How the Star-Telegram’s Steven Johnson voted in AP poll: How far did A&M fall?
The regular season concluded on Saturday, and now it’s the official start of political season in college football.
Coaches like Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and players like Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia quickly made their College Football Playoff cases after significant wins, and they won’t be the only ones to do so.
The results of rivalry week created openings for what should be some tough decisions for the CFP committee. Does Miami get in? What about Vanderbilt and Texas? Will BYU get passed over despite being 11-1?
These are the questions that remain after the conclusion of the regular season for every team except Army and Navy. Even that game could have CFP implications if Navy gets to 10-2.
There was plenty of movement on Star-Telegram writer Steven Johnson’s ballot this week. Here’s how he voted:
Steven Johnson’s Top 25 ballot
1. Ohio State (12-0): The Buckeyes conquered their Michigan demons with a dominant win over their rivals in Ann Arbor. Ohio State will be the heavy CFP favorite. Last week: 1
2. Indiana (12-0): The Hoosiers also had no problem on rivalry week with an emphatic 56-3 win over Purdue. Next up is the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game. Last week: 2
3. Georgia (11-1): The Bulldogs clinched their playoff berth by outlasting Georgia Tech 16-9. Up next is Alabama in the SEC championship game. Last week: 3
4. Texas Tech (11-1): The Red Raiders also likely punched their CFP ticket with a 49-0 win over West Virginia. Next up is BYU in the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium. Last week: 5
5. Ole Miss (11-1): The Rebels defeated Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, but all reports indicate they’re about to lose head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. Last week: 6
6. Texas A&M (11-1): The Aggies’ magical regular season ended on a sour note as they were pushed around by Texas in a 27-17 defeat. Last week: 4
7. BYU (11-1): In a just world, the Cougars also would’ve been a team that clinched a CFP berth after storming back to defeat Central Florida 41-21. We’ll see where the committee has the Cougars though. Last week: 8
8. Oregon (11-1): The Ducks handled Washington 26-14 in Seattle and are a lock for the CFP. Last week: 9
9. Oklahoma (10-2): The Sooners got an ugly win over a LSU team that fired its coach and was using a backup quarterback. Oklahoma’s offense is sporadic and problematic, and it falls a few spots because of it. Last week: 7
10. Alabama (10-2): The Crimson Tide clinched their berth to the SEC championship game with a thrilling win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Last week: 11
11. Miami (10-2): The Hurricanes finally jumped the Fighting Irish after blowing out Pittsburgh. Miami was more dominant against the Panthers than Notre Dame and has the head-to-head win. Last week: 12
12. Notre Dame (10-2): The Fighting Irish cruised to another blowout over Stanford. Notre Dame passes the eye test, but its resume is lacking. Last week: 10
13. Texas (9-3): The Longhorns’ upset of Texas A&M could be enough to get them back in the playoffs, but is it enough to overcome a loss to Florida? Last week: 14
14. Vanderbilt (10-2): Vandy dominated Tennessee in the second half of a 45-24 win in Knoxville. Last week: 15
15. Utah (10-2): The Utes handled their business against Kansas, but fall a few spots with other teams picking up more quality wins. Last week: 13
16. USC (9-3): The Trojans avoided an upset with a 29-10 win over UCLA. Last week: 16
17. Virginia (10-2): The Cavaliers clinched their spot in the ACC championship game by defeating Virginia Tech 27-7. One more win and Virginia will be in the playoff. Last week: 18
18. Michigan (9-3): The Wolverines’ offense was a no-show against Ohio State’s dominant defense. The lack of progression by freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood was also alarming. Last week: 17
19. Arizona (9-3): The Wildcats completed their bounce-back season with a 23-7 win over Arizona State. Last week: 23
20. North Texas (11-1): The Mean Green will be playing for a playoff berth after hammering Temple 52-25. Last week: 24
21. James Madison (11-1): The Dukes rolled to a 59-10 win over Coastal Carolina. There’s an outside shot they could earn the Group of Five playoff spot. Last week: 22
22. Missouri (8-4): The Tigers return to ballot after defeating Arkansas 31-17. Last week: NR
23. Tulane (10-2): The Green Wave clinched their spot in the AAC title game with a blowout win over Charlotte. The American winner likely gets the G5 playoff bid. Last week: 25
24. Arizona State (8-4): Despite the loss to the Wildcats, the Sun Devils remain in the Top 25. Last week: 19
25. Pittsburgh (8-4): The Panthers barely stay at No. 25 solely because there just aren’t a lot of great options after them. Last week: 21
Fell out: Tennessee
Moved up: Missouri
Explaining the decisions
The biggest decisions this week weren’t who moved in or out of the poll. The rankings from 7-14 saw the most significant moves as Johnson tried to mirror his rankings to reflect what he thinks the playoff rankings should be after the conclusion of the regular season.
BYU for example moved up a spot because it has a resume stronger than Oregon’s with two Top 25 wins over Utah and Arizona compared to just one for the Ducks against USC. Notre Dame fell to No. 12 after Miami defeated a solid Pittsburgh team by a better margin and the Hurricanes own the head-to-head.
What about Texas and Vanderbilt? The Longhorns are close, but a loss to a bad Florida team should be enough to keep them out of the field even with their impressive slate of wins. Vanderbilt is a feel-good story, but its resume also isn’t great with LSU and Tennessee being overvalued. Just because we haven’t seen Vanderbilt beat these teams often historically doesn’t mean these wins are worth more than, say, BYU’s over Utah and Arizona.
This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 2:11 PM.
