2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket, Scores, and Key Matchups

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) season is underway, and fans are glued to the action as 12 teams battle for the national championship.

This is only the second year of the expanded 12-team format, and already, the bracket’s full of surprises and wild finishes. The CFP selection committee dropped the bracket on December 7, seeding the teams and handing the top four a first-round bye.

With every game, the stakes get higher. The drama? It’s everywhere. Here’s a rundown of the bracket, scores, and the moments that have defined the 2025-26 College Football Playoff so far.

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket

The bracket features 12 teams—each one hoping to grab that national title. The top four seeds—Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech—earned a first-round bye.

The rest? They had to fight their way in from the very start. Here are the teams and their seeds:

• 1. Indiana *
• 2. Ohio State *
• 3. Georgia *
• 4. Texas Tech *
• 5. Oregon ^
• 6. Ole Miss ^
• 7. Texas A&M ^
• 8. Oklahoma ^
• 9. Alabama
• 10. Miami
• 11. Tulane
• 12. James Madison

*Top four teams receive a first-round bye

^Indicates a team hosting a first-round game

First Round Highlights

The playoffs kicked off on December 19 with four games that set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

• No. 9 Alabama 34, No. 8 Oklahoma 24 – Alabama brought their A-game and took down Oklahoma.
• No. 10 Miami 10, No. 7 Texas A&M 3 – Miami scraped out a win in a gritty, defensive slugfest.
• No. 6 Ole Miss 41, No. 11 Tulane 10 – Ole Miss rolled past Tulane, leaving little doubt.
• No. 5 Oregon 51, No. 12 James Madison 34 – Oregon’s offense just kept coming, and James Madison couldn’t keep up.

Quarterfinal Showdowns

The quarterfinals, played on December 31 and January 1, brought four big matchups and a few upsets that no one really saw coming.

• Cotton Bowl: No. 10 Miami 24, No. 2 Ohio State 14 – Miami stunned Ohio State, punching their ticket to the semifinals.
• Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon 23, No. 4 Texas Tech 0 – Oregon’s defense pitched a shutout, and Texas Tech never found a rhythm.
• Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana 38, No. 9 Alabama 3 – Indiana looked unstoppable and cruised to the next round.
• Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss 39, No. 3 Georgia 34 – Ole Miss edged out Georgia in a wild, high-scoring finish.

Semifinal Thrillers

The semifinals ramped up the tension. Every play felt huge, every mistake costly.

• Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Miami 31, No. 6 Ole Miss 27 – Miami kept their dream alive with a nail-biter over Ole Miss.
• Peach Bowl: No. 1 Indiana 56, No. 5 Oregon 22 – Indiana’s offense exploded, blowing past Oregon and into the championship.

National Championship Showdown

So, it’s set: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami. They’ll face off January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

Indiana’s offense has been on fire lately, but Miami’s underdog run is the story everyone keeps talking about. It’s got all the makings of a classic, right?

Key Players to Watch

With the title game looming, a few names keep popping up:

• Indiana’s Quarterback – He’s been at the heart of their high-scoring attack, making big plays when it matters.
• Miami’s Defense – This unit just keeps shutting down big offenses, and they’re a huge reason Miami’s still standing.
• Oregon’s Running Back – Even though Oregon’s out, this guy had a breakout year and could be a force next season.

Conclusion

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff has been wild. Thrilling games and a couple of jaw-dropping upsets have kept everyone guessing.

Standout performances are everywhere you look. Now, with Indiana and Miami set for the national championship, fans are buzzing about what could be an epic showdown.

If you want to dig into the bracket, scores, or just double-check the matchups, check out the official College Football Playoff bracket and scores page.