2025 Week 4 College Football Playoff Predictions: Which Shocking Team Could Upend the Championship Race?

The college football season is still unfolding with plenty of twists and turns left before the official College Football Playoff lineup gets stamped in stone. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re already sizing up who’s truly in the hunt and who’s just playing at it. Take South Carolina — that shocker loss at home against Vanderbilt has seriously put a dent in their contender credibility . Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s gutsy road win over Notre Dame suddenly puts them back in the conversation. It’s an exhilarating, unpredictable ride, and with Week 4’s results in the books, it’s time to dive into the freshest College Football Playoff predictions that reflect just how wild this season’s shaping up. LEARN MORE

There is still a long way to go in the college football season before the College Football Playoff field is revealed, but we continue to get a better idea of who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. South Carolina seems to be trending toward the pretender category after an embarrassing home loss to Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M might be a contender after beating Notre Dame on the road. Let’s take a look at our updated Week 4 College Football Playoff predictions.

1. Oregon

We have a new team atop our College Football Playoff predictions this week. So far, Oregon has been the most impressive team in college football. The Ducks will get bigger tests soon, but until then, they are our pick to win the Big Ten and take the top seed in the CFP for the second year in a row.

2. LSU

LSU is our current pick to win the SEC. The Week 1 win against Clemson hasn’t aged well, but this team still has a lot of talent and has looked good through three weeks.

3. Ohio State

Ohio State could very well end up being the Big Ten winner, and even if the Buckeyes come up short in the conference, they can still earn a bye in the College Football Playoff. No matter what happens, it’s hard to imagine Ohio State not being one of the top teams in the country when the season comes to an end.

4. Miami

USF’s miracle start to the season finally came to a close on Saturday as Miami dismantled the Bulls. It was another strong victory for the Hurricanes, and they are in a great spot in the ACC with Clemson struggling. However, Florida State does appear to be a threat in the conference.

5. Penn State

The first team hosting a CFP game is Penn State. The Nittany Lions are one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but Oregon and Ohio State have looked better so far this year. Penn State will take on Oregon in a couple of weeks, and that will be a huge game for the conference race.

6. Georgia

Georgia picked up a huge win on the road against Tennessee over the weekend. However, the Bulldogs needed some luck. Tennessee was in golden position to win the game at the end, but a penalty created a longer field goal try, and the Volunteers missed it. That led to an OT win for Georgia. Both of those teams are very good.

7. Oklahoma

Oklahoma is in the projected CFP field for now, but the schedule is incredibly difficult going forward. Up next is No. 22 Auburn at home, and that is one of the easiest games remaining. That says a lot about how challenging this schedule is.

8. Florida State

Florida State was on a bye last week, and the beginning of this season has been impressive. With how weak the ACC is, the Seminoles should be in good shape for the whole season.

9. Illinois

No one could imagine Illinois being in College Football Playoff conversations just a few years ago, but the Fighting Illini are legit. They have a huge game this weekend against Indiana, and it will have a big impact on the Big Ten and CFP race.

10. Texas A&M

Texas A&M picked up one of the biggest wins of the weekend. The Aggies went on the road and took down Notre Dame, and now they are in our Week 4 College Football Playoff predictions. Huge win for Mike Elko and Texas A&M.

11. Iowa State

Iowa State is still our projected Big 12 winner, but Texas Tech and Utah both look very good as well. Those two teams will battle it out this weekend. The race for the Big 12 is going to be an exciting one all year long.

12. USF

USF fell on the road against Miami, but the Bulls still have two very impressive wins. They are our final CFP team, and the Group of Five representative. The schedule is going to cool off for USF now after an intense first three weeks.

Quarterfinal predictions: 1 Oregon vs. 8 Florida State, 2 LSU vs. 7 Oklahoma, 3 Ohio State vs. 6 Georgia, 4 Miami vs. 5 Penn State

Semifinal predictions: 1 Oregon vs. 5 Penn State, 2 LSU vs. 3 Ohio State

CFP National Championship predictions: 1 Oregon vs. 2 LSU

College Football Playoff champ: Oregon