Mustangs Debut at No. 21 in 2025 College Football Playoff Rankings

By Marc Henry Via Mustang Wire

IRVING, Texas (SMU) – SMU Football officially entered the 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings on Tuesday, landing at No. 21 after being unranked in all previous releases this season. The appearance marks the 10th time in program history that the Mustangs have been included in the CFP Top 25.

SMU now turns its attention to a pivotal road matchup at Cal on Saturday, where a win would secure the program’s second trip to the ACC Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

SMU in the College Football Playoff Rankings – All-Time Results

Year	Date	Ranking
2019	Nov. 5	25
2019	Nov. 19	25
2023	Dec. 3	24
2024	Nov. 5	13
2024	Nov. 12	14
2024	Nov. 19	13
2024	Nov. 26	9
2024	Dec. 3	8
2024	Dec. 8	10
2025	Nov. 25	21

About the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff determines the national champion of Division I football. Following the regular season, the CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams, with the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams advancing to the 12-team playoff format. The top four seeds receive first-round byes, while teams ranked Nos. 5–12 meet in on-campus first-round games.

Quarterfinal and semifinal matchups rotate annually among six premier bowl games: the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship is set for Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.