<
>

2025 college football conference championship scenarios

No. 1 ranked Ohio State are 8-0 in the Big Ten heading into Week 14 of the 2025-26 college football season. Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire

It's almost time for the 2025 College Football Playoff. Schools are vying for a spot in their respective conference championship games. Heading into Week 14, title game berths are still up for grabs. In case of a tie after this week, each conference has its own set of tiebreakers.

Check out the scenarios for 2025 college football conference championship games below:

SEC

Alabama clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win

Texas A&M clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Alabama loss and Ole Miss loss

Georgia clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Alabama loss or Texas A&M loss

Ole Miss clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win, Texas A&M loss and Alabama loss

Big Ten

Indiana clinches a spot in the Big Ten championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Ohio State loss

Ohio State clinches a spot in the Big Ten championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Indiana loss and Oregon loss

Oregon clinches a spot in the Big Ten championship game with:

  • Win and Ohio State loss

Michigan clinches a spot in the Big Ten championship game with:

  • Win and Indiana loss or Oregon loss

​Big 12

Texas Tech clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • ASU loss

BYU clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • ASU loss or

  • TTU loss and ASU win

Arizona State clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win and BYU loss or

  • Win, TTU loss and Utah loss

Utah clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win, TTU loss, BYU win and ASU win

ACC

Virginia clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • SMU loss, Pitt loss and UNC win

SMU clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Pitt loss, Duke loss, UVA win and UNC win or

  • Pitt loss, Duke loss, UVA win, NCSU win, BC win and finish higher than Georgia Tech and Miami in SportSource Analytics ranking or

  • Pitt loss, Duke loss, UVA loss, UNC win, BC win and finish higher than Georgia Tech and Miami in SportSource Analytics ranking

Pittsburgh clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win and UVA loss or

  • Win and SMU loss

Duke clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win, Pitt loss and SMU loss or

  • Win, Pitt loss, UVA loss and UNC win or

  • Win, Pitt loss, UVA loss, NCSU win and finish higher than Miami in SportSource Analytics ranking

Miami clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win and UVA loss and Duke loss and SMU win or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA loss and NCSU win or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA loss and UNC win and SYR win or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA loss and UNC win and BC win and finish higher than GT and SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA win and NCSU win and SYR win or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA win and NCSU win and BC win and finish higher than GT and SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking or

  • Win and SMU loss and Duke win and UVA loss and NCSU win or

  • Win and SMU win and Duke win and UVA loss and NCSU win and finish higher than Duke in SportSource Analytics ranking

Georgia Tech clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Pitt win and UVA loss and SMU loss or

  • Miami win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA loss and NCSU win or

  • Miami Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA loss and UNC win and BC win and finish higher than Miami and SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking or

  • Miami Win and SMU loss and Duke loss and UVA win and NCSU win and BC win and finish higher than Miami and SMU in SportSource Analytics ranking

MAC

Western Michigan clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win (Tuesday) or

  • Ohio win (Friday) or

  • Miami (OH) loss (Saturday)

Toledo clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win (Saturday) and Western Michigan win (Tuesday) or

  • Win (Saturday) and Miami-OH loss (Saturday)

Miami (OH) clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win (Saturday) and Western Michigan loss (Tuesday) or

  • Win (Saturday) and Central Michigan win (Saturday)

Ohio clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win (Friday) and Northern Illinois win (Friday) and Miami (OH) loss (Saturday) and Central Michigan win (Saturday) and Beat Central Michigan in Team Rating Score Metric Central

Central Michigan clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win (Saturday) and Ohio loss (Friday) and Miami-OH loss (Saturday) or

  • Win (Saturday) and Western Michigan loss (Tuesday) and Ohio loss (Friday) and Miami *(OH) win (Saturday) or

  • Win (Saturday) and Kent State win (Friday) and Miami (OH) loss (Saturday) or

  • Win (Saturday) and Kent State loss (Friday) and Miami (OH) loss (Saturday) and Beat Ohio in team rating score metric

American

Tulane clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win

  • With a loss by either North Texas or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams or

  • Losses by both North Texas and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

North Texas clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win

  • With a loss by either Tulane or Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams or

  • Losses by both Tulane and Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

Navy clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and loss by either Tulane or North Texas

  • With a loss by either Tulane or North Texas if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams or

  • Losses by both Tulane and North Texas if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

South Florida clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams or

  • Win and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

East Carolina clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and loss by two of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams or

  • Win and losses by all of Tulane/North Texas/Navy if it has the second-highest composite computer average of the 6-2 teams

Mountain West

San Diego State clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win or

  • Losses by Boise State and UNLV or

  • Finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams

Boise State clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and San Diego State win or

  • Win and finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams or

  • UNLV loss and New Mexico loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

UNLV clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and Boise State loss and New Mexico loss or

  • Win and San Diego State loss and finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams or

  • Boise State loss and New Mexico loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

New Mexico clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and Boise State loss or

  • Win and finish in top two in computer metrics among 6-2 teams or

  • Boise State loss and UNLV loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

Fresno State clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and Boise State loss and New Mexico loss and UNLV loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

Hawai'i clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and Boise State loss and New Mexico loss and UNLV loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

Utah State clinches a spot in the championship game:

  • Win and New Mexico loss and UNLV loss and finish with the top computer metrics among 5-3 teams

Conference USA

Jacksonville State clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Kennesaw State loss

Western Kentucky clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Kennesaw State loss and finish ahead of Kennesaw State in computer metrics

Kennesaw State clinches a spot in the championship game with:

  • Win or

  • Western Kentucky loss and finish ahead of Western Kentucky in computer metrics

Check out the ESPN college football hub page for standings, scores, stats, schedules and more.