Georgia and Indiana moved into the projected top four seeds of a hypothetical 12-team College Football Playoff bracket following the release of The Associated Press Top 25 poll on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Under this bracket projection based on the media poll, both teams would receive first-round byes. Miami and Ohio State were ranked as the top two teams in the nation, with Miami being the only team in the Top 25 to maintain its previous position.
The rankings reflect a week of movement across the national landscape, where every ranked team except for No. 1 Miami saw its position change. Ohio State rose one spot to replace BYU as the No. 2 team, while Georgia and Indiana both climbed two spots to reach No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. BYU, previously ranked No. 2, fell six spots to No. 8.
In the projected 12-team playoff structure, the top four seeds are reserved for the four highest-ranked conference champions. Based on current AP rankings, Notre Dame (No. 5) and BYU (No. 8) would be positioned to host first-round games. Other teams currently in the top 12 include Utah (No. 6), UCLA (No. 7), Kentucky (No. 9), Alabama (No. 10), Texas (No. 11), and Ole Miss (No. 12). Oklahoma State and Wisconsin entered the Top 25 this week at No. 24 and No. 25, respectively, while Iowa and USC dropped out of the rankings.
The current AP rankings serve as an indicator for how the official College Football Playoff selection committee may view these teams when they release their own rankings later in the season. Final playoff seeds and matchups will be determined by the selection committee following the conclusion of conference championship games in December.