Why is Virginia in College Football Playoff over Texas, Oklahoma? Explaining why ACC team gets spot in rankings

College football polls have been under scrutiny all season, with significant movement from the start of the season to now. All of that goes out the window once the new College Football Playoff rankings are released -- they become the key measure and the gospel for the rest of the season.

Starting in Week 11 of the 2025 season, the AP rankings no longer determine playoff seeding. They can give an idea of what the CFP rankings might look like that week, but they don’t follow the CFP’s ranking formula. This formula, revised again for 2025, can seem confusing when a top-ranked team isn’t included in the playoff picture, even though many feel it should be.

The NCAA still requires that the best Group of 5 champion automatically make the field. Along with the Power 4 champions, that leaves seven spots available for at-large teams. When the first CFP rankings were revealed, many were surprised to see that Virginia had jumped their peers and were listed in the playoff picture.

Here is more on why Virginia is ranked in the first 2025 CFP bracket instead of Texas and Oklahoma.

Why is Virginia in College Football Playoff rankings?

The ACC is guaranteed to have a team in the 12-team College Football Playoff field. The winner of the conference championship game will automatically be entered, and the committee is currently projecting that the team will be Virginia, Louisville or Georgia Tech. Even though the Cavaliers, Cardinals and Yellow Jackets are ranked 12th, 14th and 16th in the AP poll, those rankings don’t affect the playoff stipulations.

Last year, Clemson made the CFP field despite being ranked 16th by winning the ACC championship over SMU, which granted them automatic qualification. This resulted in Alabama, which many believed was a stronger team, being left out. A similar situation could unfold in 2025.

Virginia is 8-1 overall and currently 5-0 in the ACC. The Cavaliers have big games down the road against Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia Tech, but they control their own destiny. If Virginia wins out, they will play in the ACC Championship Game on December 6. If the Cavaliers win that game, they would automatically be entered into the 12-team playoff.

Why isn't Texas or Oklahoma in College Football playoff bracket

Texas and Oklahoma are on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff initial reveal based on the rankings. The Sooners are ranked No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 12 in the CFP rankings. The Longhorns are ranked No. 13 in the AP poll and No. 11 in the CFP rankings. 

Neither team would be in the 12-team playoff. This is because the SEC currently has four other teams in the playoff field, with one of them projected to win the conference championship game.

Oklahoma and Texas may have been included if the playoff simply featured the 12 best teams in the country, but the Sooners and Longhorns aren’t included because the ACC and the best Group of 5 champion automatically make the field. The CFP Committee currently has Virginia for the ACC champion and Memphis for the Group of 5 champion.

This reasoning is also why teams like Vanderbilt, Louisville, Utah and Miami are not included in the 12-team field. 

MORE: Lee Corso's best "College GameDay" moments 

College Football Playoff rankings