2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket, Scores, and Matchups Revealed
The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) season is here, and honestly, the hype feels bigger than ever with the release of the 12-team bracket. This is just the second year of the expanded format, and it’s already promising more wild matchups and fresh chances for teams to chase that national championship dream.
It all starts December 19 and wraps up with the title game on January 19. Let’s take a closer look at the bracket, circle some key dates, and maybe call out a few matchups you’ll want to keep an eye on.
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College Football Playoff 12-Team Bracket Overview
The CFP selection committee has dropped its final rankings, so the playoff stage is set. The top four teams get a first-round bye, while the other eight will have to fight their way through the first round. Here’s the list, by seed:
- Indiana*
- Ohio State*
- Georgia*
- Texas Tech*
- Oregon^
- Ole Miss^
- Texas A&M^
- Oklahoma^
- Alabama
- Miami
- Tulane
- James Madison
*First-round bye.
^Hosting a first-round game.
First Round Matchups
The first round’s got four games that should be pretty fun to watch:
- No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama – December 19, 8 pm ET (ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN)
- No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami – December 20, Noon ET (ABC, ESPN)
- No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane – December 20, 3:30 pm ET (TNT, HBO Max)
- No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison – December 20, 7:30 pm ET (TNT, HBO Max)
Second Round Showdowns
The winners from the first round move on to face the top four seeds. Here’s how the second round shapes up:
Cotton Bowl
Location: Arlington, TX
Date: December 31, 7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami
Orange Bowl
Location: Miami Gardens, FL
Date: January 1, Noon ET (ESPN)
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison
Rose Bowl
Location: Pasadena, CA
Date: January 1, 4 pm ET (ESPN)
No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
Sugar Bowl
Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: January 1, 8 pm ET (ESPN)
No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane
Semifinals and National Championship
January brings the semifinals and then the big one—the national championship. Here’s when and where the games go down:
Fiesta Bowl
Location: Glendale, AZ
Date: January 8, 7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Peach Bowl
Location: Atlanta, GA
Date: January 9, 7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
National Championship Game
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Date: January 19, 7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Key Storylines to Watch
The 12-team format has definitely shaken things up. Here are a few storylines that might just steal the spotlight:
- Indiana’s Rise to the Top: Can Indiana, as the top seed, actually go all the way and grab their first national title?
- Ohio State’s Redemption: After coming up short last year, is this finally Ohio State’s time?
- Underdog Stories: James Madison and Tulane are lurking. Could one of them pull off a Cinderella run?
- SEC Dominance: The SEC’s loaded again—but will they keep running the show, or is someone new stepping up?
How to Watch
Fans can catch all the action across a bunch of platforms. Here’s where you can tune in:
- ABC
- ESPN
- TNT
- HBO Max
- WatchESPN
If you want more details—like the full bracket, scores, or matchups—just head over to the official NBC Sports page.
The 2025-26 College Football Playoff season is shaping up to be pretty wild. There’s just something about playoff football that gets everyone talking, right?
