College Football Playoff rankings: Iowa State moves back into Top 25 following win

A week after falling out, Iowa State football is back in the CFP Top 25, sliding in at No. 22

Jacob Ellis and Iowa State football are back in the Top 25 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State football team is back in the College Football Rankings.

A week after dropping from the Top 25 following back-to-back defeats, the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2) came in at No. 22 this week in the latest reveal. Iowa State picked up a win over Cincinnati at home this past Saturday.

Joining the Cyclones in the rankings is fellow Big 12 challenger Arizona State, who is one spot ahead at No. 21. Iowa State and the Sun Devils are both chasing BYU and Colorado for the right to play in the conference title game in December.

The Cougars are now ranked 14th and the Buffaloes are 16th. BYU dropped eight spots after a loss to Kansas while Colorado moved up one following a win over Utah.

BYU continues to hold the automatic spot from the Big 12, sliding down to the No. 12 line and into the first round after earning a bye last week. The Cougars are projected to match up with Ohio State.

Oregon, Texas, Miami and Boise State all secured this week’s automatic bids to the quarterfinals with Penn State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia completing the 12-team field.

The first five teams all remained the same this week with Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Indiana holding serve. Ohio State and Indiana collide this week in a key Big Ten and national showdown.

Notre Dame, Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss and Georgia complete the Top 10, as Tennessee dropped four spots to No. 11 following a loss to the Bulldogs. 

Army, one of the three undefeated teams left alongside Oregon and Indiana, moved up five spots, as did Tulane. UNLV and Illinois both entered the rankings this week.

College Football Playoff Rankings

(Nov. 19, 2024)

1. Oregon (11-0) | Projected No. 1 seed

2. Ohio State (9-1) | Projected No. 5 seed

3. Texas (9-1) | Projected No. 2 seed

4. Penn State (9-1) | Projected No. 6 seed

5. Indiana (10-0) | Projected No. 7 seed

6. Notre Dame (9-1) | Projected No. 8 seed

7. Alabama (8-2) | Projected No. 9 seed

8. Miami (9-1) | Projected No. 3 seed

9. Ole Miss (8-2) | Projected No. 10 seed

10. Georgia (8-2) | Projected No. 11 seed

11. Tennessee (8-2) 

12. Boise State (9-1) | Projected No. 4 seed 

13. SMU (9-1) 

14. BYU (9-1) | Projected No. 12 seed

15. Texas A&M (8-2)  

16. Colorado (8-2)  

17. Clemson (8-2) 

18. South Carolina (7-3)  

19. Army (9-0) 

20. Tulane (9-2) 

21. Arizona State (8-2) 

22. Iowa State (8-2)

23. Missouri (7-3)

24. UNLV (8-2)

25. Illinois (7-3)