IRVING, Texas (SMU) – SMU Football made its debut in the 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) on Tuesday.
The Mustangs came in at 21 after being unranked in the previous rankings this year. This is the 10th time SMU has received a ranking in the CFP.
SMU looks to clinch its second appearance in the ACC Championship with a win at Cal on Saturday. Kick is set for 7 pm CT.
Mustang History in the CFP Rankings
| Year |
Date |
Ranking |
| 2019 |
November 5 |
25 |
| 2019 |
November 19 |
25 |
| 2023 |
December 3 |
24 |
| 2024 |
November 5 |
13 |
| 2024 |
November 12 |
14 |
| 2024 |
November 19 |
13 |
| 2024 |
November 26 |
9 |
| 2024 |
December 3 |
8 |
| 2024 |
December 8 |
10 |
| 2025 |
November 25 |
21 |
About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The CFP selection committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the regular season. The five highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will be seeded into a 12-team bracket based on the final ranking, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The Playoff Quarterfinals and Playoff Semifinals rotate annually among six 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 College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit
CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
