Texas
2025 College Football Rankings: Georgia Climbs to No. 3, Texas A&M Drops Out of Top 5
The balance of power shifts once again to the Big Ten and away from the SEC.
The nation’s top two teams — consensus No. 1 and No. 2 — will enter the Big Ten Championship Game undefeated.
Meanwhile, after Texas defeated Texas A&M for the second consecutive year, no SEC team will enter its conference title game unbeaten. The SEC’s former top-ranked team, Texas A&M, didn’t even qualify for the championship, and the Texas squad that beat the Aggies also lost to Ohio State earlier this season.
For the last two seasons, the national champion has emerged from “The Game,” where it just means more. In that same span, the SEC hasn’t even sent a team to the title game.
It wouldn’t shock anyone if Ohio State and Indiana face off not once but twice in the postseason. What remains to be seen is whether the SEC can even find a path back to the national championship game.
Here’s a look at my top 25 rankings following Week 14 of the college football season:
25. Missouri (8-4), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 14 result: Defeated Arkansas, 31-17
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy simply can’t be stopped. The sophomore rushed for a game-high 157 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ regular-season finale, marking his eighth 100-yard game in 12 contests.
24. Houston (9-3), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 14 result: Defeated Baylor, 31-24
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman accounted for 322 total yards — including 121 on the ground — and three touchdowns to cap the program’s first nine-win regular season since 2021 and only its second since 2016.
23. James Madison (11-1), Previously Ranked: 21
Week 14 result: Defeated Coastal Carolina, 59-10
James Madison put together an 11-win season in just Year 2 under head coach Bob Chesney and has as many losses to Power 4 teams as programs like Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas Tech, and BYU. Yet even with a 12-1 record and a conference title, the Dukes could still be left out of the CFP.
In a 24-team playoff, JMU has a shot as one of the two highest-ranked Group of 6 teams, or even as an at-large pick. Still, the harsh reality is that the Dukes could finish 13-1 and never get a chance to test themselves against the sport’s elite.
22. Arizona (9-3), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 14 result: Defeated Arizona State, 23-7
The Wildcats trailed the Sun Devils at halftime before reeling off 20 points in the second half, and their defense created more turnovers (five) than it allowed first downs (three).
21. Tulane (10-2), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 14 result: Defeated Charlotte, 27-0
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall will be in his fourth conference championship game in as many years as a head coach. Tulane — along with UNT and James Madison — have a better shot at the CFP than programs like Vanderbilt, Texas, Miami, and Utah.
If that’s not reason enough to expand the CFP to 24 teams, then you might just not like college football.
20. Navy (9-2), Previously Ranked: 19
Week 14 result: Defeated Memphis, 28-17
The Midshipmen are the first team to hold Memphis to under 20 points in the Tigers’ last 52 games. A win against Army would give Navy back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history.
19. North Texas (11-1), Previously Ranked: 18
Week 14 result: Defeated Temple, 52-25
North Texas capped its best regular season ever with 11 wins, punching its ticket to the American Conference Championship Game. With a win next weekend, North Texas could earn its first trip to the College Football Playoff.
18. Michigan (9-3), Previously Ranked: 15
Week 14 result: Lost to Ohio State, 27-9
The Wolverine offense ran fewer than 50 plays against the Buckeyes. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood passed for just 63 yards, and star wide receiver Andrew Marsh didn’t record a single catch.
17. Virginia (10-2), Previously Ranked: 17
Week 14 result: Defeated Virginia Tech, 27-7
With its first win over Virginia Tech this decade, the Cavaliers secured just the second 10-win season in program history and a berth in the ACC Championship Game. A victory there would also earn UVA its first trip to the CFP.
Neither accomplishment seemed within reach for a team that had won just 11 games combined over the previous three seasons. It’s a remarkable turnaround under coach Tony Elliott, who should be a lock for ACC Coach of the Year.
16. USC (9-3), Previously Ranked: 22
Week 14 result: Defeated UCLA, 29-10
The Trojans would be the last automatic qualifier to the proposed 24-team CFP as the fourth-best Big Ten team, thanks to a 7-2 conference record and a head-to-head win over Michigan.
But once again, this blue blood will have to watch another season go by without earning a shot at the national championship.
15. Utah (10-2), Previously Ranked: 16
Week 14 result: Defeated Kansas, 31-21
The Utes finished 10-2 after going 5-7 last year, narrowly missing a chance at the Big 12 title game. In a 24-team College Football Playoff, Utah is likely one of the top teams and would be a worthy contender for a national championship.
14. Vanderbilt (10-2), Previously Ranked: 14
Week 14 result: Defeated Tennessee, 45-24
Quarterback Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win regular season with another stellar performance: 383 total yards — including 165 rushing — and three total touchdowns. He is one of the best players in the country and should be considered a Heisman finalist, representing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in major college football history.
13. Alabama (10-2), Previously Ranked: 12
Week 14 result: Defeated Auburn, 27-20
Alabama notched a win over its rival and punched its ticket to the SEC Championship Game.
Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpson threw three touchdown passes, all to junior wideout Isaiah Horton, who had just five total touchdowns in the previous 11 games combined.
12. Notre Dame (10-2), Previously Ranked: 13
Week 14 result: Defeated Stanford, 49-20
Have the Fighting Irish done enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff? That’s the million-dollar question.
Marcus Freeman’s team certainly looked the part Saturday night, rolling up 49 points and 514 yards of offense in a dominant win over Stanford.
11. Miami (Fla.) (10-2), Previously Ranked: 11
Week 14 result: Defeated Pitt, 38-7
The Hurricanes are still ranked behind Notre Dame in the CFP selection committee’s rankings, but after beating No. 22 Pitt to cement a 10-win season, you’d expect that to change. Then again, with that bunch of suits, nothing should be assumed.
10. BYU (11-1), Previously Ranked: 9
Week 14 result: Defeated UCF, 41-21
BYU’s season now comes down to one game.
The Cougars could use style points, but their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff hinge entirely on Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game. To secure a spot, they must beat the only team that has defeated them this season: Texas Tech.
9. Texas (9-3), Previously Ranked: 10
Week 14 result: Defeated Texas A&M, 27-17
The Longhorns have beaten Texas A&M two years in a row, and no one enjoys it more than Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner, who recorded Texas’ first 100-yard rushing performance of the season with 155 yards.
Texas might still have a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but its 3-2 record against top-10 teams — and a loss to a 3-9 Florida team that fired its head coach in October — does little to help its case.
8. Texas Tech (11-1), Previously Ranked: 8
Week 14 result: Defeated West Virginia, 49-0
The Red Raiders left no doubt they are the best team in the Big 12 with a showcase win for the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Texas Tech racked up 572 total yards, including 300 passing from quarterback Behren Morton, 33 first downs, and 188 rushing yards — all without a single 100-yard rusher.
7. Oklahoma (10-2), Previously Ranked: 7
Week 14 result: Defeated LSU, 17-13
Take a sigh of relief, Sooner fans. It wasn’t pretty — far from it —but at 10-2, Oklahoma is now in position to host a first-round CFP game after winning four straight.
Oklahoma’s defense continues to shine, holding the Tigers to just 198 total yards in the victory.
6. Texas A&M (11-1), Previously Ranked: 3
Week 14 result: Lost to Texas, 27-17
Texas A&M came oh, so close. But after falling to their in-state rival for the second straight year, the Aggies not only drop in the rankings, they won’t even get a shot at the SEC title.
5. Ole Miss (11-1), Previously Ranked: 6
Week 14 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 38-19
Lane Kiffin’s future as head coach at Ole Miss had no bearing on how his team played with yet another 350-yard passing performance and 100-yard rushing performance from Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, respectively.
4. Oregon (11-1), Previously Ranked: 5
Week 14 result: Defeated Washington, 26-14
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw for 286 yards and a touchdown, while the Ducks’ defense smothered Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. from start to finish.
Dan Lanning’s squad is now 11-1 and hitting its stride at exactly the right moment.
3. Georgia (11-1), Previously Ranked: 4
Week 14 result: Defeated Georgia Tech, 16-9
Death, taxes and the Georgia Bulldogs.
That’s now eight straight wins for the Dawgs in this rivalry called “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.” This is a Bulldogs team lying in wait for a postseason they expect to punish opponents in.
2. Indiana (12-0), Previously Ranked: 2
Week 14 result: Defeated Purdue, 56-3
The Hoosiers punctuated their first-ever undefeated regular season with 355 yards on the ground in a dominant win over in-state rival Purdue.
It was a statement for the six weeks ahead. Indiana looks like a team capable of not just contending — but winning — a national title.
1. Ohio State (12-0), Previously Ranked: 1
Week 14 result: Defeated Michigan, 27-9
Ohio State is the best team in the country.
The Buckeyes broke a nearly six-year losing streak to Michigan, secured their first undefeated regular season since 2019, earned a trip to the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2020, and notched their 16th consecutive victory.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.
With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.
Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.
Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.
More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball
Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.
So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.
Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.
AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas communities will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to avert a severe water crisis, a new state analysis revealed Thursday. That’s more than double the $80 billion projected four years ago, when the Texas Water Development Board last passed a state water plan.
The three-member board presiding over the agency authorized the highly anticipated draft blueprint Thursday, the first administrative step toward adopting the water development board’s plans for the next 50 years. The plan, released every five years, encompasses the projects that 16 regional water planning groups in Texas said are the most urgent, water development board officials said.
The board’s latest estimates come as the state’s water supply faces numerous threats. Growing communities across Texas are scrambling to secure water, keep up with construction costs and cope with a yearslong drought. This week, Corpus Christi officials said the city may be just months away from declaring a water emergency. Meanwhile, other rural cities by the Coastal Bend are rapidly drilling wells to avoid a crisis. Residents in North Texas have also been bracing for groundwater shortages.
In an effort to restrain the crisis, lawmakers last year called an election in which voters approved a $20 billion boost for communities to use on water-related expenses. The water development board’s estimate shows that what lawmakers proposed on the ballot falls dramatically short of the needed cash, experts said.
“What this number tells me at the end of the day is if we don’t get serious about (funding water projects), there are going to be serious consequences for Texas,” said Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network. “Even with the billion-dollar-a-year plan kicking in, it’s not going to be enough to offset the costs of the projects that are going to have to be executed.”
The new estimate accounts for 3,000 projects, from regional infrastructure upgrades to smaller endeavors such as drilling new water wells. Texas’ water supplies are expected to drop by roughly 10% between 2030 and 2080, according to the water plan. In that same time frame, the maximum amount of water communities can draw is also expected to decline by 9%.
The 80-page plan notes approximately 6,700 recommended strategies that would add water to the state’s dwindling portfolio. The recommendations — which are not accounted for in the cost — include developing new supplies from aquifer storage and recovery, brackish groundwater, desalination and recycled water. It also calls for water conservation.
The report suggested that if Texas does not implement the plans and recommendations, the state is one severe drought away from an estimated $91 billion in economic damages in 2030.
The state’s plan attributes a variety of reasons for the bigger price tag, such as higher costs of construction due to inflation, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, and a growing backlog of water supply projects.
“There’s a plan that can meet our needs,” said Matt Nelson, deputy executive administrator for the Office of Planning at the water development board, adding that they take their cues from the regional planning groups. “These are local projects that folks need to implement; they’re needed regardless of how they’re funded. It’s important to remember these are not top-down projects or state projects.”
Experts told The Texas Tribune that the board’s estimate is only a fraction of what Texas communities will need to ensure they have water in 50 years’ time, saying growth and development are outpacing the state’s ability to keep up.
“This is a bigger water plan in terms of volume strategies and capital costs compared to anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Jeremy Mazur, the director of infrastructure and natural resources policy at think tank Texas 2036.
Mazur suggested that the $174 billion only covers water supply projects and does not account for updating aging infrastructure, adding that the actual price could amount to a quarter of a trillion dollars.
“There’s a substantial magnitude with regard to the capital investment needed to both fix our aging and current systems and potentially develop the water infrastructure, water supply projects that we need.“
The report largely confirmed what many water experts have warned regarding threats to the state’s water supply, said Sarah Kirkle, director of policy at the Texas Water Association.
“Population growth, extreme weather, and economic development needs are all increasing demands on our infrastructure, and the state is going to need more water, sooner,” Kirkle said. “This is all while water projects are becoming more costly and complex because the easiest and cheapest local projects have already been developed.”
Fowler, with the infrastructure network, said he expects the Texas Legislature to take up the issue next year, when lawmakers meet for the 90th legislative session. He said the state should take a bigger role in ensuring that communities can afford their respective water projects.
“It’s going to have to be a top-down priority, there’s no way around it,” he said. “The challenges are so immense that it’s going to take all hands on deck.”
Texas residents have until the end of May to comment on the proposal. Water development board officials must adopt it by January 2027.
Alejandra Martinez contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
A North Texas man reported missing earlier this week was found dead Friday, and police say a co‑worker has confessed to fatally shooting him and stealing his car.
The suspect, Gregory D. Lewis, 34, remains in custody and faces a forthcoming capital murder charge, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.
Lewis is accused of killing 31‑year‑old Thomas King, who had been last seen in his Taco Casa work uniform. King was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to return home Monday from the fast‑food restaurant in the 1100 block of Bridgewood Drive.
Car found at Arlington motel
Police said King’s car was found at the Quality Inn on I‑20 in Arlington, and surveillance video showed Lewis arriving in King’s vehicle shortly after King left work.
Detectives identified the man in the video and arrested him on unrelated charges.
Body discovered on Fort Worth’s East Side
King’s body was located on Friday in an open field on Fort Worth’s East Side, authorities said.
According to police, Lewis confessed to shooting the victim and stealing his car.
Medical examiner review pending
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
CBS News Texas has reached out to Taco Casa for comment.
-
New York58 minutes agoInside the NYC Power Stations That Keep Trains Moving — or Bring Them to a Halt
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoDetroit Pistons already facing must-win Game 2 vs Orlando Magic
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoGiants Head Home to San Francisco After Shutout Loss
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoNew video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago
Ty Simpson considered staying in college for $6.5 million offer from Miami
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoTools for Your To Do List with Spot and Gemini Robotics | Boston Dynamics
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver beekeeper says swarm season came a month early this year thanks to warm weather
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoHere, Kitty, Kitty: Scenes from POP Cats Seattle 2026