- News
College football's final regular season week has set the stage for conference championships and new AP Top 25 rankings
Maura CareySunday 30 November 2025 16:42 GMT
Ohio State Michigan Football (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
College football’s final week of the regular season brought familiar foes head-to-head, setting the stage for conference championship games and fresh rankings in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
No. 17 Virginia secured a spot in the ACC championship matchup with a 27-7 win over Virginia Tech and will meet Duke’s Blue Devils next weekend.
No. 10 Alabama pulled off a tight victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl to nab a spot in the SEC title game. The Crimson Tide will face No. 4 Georgia, which beat No. 23 Georgia Tech on Friday.
In the Big Ten, No. 1 Ohio State punched its ticket by knocking off No. 15 Michigan 27-9. The Buckeyes will face No. 2 Indiana for the conference crown.
The Big 12 championship will pit No. 7 Texas Tech against No. 11 BYU in a rematch of the Red Raiders’ November win over the Cougars.
What will it all mean for the rankings?
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for poll projections, game recaps and expert analysis, all in one place.
Here’s the latest:
Who might rise and fall in this week’s poll
Stock up: Georgia, Texas, Vanderbilt, Miami, Oregon, Texas Tech.
Stock down: Texas A&M, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Pitt, SMU.
Who votes in the poll, and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
There is a 1-to-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. After that, it’s simple: The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25, and others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.
