to climb to No. 8. Previously No. 4, Alabama’s fall should stop at No. 9. That will knock Notre Dame back one spot to No. 10 even after the Fighting Irish breezed past Pittsburgh.

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While the red-hot Irish have won eight in a row, Alabama has a stronger résumé against a significantly more difficult schedule.

Losses by Louisville, Iowa, Pittsburgh, South Florida and Cincinnati should open a spot for the Group of Five. Tulane is the safest bet to crack the rankings thanks to wins against Northwestern, Duke and Memphis.

Here’s how the top 12 of the third playoff rankings of the 2025 season will look:

1. Ohio State (10-0)

Best win: vs. Texas (14-7), Aug. 30.

Loss: None.

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Playoff chances: 100%. The Buckeyes could lose to Rutgers and Michigan and still earn an at-large spot. OSU could even beat Rutgers, lose to Michigan, miss the Big Ten championship game and be in contention for an opening-round bye.

2. Indiana (11-0)

Best win: at Oregon (30-20), Oct. 11.

Loss: None.          

Playoff chances: 100%. Taking care of Wisconsin locks Indiana into at least an at-large spot. Beating Purdue on Nov. 28 will send the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title game for the first time ever. That also should wrap up a bye.

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3. Texas A&M (10-0)

Best win: at Notre Dame (41-40), Sept. 13.

Loss: None.

Playoff chances: 98%. At this point, the Aggies would have to really stumble down the stretch to miss the playoff entirely. Getting routed by Texas and then backdooring into the SEC title game only to get blown out again, combined with a Notre Dame flop down the stretch, might be just enough to take A&M off the board. But even that’s a stretch.

4. Georgia (9-1)

Best win: vs. Mississippi (43-35), Oct. 18.

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Loss: vs. Alabama (24-21), Sept. 27.

Playoff chances: 99%. Only the infinitesimal chance at being upset by one-win Charlotte keeps Georgia from being a playoff lock. A shocking loss on Saturday and a loss to Georgia Tech would knock the Bulldogs out of the field.

5. Texas Tech (10-1)

Best win: vs. Brigham Young (29-7), Nov. 8.

Loss: at Arizona State (26-22), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 90%. To reach No. 5 in the rankings strengthens the Red Raiders’ safety net even if they fall short of a Big 12 championship. But losses to West Virginia and in the conference title game would knock Tech out of the playoff.

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6. Mississippi (10-1)

Best win: at Oklahoma (34-26), Oct. 25.

Loss: at Georgia (43-35), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 99%. Saturday’s unimpressive 34-24 win at home against Florida was still enough to almost ensure an at-large playoff berth regardless of what happens in the Egg Bowl.

7. Oregon (9-1)

Best win: at Iowa (18-16), Nov. 8.

Loss: vs. Indiana (30-20), Oct. 11.

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Playoff chances: 60%. The odds are better than not that Oregon is the third Big Ten team in the field. But the Ducks have played two legitimate opponents all season, losing to Indiana and barely beating Iowa. Are they ready for Saturday’s huge matchup at home against Southern California? A loss there would dump Oregon out of the top 10 heading into the finale against Washington.

8. Oklahoma (8-2)

Best win: at Alabama (23-21), Nov. 15.

Losses: vs. Texas (in Dallas) (23-6), Oct. 11; vs. Mississippi (34-26), Oct. 25.

Playoff chances: 55%. Tossed aside after two October losses, the Sooners have rallied into at-large position with wins this month against Tennessee and Alabama. Oklahoma is in with wins at home against Missouri and LSU – and likely with home game in first round – but can’t afford a third defeat.

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9. Alabama (9-2)

Best win: at Georgia (24-21), Sept. 27.

Losses: at Florida State (31-17), Aug. 30; vs. Oklahoma (23-21), Nov. 15.

Playoff chances: 75%. Alabama can still lock down a spot in the SEC title game and an at-large berth by beating Auburn. But a loss in the Iron Bowl will knock the Tide out of the mix.

10. Notre Dame (9-2)

Best win: vs. Southern California (34-24), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Miami (27-24), Aug. 31; vs. Texas A&M (41-40), Sept. 13.

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Playoff chances: 85%. While they shouldn’t lose to Syracuse or Stanford, dropping one spot in the rankings will make the Irish feel a little more anxious about securing that at-large bid. Falling to No. 10 would move them a little closer to Miami, and it would be bad news for Notre Dame if that head-to-head tiebreaker came into play.

11. Brigham Young (9-1)

Best win: vs. Utah (24-21), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Texas Tech (29-7), Nov. 8.

Playoff chances: 33%. The Cougars’ best chance is via a conference title. But a chaotic finish in the Big Ten or SEC might give the Big 12 a chance at two playoff teams. In that scenario, BYU would need to beat Cincinnati and Central Florida convincingly and then play dramatically better against Texas Tech in the conference title game to crack the top 10.

12. Utah (9-2)

Best win: vs. Cincinnati (45-14), Nov. 1.

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Losses: vs. Texas Tech (34-10), Sept. 20; at Brigham Young (24-21), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 10%. Losses to the Red Raiders and BYU will block Utah from the Big 12 title game. Getting an at-large bid is possible but very improbable given the number of teams ahead of the Utes and the fact there are still two teams behind them — the ACC champion and the Group of Five representative — who will be bumped into the bracket with the final rankings.



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Roll Tide: Lilly selects Alabama site as location for $6B API facility

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Roll Tide: Lilly selects Alabama site as location for B API facility


Eli Lilly has unveiled the location of the third of its four large-scale manufacturing facilities that it plans to build in the U.S.  | Eli Lilly has unveiled the location of the third of its four large-scale manufacturing facilities that it plans to build in the U.S. The drugmaker has selected Huntsville, Alabama, as the site of a $6 billion plant that will produce APIs for small molecule and peptide medicines.



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Alabama named in Paul Finebaum’s head-turning CFP prediction

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Alabama named in Paul Finebaum’s head-turning CFP prediction


The Alabama Crimson Tide had a lot of nerves awaiting the committee’s decision on their College Football Playoff fate, but they ended up getting into the field as the No. 9 seed and will face off against No. 8 Oklahoma.

Kalen DeBoer and company did not have a good showing against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game. They lost that matchup by a final score of 28-7. However, they’ll have a chance to prove that they belong.

While many have already written Alabama off as a potential national championship contender, there is one notable analyst who believes that the Crimson Tide still have a path to winning it all.

Read more: Texas, Arch Manning Dealt More Bad News After Missing CFP

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Paul Finebaum still believes that there’s a chance Alabama could make a stunning run to a title.

During an appearance on “Get Up” on Monday morning, Finebaum revealed the pathway that he sees for Alabama to win a championship.

“The pairings could have been a lot worse. I, frankly, think if Alabama can get past Oklahoma, at least on paper, they have a path. It may not be that great for anybody who watched Indiana play on Saturday night,” Finebaum said. “But I think a lot of Alabama people would feel pretty good about it.”

Beating Oklahoma will be no easy task. The Sooners have had an up-and-down season at times, but they are loaded with talent on both sides of the football. Should the Crimson Tide pull off a win over Oklahoma, a much tougher test would await.

As Finebaum mentioned, Alabama would then have to take on the No. 1-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. Led by head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana is fresh off of beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game by a score of 13-10. They’re legit and they have arguably the best quarterback in the nation with Fernando Mendoza.

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No one can count out any top-tier team at this point in time. There is a chance that the Crimson Tide could make a shocking run to a national championship win. That being said, DeBoer and company will have to fix a lot of weaknesses to do that.

Read more: Ohio State’s Ryan Day Sends Warning Ahead of College Football Playoff

One weakness that Finebaum sees has been the recent play of quarterback Ty Simpson and Alabama’s running game.

“Anything I say about Ty Simpson, it will be articulated 1000 times more,” Finebaum said. “But something is wrong. Is it the lack of running game? Is it problems up front? But he just doesn’t seem to be the same quarterback he was eight weeks ago. I think that has to be a major concern going into Norman.”

The Crimson Tide will face off against the Sooners on December 19. Fans can only wait and hope that the team can fix the issues that were clearly present against Georgia.

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For more on the Alabama Crimson Tide and college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.



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University of Alabama alumni launch fundraiser to save student magazines

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University of Alabama alumni launch fundraiser to save student magazines


University of Alabama alumni have launched a fundraising campaign for two print magazines that were shut down.

Masthead, a nonprofit dedicated to “diverse, anti-racist and equitable student media at the University of Alabama,” opened a $25,000 fundraising campaign for Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six, two student-led print magazines focused on women’s lifestyle and Black culture.

The university shuttered the magazines after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives may violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

The alumni group said it doesn’t think the magazines violated federal regulations.

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“Even if their subject matter is specific, Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six have always been by anyone, for everyone,” Masthead said in a news release. “The editors-in-chief of both magazines said their staff are ready to continue their work, with or without UA.”

The nonprofit the university’s decision silences viewpoints “disfavored by the government because they dared to write about those topics at all.”

The fundraiser will go towards printing costs, equipment and student salaries. Masthead president Victor Luckerson told AL.com it costs about $7,500 to print 1,000 copies.

“This fundraising drive is the first step in ensuring the staff at Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six receive the mentorship, advice and support they need during this tumultuous time,” Masthead said.

Masthead will post updates about the campaign in their newsletter.

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“Even if the university says that Nineteen Fifty-Six is suspended, this proves that there is no suspension of the stories that we’re going to tell,” Nineteen Fifty-Six editor-in-chief Kendal Wright said. “It takes away a space for us to be able to tell our own stories and for everyone to read our stories. But I think this experience has taught our community and our staff that there is always another way. We will always have a space to tell our stories, and we will always make one. We cannot be silenced.”

The University of Alabama has not responded to requests for comment.



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