2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket: Projected Field & Format

CFP Bracket projection based on December 2 Committee Rankings. Final bracket revealed Selection Sunday, December 7, 2025.

The College Football Playoff committee released its final rankings on December 2. Ohio State and Indiana stayed locked at 1-2, while Georgia jumped to No. 3 after Texas A&M dropped four spots.

Championship Saturday completely blew up the bracket. Alabama and BYU both lost their conference title games, likely knocking them out of the playoff. Selection Sunday is tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.

Jump to: Final Rankings | Championship Saturday | Who Gets Byes | Current Bracket | First-Round Matchups

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. This fixes last year’s seeding that saw all four bye teams lose their opening games.

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.

Final CFP Rankings – Top 25 (Dec. 2)

Here are the complete College Football Playoff rankings released December 2:

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Championship Saturday Blows Up the Bracket

Championship Saturday delivered chaos. Alabama and BYU both lost their conference title games by multiple scores, likely ending their playoff hopes. Here’s what went down:

SEC Championship: Georgia 28, Alabama 7
Georgia dominated from start to finish. Alabama drops to 10-3 with a blowout loss, putting them in serious danger of falling out of the playoff entirely. The Tide needed to win to secure the SEC’s automatic bid.

Big 12 Championship: Texas Tech 34, BYU 7
The Red Raiders rolled. BYU falls to 11-2 with a non-competitive loss. Like Alabama, the Cougars are now likely out, opening the door for Miami and Texas to sneak into at-large spots.

AAC Championship: Tulane 34, North Texas 21
Tulane secured the Group of 5 automatic bid. The Green Wave will likely be the No. 12 seed in the playoff.

Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs. Indiana (Tonight)
The 1 vs. 2 matchup kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. The winner gets the No. 1 overall seed. The loser still makes the playoff as the No. 2 seed, likely with a first-round bye.

ACC Championship: Virginia vs. Duke (Tonight)
Virginia is a heavy favorite. If the Cavaliers win, they get an automatic bid around the No. 11 seed. If Duke pulls the upset at 7-5, James Madison could steal the ACC’s automatic bid as the higher-ranked conference champion.

Ole Miss Dodges the Kiffin Penalty

Despite Lane Kiffin bolting for LSU, Ole Miss actually moved up one spot to No. 6 in the final rankings. The committee openly discussed the coaching chaos but decided it couldn’t penalize what it hasn’t seen yet.

“We can only evaluate what we know, and what we know now is Ole Miss is an 11-1 football team,” committee chair Hunter Yurachek said. The Rebels get a home first-round game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with Pete Golding leading the team.

The Alabama vs. Notre Dame Debate

Alabama jumped Notre Dame in the final rankings despite both teams finishing 10-2. The committee called it “one of the strongest debates we’ve had in the room for the past two years.”

Alabama beat Auburn 27-20 in a sloppy rivalry win. Notre Dame crushed Stanford 49-20 in a blowout. Yet the Tide moved up to No. 9 while the Irish dropped to No. 10.

That one-spot difference might not matter anymore. After getting destroyed by Georgia, Alabama is almost certainly out. Notre Dame likely slides into an at-large spot.

Who Gets First-Round Byes?

Under the new format, the top four teams in the final CFP rankings get byes. Conference championships don’t guarantee a bye anymore. After Championship Saturday, here’s who gets those spots:

Current CFP Bracket After Championship Saturday

With Alabama and BYU losing, here’s how the bracket likely shakes out:

Projected Conference Champions:

• SEC: Georgia
• Big Ten: Ohio State or Indiana
• Big 12: Texas Tech
• ACC: Virginia (likely)
• Group of Five: Tulane

Projected 12-Team Field:

1. Ohio State or Indiana (Big Ten champion) – BYE
2. Indiana or Ohio State (Big Ten runner-up) – BYE
3. Georgia (SEC champion) – BYE
4. Texas Tech (Big 12 champion) – BYE
5. Oregon (at-large)
6. Ole Miss (at-large)
7. Texas A&M (at-large)
8. Oklahoma (at-large)
9. Notre Dame (at-large)
10. Miami or Texas (at-large)
11. Virginia (ACC champion)
12. Tulane (Group of Five champion)

Projected First-Round CFP Matchups

Based on Championship Saturday results, here are the projected first-round matchups:

CFB Championship Odds After Championship Saturday

The betting markets are still adjusting after Championship Saturday:

How the 12-Team College Football Playoff Works in 2025-26

The format stays mostly the same as last year, with one crucial change. The 12 teams include the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, plus the seven highest-ranked remaining teams.

The big difference? The four highest-ranked teams overall get first-round byes, not just conference champions. This means Notre Dame could earn a bye if they’re ranked high enough. It also prevents a situation where a lower-ranked conference champion gets a bye over stronger teams.

The bracket structure:

• No. 12 at No. 5
• No. 11 at No. 6
• No. 10 at No. 7
• No. 9 at No. 8

Winners advance to face the top four seeds in the quarterfinals. The bracket doesn’t reseed. It follows a fixed path to the championship game.

The quarterfinals rotate among four New Year’s Six bowls. This year it’s the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls. The Fiesta and Peach Bowls host the semifinals on Jan. 8-9.

The national championship game moves to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.

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Last Year’s Inaugural 12-Team Playoff Bracket

For context on how wild the playoff can get, here’s what happened in the first-ever 12-team bracket:

Ohio State’s run from the 8-seed to the title proved that getting a bye isn’t everything. The Buckeyes knocked off Tennessee at home, then beat Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame to claim their first championship since 2014.

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CFP Frequently Asked Questions

When Is Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is December 7, 2025 at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN. The committee will reveal the final 12-team bracket and seedings after all conference championship games conclude.

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.

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.

How Do Teams Qualify for the College Football Playoff?

Under the 12-team format, the field consists of the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams as determined by the CFP selection committee.

There are no limits on teams per conference. The Big Ten or SEC could theoretically place five or six teams if they’re ranked high enough. The selection committee continues to rank teams using the same protocols as before.

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, proving that first-round byes aren’t necessary for a title run.

It marked Ohio State’s first national championship since 2014 and validated Ryan Day after years of criticism. The Buckeyes ran through Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame in succession.

When Is the College Football Playoff Expanding Again?

While the playoff stays at 12 teams for 2025-26, expansion talks are already heating up. The Big Ten has floated proposals for 24 or even 28 teams starting as early as 2026.

Under one proposal, the Big Ten and SEC would each get seven automatic bids. Most analysts think this is too aggressive, but expect the playoff to grow beyond 12 teams within the next few years.

Who Is on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee?

The 13-member committee for 2025-26 includes several changes from last year:

*Denotes committee chair.

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