(Photo: Chad Ryan)
First and Fitzharris: A Weekly Look at Notre Dame Football
Since the Irish had a bye on Saturday, you might have thought there wouldn’t be a First and Fitzharris column this week. Fortunately for you, you’re mistaken!
The first College Football Playoff rankings drop on November 4, 2025, with the final bracket to be announced on December 7, just one day after the conference championship games. There’s already plenty of speculation and controversy about who will make the final field — so I’m here to settle the debate once and for all. At least until next week when it all gets shuffled up again and my razor sharp take on this has to evolve!
So, here’s how I see the 2025 College Football Playoff shaking out as of today — complete with a quick explanation of how each team will earn its spot.
1-Seed and First-Round Bye: Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0, Big Ten Champs)
No debate here. Ohio State keeps improving every week, while most of the Big Ten is trending in the opposite direction (sorry, Indiana). Ryan Day will learn from past mistakes against Michigan and deliver a convincing win in Indianapolis on December 6. The Buckeyes will be your clear-cut No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.
2-Seed and First-Round Bye: Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, SEC Champs)
Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide survived a scare last week against Shane Beamer’s South Carolina team, but costly Gamecock errors let Bama hang on. The Tide won’t face another serious test in the regular season, setting up yet another SEC Championship showdown with Georgia. Given the Bulldogs’ uneven defense, Alabama will roll past Georgia to claim the SEC crown — and the No. 2 seed.
3-Seed and First-Round Bye: Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)
Here’s a bold one: Texas A&M won’t make the SEC title game after losing its regular-season finale at Texas. Under current tiebreaker rules, Georgia and A&M would both have one conference loss, but the second criterion — record against common opponents — favors Georgia, since I’m predicting the Bulldogs beat Texas.
That leaves the Aggies out of the championship game, which actually helps them. They’ll enter December 7 rested, healthy, and holding a playoff-worthy 11-1 record.
4-Seed and First-Round Bye: Oregon Ducks (11-1)
Oregon’s remaining schedule isn’t exactly daunting. Their toughest remaining opponent is USC at home on November 21, but I trust Dan Lanning far more than Lincoln Riley — especially after Riley’s questionable second-half play calling against the Irish. Like A&M, Oregon benefits from avoiding a conference title game and slides into the playoff with one loss.
First-Round Games
5-Seed Ole Miss (12-1) vs. 12-Seed Memphis Tigers (12-1, Group of 5 Representative)
Despite a loss to Georgia two weeks ago, Ole Miss is in great shape to make a playoff run. Because of Georgia’s tiebreaker advantage, the Rebels avoid the SEC title game — and that works perfectly for them. Their remaining schedule (South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida, and Mississippi State) should be smooth sailing unless disaster strikes.
Memphis, meanwhile, notched its biggest win of the season with a 34-31 thriller over ranked South Florida. That game carried major playoff implications. The Tigers still face Tulane and the AAC Championship Game, but they should take care of both and claim the Group of 5 spot.
6-Seed Indiana Hoosiers (11-2, Big Ten Runner-Up) vs. 11-Seed Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1, Big 12 Champs)
Some might be surprised to see Indiana drop to No. 6, but the Hoosiers still have to visit Penn State and then face Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Penn State, without Drew Allar, has struggled — but this will be their “Super Bowl,” one last shot to make a statement. The Nittany Lions pull off the upset, and Indiana then falls to the Buckeyes in Indianapolis.
As for Texas Tech — welcome to the glorious chaos that is the Big 12. The league could go a dozen different ways, and there’s even a chance it sends two teams to the playoff. Many expect BYU to be in this slot, but have you seen their schedule? Brutal. The Cougars still have to travel to Texas Tech and Cincinnati — likely two losses. The Red Raiders’ biggest remaining hurdles are Kansas State and BYU. They’ll win both, then beat Cincinnati in the Big 12 Championship to punch their playoff ticket.
7-Seed Georgia Bulldogs (11-2, SEC Runner-Up) vs. 10-Seed Miami Hurricanes (11-2, ACC Runner-Up)
Carson Beck facing his former team? Yes please — count me in.
As mentioned above, Georgia wins out but falls to Alabama in the SEC title game. Unless the defense takes a major leap, that’s the most realistic scenario for the Bulldogs.
Miami, meanwhile, had a brief scare against Stanford before taking care of business in South Beach. Their last big challenge comes from Georgia Tech and quarterback Haynes King — one of the most underrated players in college football. Miami’s recent habit of slow starts could finally bite them. The Hurricanes should roll through the regular season, reach the ACC Championship Game, and take their second loss there to land at No. 10.
8-Seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (12-1, ACC Champs) vs. 9-Seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)
A player who deserves far more Heisman buzz is Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. This guy can flat-out play, and we saw how dangerous he was in last year’s game against Georgia. The Yellow Jackets’ last big hurdle is the Bulldogs again — and while Tech will fall short this time, finishing 11-1, King and company will bounce back to beat Miami in Charlotte for the ACC title.
As for Notre Dame, the Irish won’t be seriously challenged the rest of the way. They’ll roll to 10-2 and secure another playoff berth. The only potential stumbling block is a road trip to Pittsburgh, but the Panthers’ defense has been far from elite.
That sets up a fascinating first-round matchup: one of the best backfields in college football against one of the nation’s top defensive fronts. These two teams met last season (without King), and the Irish rolled to a 31-14 win. Expect a much closer contest this time.
The College Football Playoff rankings are right around the corner, and with the final bracket about six weeks away, there’s still plenty of time for chaos, controversy, and curveballs.
Stay tuned — things are about to get interesting.