CFP Bracket 2025-26: First-Round Schedule, Matchups & Complete 12-Team Field

Final 12-team CFP bracket revealed on Selection Sunday, December 7, 2025.

The College Football Playoff committee revealed the final 12-team bracket on Selection Sunday. Indiana shocked Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship to claim the No. 1 seed. Notre Dame got left out despite winning 10 straight games.

Alabama squeezed in at No. 9 despite three losses. Miami jumped Notre Dame after the committee finally counted their head-to-head win. Two Group of Five teams made the field while ACC champion Duke stayed home. First-round games kick off Dec. 19-20.

Jump to: Selection Sunday | Who Gets Byes | Final Bracket | First-Round Matchups & Schedule

One major format change from last year: the four highest-ranked teams get first-round byes, period. Conference championships don’t guarantee a bye anymore.

First-round games will be played on campus on Dec. 19-20. Quarterfinals take place at bowl sites on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, followed by the semifinals at the Fiesta and Peach Bowls on Jan. 8-9. The national championship is set for Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Selection Sunday Chaos: Who Got In, Who Got Snubbed

Selection Sunday delivered drama. The committee unveiled the final CFP bracket after Championship Saturday rewrote the playoff picture. Indiana stunned Ohio State. Notre Dame got left out. Miami jumped in. And the controversies piled up fast.

Indiana Shocks Ohio State for No. 1 Seed

Indiana beat Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship to claim the top seed. The Hoosiers finished 13-0, ending the Buckeyes’ 16-game winning streak. It’s Indiana’s first outright conference title since 1945.

Ohio State drops to the No. 2 seed at 12-1. Both teams get first-round byes.

Notre Dame Snubbed Despite 10-Game Win Streak

Notre Dame won 10 straight games after starting 0-2. They outscored opponents 440-143 during that stretch. None of it mattered.

The committee flipped Miami and Notre Dame without either team playing Championship Weekend. BYU’s blowout loss to Texas Tech removed the buffer between the two teams. That forced a direct comparison, and Miami’s 27-24 Week 1 win over the Irish became the deciding factor.

Notre Dame finished outside the top 12. Marcus Freeman’s squad paid the price for a weak schedule and no conference championship game appearance.

Miami Gets In on Head-to-Head Tiebreaker

Miami grabbed the No. 10 seed despite losing the ACC tiebreaker to Duke. The Hurricanes finished 10-2 with losses to Louisville and SMU. They sat home Championship Weekend while Duke won the ACC at 8-5.

The committee finally counted Miami’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame. The Hurricanes had been ranked behind the Irish for weeks, but when BYU dropped out of the buffer zone, that September result mattered.

Alabama Survives with Three Losses

Alabama made the field at No. 9 despite going 10-3. The Crimson Tide lost to 5-7 Florida State, fell at home to Oklahoma, and got demolished 28-7 by Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Alabama became the first three-loss team in CFP history. Their resume included a regular-season win over Georgia and four straight wins against ranked opponents without a bye week. The committee valued those wins over the ugly losses.

Two Group of Five Teams Make It

James Madison (12-1) and Tulane (11-2) both made the playoff as the fourth and fifth-highest-ranked conference champions. JMU got the No. 12 seed. Tulane grabbed No. 11.

The controversy? Duke won the ACC Championship at 8-5 but wasn’t ranked in the CFP standings. That opened the door for JMU to claim the fifth automatic bid. A Power Four conference champion stayed home while two Group of Five teams got in.

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Who Gets First-Round Byes?

Under the new format, the top four teams in the final CFP rankings get byes. Here are the four teams that earned first-round byes:

Final 12-Team CFP Bracket

Here’s the complete 12-team field revealed on Selection Sunday:

First-Round Byes:

1. Indiana (Big Ten champion) – 13-0
2. Ohio State (at-large) – 12-1
3. Georgia (SEC champion) – 12-1
4. Texas Tech (Big 12 champion) – 12-1

First-Round Games:

5. Oregon (at-large) – 11-1
6. Ole Miss (at-large) – 11-1
7. Texas A&M (at-large) – 11-1
8. Oklahoma (at-large) – 10-2
9. Alabama (at-large) – 10-3
10. Miami (at-large) – 10-2
11. Tulane (AAC champion) – 11-2
12. James Madison (Sun Belt champion) – 12-1

First-Round CFP Matchups & Schedule

Here are the four first-round games with kickoff times (all times ET):

CFB Championship Odds After Championship Saturday

Despite Ohio State losing the Big Ten Title Game, oddsmakers are still backing the reigning champs to repeat as champions. Check out the National Championship odds for all 12 teams in the CFP bracket below:

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CFP Bracket Frequently Asked Questions

When Are the College Football Playoffs?

The first-round games kick off on Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. The quarterfinals are on Dec. 31, 2025 and Jan. 1, 2026.

Both national semifinal games (the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl) will be played on Jan. 8-9, 2026. The 2025-26 College Football Playoff concludes with the National Championship Game at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in Miami.

Where Are the College Football Playoffs This Year?

The first-round games take place on the campus of the higher-seeded team on Dec. 19-20, 2025. The quarterfinals rotate among the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31, 2025 and Jan. 1, 2026.

The semifinals are at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl on Jan. 8-9, 2026. The national championship game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.

Why Did Notre Dame Miss the Playoff?

Notre Dame won 10 straight games but got left out. The committee flipped Miami ahead of the Irish based on the Hurricanes’ 27-24 Week 1 victory. Notre Dame’s weak schedule and lack of a conference championship game appearance hurt their case.

How Did Alabama Make It with Three Losses?

Alabama became the first three-loss team in CFP history. The committee valued the Crimson Tide’s wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee more than their losses to Florida State, Oklahoma, and Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Who Won Last Year’s National Championship?

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 to win the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta. The Buckeyes became the first 8-seed to win it all, running through Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame.

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