2025 Week 2 12-team College Football Playoff Prediction: A new SEC contender emerges

Oklahoma began the year as a fringe SEC contender, with plenty of intrigue surrounding its new quarterback and offensive coordinator, John Mateer and Ben Arbuckle. Then the former Washington State duo delivered on all the high expectations in Norman, beating Michigan 24-13 in Week 2 and undeniably entering the race for an at-large bid in the College Football Playoff. 

There are still concerns remaining about the Sooners’ ability to run the ball, especially without Mateer carrying it 20 times and subsequently taking 20 extra hits a game. Mateer is stout and plenty tough, but that’s just not a sustainable game plan through eight games against SEC defenses. Still, even if the overhauled offense sputters, there’s a Brent Venables defense on the other side to pick up the slack. 

Oklahoma doesn’t quite crack my 12-team CFP prediction just yet, but at the beginning of the season, I said that if the SEC gets the five teams that Greg Sankey dreams of, the Sooners will be fifth, and I feel even more convinced of that coming out of Week 2. As for the four SEC teams in my CFP prediction, Alabama is still hanging on by a thread after its 73-0 beatdown of ULM. 

The Tide did exactly what they needed to in response to their Week 1 loss to Florida State, and then crucially, the Seminoles have continued to look impressive, burying East Texas A&M 77-3. It will take a while to be sure, but there’s a good chance that loss won’t look nearly as terrible come season’s end, and an even better chance that Alabama will continue to improve as Ty Simpson gets more comfortable. 

In his second career start, the redshirt junior went a perfect 17-for-17 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. It was a much easier opponent, and he had receivers running wide open, but he couldn’t have possibly played any better. 

The lone new arrival to the 12-team CFP prediction is one that many others would have included from the start, Oregon. The Ducks trounced Oklahoma State 69-3, treating Mike Gundy’s team like an FCS opponent, with a barrage of explosive plays. Quarterback Dante Moore looks like the real deal, and five-star freshman wide receiver Dakorian Moore is this year’s Jeremiah Smith or Ryan Williams. It’s not a surprise to have Oregon in, but the shock might be the team that dropped out. 

I’m not sold on Clemson. Not at all. After losing to LSU in Week 1, Dabo Swinney’s team trailed Troy 16-3 at the end of the first half. Clemson cannot run the ball, and Cade Klubnik continues to struggle. I’ve never been a true Klubnik believer; I don’t think he has the physical tools, either arm or athleticism, to elevate an otherwise mediocre offense, and that’s what he has in 2025. 

Also worth addressing, Nebraska has been my dark horse all offseason and with the lack of creativity that Michigan showed offensively against Oklahoma, and the fact that Sherrone Moore will be suspended for their Week 4 matchup, I think the Cornhuskers can take that one, win 10 games in Matt Rhule’s third season, and sneak into the CFP. If not, the Big Ten may not have a third team worthy because there’s a significant tier drop after Penn State, Ohio State, and Oregon.

Here’s a look at my full 12-team College Football Playoff prediction after Week 2: