2025 College Football Playoff Bracket: 12 Teams, Rankings, and Schedule

The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee has officially revealed the 12-team bracket for the 2025-26 season. Fans and analysts are buzzing—some thrilled, some skeptical, but everyone’s got an opinion.

This bracket is only the second time the CFP has expanded to 12 teams. There’s a sense that anything could happen, and honestly, that’s half the fun.

Indiana shocked just about everyone by grabbing the No. 1 overall seed after a gritty win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. It’s a first for the Hoosiers, and you can bet their fans are still celebrating.

Joining Indiana in the top four are Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech. Each of these teams locked up a first-round bye, so they get to rest up and scout their next opponents. Not a bad deal.

Top Seeds and First-Round Byes

The top four seeds in the 2025-26 CFP bracket:

• No. 1 Indiana (13-0)
• No. 2 Ohio State (12-1)
• No. 3 Georgia (12-1)
• No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1)

Indiana’s climb to the top spot is something few saw coming. Their 13-10 victory over Ohio State was the kind of game that people will talk about for years.

First-Round Matchups

The first round kicks off on Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20. These games will be played on the home turf of seeds 5-8, which always adds a bit of drama.

• No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
• No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M
• No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma

These matchups are a wild mix of blue-bloods and newcomers. There’s no telling who might pull off an upset or two—this is the playoff, after all.

Quarterfinal Matchups

Winners from the first round move on to face the top four seeds. Here’s how the quarterfinals line up:

• Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Winner of No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison
• Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. Winner of No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama
• Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. Winner of No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 Tulane
• Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. Winner of No. 7 Texas A&M/No. 10 Miami

The quarterfinals land on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It’s hard to think of a better way to ring in the new year than with these showdowns.

Semifinals and National Championship

Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 8, and Friday, Jan. 9:

• Fiesta Bowl: Winner of Cotton Bowl vs. Winner of Sugar Bowl
• Peach Bowl: Winner of Rose Bowl vs. Winner of Orange Bowl

The two semifinal winners will meet in the National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. That’s the night when legends are made—or hearts are broken.

Teams That Just Missed the Cut

Some big names didn’t make it in. The first two teams out were:

• No. 11 Notre Dame (10-2)
• No. 12 BYU (11-2)

Notre Dame’s absence is already sparking debate, especially since they lost a tiebreaker to Miami. BYU was close too, but their loss in the Big 12 title game cost them.

Full Top 25 Rankings

The CFP committee also dropped the full top 25. Here’s how it shakes out:

• 1. Indiana (13-0) *
• 2. Ohio State (12-1)
• 3. Georgia (12-1) *
• 4. Texas Tech (12-1) *
• 5. Oregon (11-1)
• 6. Ole Miss (11-1)
• 7. Texas A&M (11-1)
• 8. Oklahoma (10-2)
• 9. Alabama (10-3)
• 10. Miami (10-2)
• 11. Notre Dame (10-2)
• 12. BYU (11-2)
• 13. Texas (9-3)
• 14. Vanderbilt (10-2)
• 15. Utah (10-2)
• 16. Southern California (9-3)
• 17. Arizona (9-3)
• 18. Michigan (9-3)
• 19. Virginia (10-3)
• 20. Tulane (11-2) *
• 21. Houston (9-3)
• 22. Georgia Tech (9-3)
• 23. Iowa (8-4)
• 24. James Madison (12-1) *
• 25. North Texas (11-2) *

* Denotes one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Conclusion

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. There’s a blend of the usual powerhouses and some fresh faces, which should make for some pretty wild matchups.

First-round games kick off on Dec. 19 and 20. That’s when the chase for the national title really gets rolling—can’t help but wonder who’ll surprise us this year.

If you want a deeper dive into the bracket and schedule, check out the full article on USA Today.