12 Perfect Brackets Survive College Football Bracket Challenge Game
The College Football Playoff is always a wild ride, and the 2026 season’s been no exception. Upsets and surprise wins have left the NCAA.com College Football Bracket Challenge Game in chaos.
From the early rounds to the semifinals, it’s been a whirlwind. Brackets got wrecked left and right.
Let’s take a look at how things have unfolded—and maybe try (and probably fail) to guess what’s coming next.
Contents
The Road to the Semifinals
The bracket challenge kicked off with loads of optimism and way too many bold predictions. But as soon as the games started, brackets started falling apart.
The first real shocker? No. 9 Alabama stormed back from 17 points down to knock out No. 8 Oklahoma. That one game alone wiped out about half the brackets.
It set the tone for the rest of the tournament. If you thought you had it all figured out, you definitely didn’t.
The Quarterfinal Shocks
The quarterfinals just kept the surprises coming. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) pulled off a jaw-dropping win over No. 2 Ohio State, which left only 2 percent of brackets still perfect.
Then No. 5 Oregon blanked No. 4 Texas Tech. Suddenly, just 1 percent of entries were still flawless. Wild, right?
The Semifinal Showdowns
The semifinals brought even more chaos. No. 1 Indiana squared off against No. 6 Oregon at the Peach Bowl.
Indiana absolutely rolled, winning 56-22. That win punched their ticket to the national championship and chopped the number of perfect brackets from 42 down to 20.
Indiana looked unstoppable in that game. They’ve definitely earned their spot at the top.
Miami’s Narrow Escape
The other semifinal was a nail-biter. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) squeaked past No. 6 Ole Miss, 31-27, in the Fiesta Bowl.
That tight win dropped the perfect bracket count from 74 to 42. Miami just keeps finding ways to win when it matters most.
Bracket Statistics and Predictions
Heading into the national championship, the bracket challenge stats are kind of fascinating. Out of the 20 perfect brackets left, 12 are riding with Indiana, while 8 are backing Miami (Fla.).
It’s a pretty even split, and honestly, it feels like anything could happen in the final.
Popular Picks and Surprising Outcomes
Some teams were clear favorites when folks filled out their brackets. No. 1 Indiana topped the list, picked as champ on 28.11 percent of entries.
No. 2 Ohio State (25.33 percent) and No. 3 Georgia (21.67 percent) were right behind. But as we’ve seen, upsets from Miami (Fla.) and Ole Miss have thrown everything into question.
- No. 1 Indiana: 28.11% of brackets
- No. 2 Ohio State: 25.33% of brackets
- No. 3 Georgia: 21.67% of brackets
- No. 4 Texas Tech: 7.04% of brackets
- No. 5 Oregon: 4.82% of brackets
- No. 9 Alabama: 3.55% of brackets
Looking Ahead to the Championship
The national championship is right around the corner, and the buzz is real. Indiana’s been dominant all tournament, so they’re the clear favorite.
But Miami’s scrappy run can’t be ignored. The last game could go either way, and honestly, isn’t that what makes college football so fun?
Keys to Victory
For Indiana, keeping up their offensive firepower is huge. Their defense has also shown it can really clamp down when it matters.
They’ll need both if they want to get past a Miami squad that just refuses to go away. Miami, meanwhile, should lean into that underdog energy and play with the same grit that’s gotten them this far.
As the College Football Playoff wraps up, fans and everyone who jumped into the NCAA.com College Football Bracket Challenge Game are on the edge of their seats. Whether you’re all in for Indiana or hoping for a Miami upset, this one’s got the makings of a classic.
Curious how your bracket’s holding up? Check out the latest at NCAA.com live updates.
