Arizona moved up to 18th from 25th in the penultimate 2025 College Football Playoff rankings. This is the highest Arizona has been ranked in the CFP since the Wildcats were 14th in the 2023 week 14 rankings. Arizona completed its regular season at 9-3 and will learn its bowl fate on Sunday.
Arizona beat Arizona State 23-7 in the final game of the regular season and knocked the 8-4 Sun Devils out of the final CFP rankings. Arizona is the third-highest rated Big XII team behind Texas Tech, BYU and Utah. Arizona lost 33-27 to BYU in double overtime on October 11. Arizona did not play Texas Tech or Utah.
The loss to BYU was one of two consecutively on the final play of the game. Arizona lost 31-28 on a walk-off field goal at Houston a week later. The Wildcats had a bye following the loss at Houston and finished the season with five consecutive wins after that.
Arizona is a few plays away this season in the losses to BYU and at Houston from being considered for a CFB at-large berth. The Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Polls rank Arizona 22nd this week. Arizona is 27th in the ESPN Football Power Index.
1⃣8⃣ @CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/wzbAAPLn7f
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 3, 2025
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan has led an Arizona resurgence from 4-8 in 2024 to 9-3 this season. Brennan brought in 57 new players and hired three new coordinators. Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales is a Broyles Award finalist as the best assistant coach in college football.
Houston is the last of five Big XII teams in the CFP rankings at 21. Arizona was 0-2 this season against teams currently in the rankings. Arizona won 30-24 at then number 22 Cincinnati on November 15. The win at Cincinnati was the middle of the Arizona five-game winning streak and one of three road wins in that time.