2025 College Football Playoff Schedule: Dates, TV Times, and Matchups

The 2025 College Football Playoff bracket is finally set. It’s shaping up to be a wild ride as teams chase the national title.

Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech landed the top four seeds and snagged those coveted first-round byes. There’s a buzz in the air as everyone else gears up for their opening games.

Let’s take a closer look at how these top teams got here and what’s coming next.

Top Four Seeds and Their Road to the Playoffs

Indiana claimed the No. 1 seed after a huge win against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. That’s their first outright conference title in 80 years—pretty wild, right?

This is the highest they’ve ever been ranked, and honestly, they look like real contenders.

Ohio State comes in at No. 2. Even after losing to Indiana, the Buckeyes are still the defending champs and hungry for another shot.

Their steady season kept them right near the top, as always.

Georgia is sitting at No. 3 after locking up the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs have been steamrolling through the SEC and look ready for a deep playoff push.

Texas Tech rounds out the top four after taking the Big 12. They’ve earned a first-round bye and a legit chance at the title.

First-Round Matchups

First-round games are happening on campus sites this year. That should make the atmosphere even more intense.

• (9) Alabama at (8) Oklahoma: Friday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Alabama’s looking to get some payback after dropping one to the Sooners earlier.
• (10) Miami at (7) Texas A&M: Saturday, Dec. 20, noon ET at Kyle Field in College Station. Miami barely edged out Notre Dame for the last at-large spot, which adds a little drama here.
• (11) Tulane at (6) Ole Miss: Saturday, Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. Tulane grabbed their playoff spot by winning the American Conference.
• (12) James Madison at (5) Oregon: Saturday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. James Madison snuck in as the Sun Belt champ, thanks in part to chaos in the ACC.

Key Storylines to Watch

There’s plenty to keep an eye on as the playoffs get rolling. Here’s what stands out:

• Indiana’s Historic Season: Will Indiana keep the magic alive and grab their first national title?
• Ohio State’s Title Defense: Can the Buckeyes shake off that conference loss and go back-to-back?
• Group of Five Representation: Tulane and James Madison made it—how will they stack up against the big names?
• Alabama’s Redemption: Is this the year Alabama claws its way back after a tough loss to Oklahoma?

New Year’s Six Bowls

Winners from the first round move on to the New Year’s Six Bowls: Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar. Here’s how those shape up:

• Cotton Bowl: (2) Ohio State vs. Winner of (7) Texas A&M/(10) Miami, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
• Orange Bowl: (4) Texas Tech vs. Winner of (5) Oregon/(12) James Madison, Thursday, Jan. 1, noon ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
• Rose Bowl: (1) Indiana vs. Winner of (8) Oklahoma/(9) Alabama, Thursday, Jan. 1, 4 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
• Sugar Bowl: (3) Georgia vs. Winner of (6) Ole Miss/(11) Tulane, Thursday, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Path to the National Championship

Winners from those bowls head to the semifinals: the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl.

• Fiesta Bowl: Thursday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
• Peach Bowl: Friday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The grand finale? The CFP National Championship game is set for Monday, Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Conclusion

The 2025 College Football Playoff is shaping up to be something special. There’s a real sense of anticipation in the air—maybe more than we’ve seen in years.

Historic milestones, redemption stories, and those underdog Group of Five teams are all in the mix. Honestly, it’s hard not to get a little excited just thinking about it.

If you want to keep up with every twist and turn, check out the CBS Sports College Football Playoff Schedule and Results for all the details.