Michigan football up to 15 in new College Football Playoff rankings

Michigan football is on the climb.

After staying rather stagnant early in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Wolverines are headed in the right direction, up to No. 15 in the latest poll released Tuesday, Nov. 25, by the committee.

Michigan (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) put together its most comprehensive performance of the season last weekend, throttling lowly Maryland, 45-20, on the road. The Michigan offense didn't turn the ball over or punt, while the starting defense didn't allow a touchdown after the opening drive of the game.

Michigan became the first team to score points against the Terrapins on its first drive of the game, when Bryce Underwood found Andrew Marsh on a 12-yard touchdown on third-and-6. Third-string running back Bryson Kuzdzal was also fantastic, running 20 times for 100 yards and three touchdowns – all career highs – in his first start for the Wolverines.

Now, the stage is set for an epic showdown between Michigan and No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) where both ESPN's "College GameDay" and Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" will broadcast live pregame shows from Ann Arbor.

INSIDE THE GAME: Despite NCAA seismic shift, Michigan-Ohio State is pinnacle

[ MUST LISTEN: Breaking down Michigan-Ohio State. Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]   

A win could move the Wolverines into the CFP top 12, and perhaps into the Big Ten championship game, while a loss eliminates them from the playoff tournament, and would instead send them to a second-tier bowl game.

Here are the CFP rankings from Tuesday going into the final week of the regular season.

TIEBREAKERS: 3 ways Michigan football can make Big Ten title – and an OSU rematch

CFP rankings Top 25

Here are the CFP rankings from Nov. 25. Final rankings will come Dec. 7, one day after conference championship Saturday. The top 12 teams will advance to the CFP.

1. Ohio State (11-0)

2. Indiana (11-0)

3. Texas A&M (11-0)

4. Georgia (10-1)

5. Texas Tech (10-1)

6. Oregon (10-1)

7. Mississippi (10-1)

8. Oklahoma (9-2)

9. Notre Dame (9-2)

10. Alabama (9-2)

11. BYU (10-1)

12. Miami (Florida) (9-2)

13. Utah (9-2)

14. Vanderbilt (9-2)

15. Michigan (9-2)

16. Texas (8-3)

17. USC (8-3)

18. Virginia (9-2)

19. Tennessee (8-3)

20. Arizona State (8-3)

21. SMU (8-3)

22. Pittsburgh (8-3)

23. Georgia Tech (9-2)

24. Tulane (9-2)

25. Arizona (8-3)

What is the College Football Playoff schedule?

The seeding process for this year's CFP has been changed from 2024’s debut season of the 12-team field. Here’s the 2025-26 CFP schedule with dates and everything you need to know.

• Dec. 7: CFP Selection Show begins at noon on ESPN. First-round byes will be awarded for Nos. 1-4 based on the committee's rankings from No. 1 to No. 12.

• Dec. 19-20: First-round games will be played on campus sites with No. 5 hosting No. 12, No. 6 hosting No. 11, No. 7 hosting No. 10 and No. 8 hosting No. 9. One game will be played Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. on ABC and ESPN, followed by a tripleheader Dec. 20 that starts at noon.

• Dec. 31-Jan. 1: CFP quarterfinals begin the traditional bowl games. The Cotton Bowl is Dec. 31, and the Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida), Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) and Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) are on New Year’s Day.

• Jan. 8-9: CFP semifinal games are the Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona) on Jan. 8 and Peach Bowl (Atlanta) on Jan. 9.

• Jan. 19: The CFP championship game is in Miami Gardens, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium.

Michigan football schedule 2025

Here's what is left for the Wolverines in the regular season:

• Week 14, Nov. 29: vs Ohio State (11-0), noon, Fox.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: CFP rankings today move Michigan to No. 15 ahead of Ohio State game