College Football Playoff and Bowl Game Predictions for 2025

The college football postseason landscape is finally coming into focus as we head into the last stretch of the 2025 season. Most of the regular season is in the books, with only the conference championship games left to play.

The College Football Playoff (CFP) and bowl projections are getting clearer by the day. Let’s take a look at the latest projections, the possible matchups, and the storylines that might shape this year’s postseason. The stakes are sky-high, and you can feel the buzz as teams battle for a shot at the CFP and those coveted bowl spots.

Understanding the College Football Playoff Structure

This year, the College Football Playoff has expanded to a 12-team format—a big shift from what we’re used to. The field will include the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The top four teams get a first-round bye, while seeds 5 through 8 will host first-round games on their own campuses. This new setup should inject more drama and unpredictability into the postseason. Upsets? Wouldn’t surprise anyone.

First-Round Games

First-round games are set for December 19 and 20. These early matchups could really set the tone for the rest of the playoffs.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have floated some possible first-round games:

• No. 12 North Texas at No. 5 Texas A&M (Bonagura)
• No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Oregon (Schlabach)
• No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Oregon (Bonagura)
• No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Ole Miss (Schlabach)
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Ole Miss (Bonagura)
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Texas A&M (Schlabach)
• No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma (Both)

These games matter—not just for the teams, but for shaping the quarterfinals too.

Quarterfinal Showdowns

Quarterfinals will play out in the traditional New Year’s Six bowls, which always adds a bit of magic. Here’s what Bonagura and Schlabach are projecting:

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Bonagura has No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 2 Indiana. Schlabach thinks it’ll be No. 5 Oregon against No. 4 Texas Tech.

Either way, these games look like they’ll be a blast—Alabama’s history against Indiana’s rise, or Oregon’s offense versus Texas Tech. Hard to pick which would be more fun.

Capital One Orange Bowl

Bonagura predicts No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 Texas Tech. Schlabach flips it: No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 2 Indiana.

A Texas A&M and Texas Tech faceoff? That could be the game everyone’s talking about.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential

Both experts see No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Two bluebloods, one iconic stadium—what more could you want?

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Bonagura has No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 3 Georgia. Schlabach puts No. 11 Virginia against No. 3 Georgia.

If Oregon and Georgia meet again, the storyline of Dan Lanning vs. his old boss Kirby Smart is just too good.

Semifinals and National Championship

The CFP semifinals are locked in for January 8 and 9, with the Fiesta and Peach Bowls hosting. The national title game lands at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on January 19.

Fiesta Bowl

Bonagura’s got No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State. Schlabach is calling for No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Indiana.

Big names, big moments—what else is new?

Peach Bowl

Bonagura projects No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Indiana. Schlabach flips it to No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State.

Whoever wins here will have a shot at the ultimate prize.

National Championship

Both Bonagura and Schlabach agree on No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State for the championship. A rematch from the Big Ten title game? Sounds like it could be an instant classic.

The Bowl Season

Outside the playoff, there’s still a whopping 36-game bowl slate for fans to enjoy. The bowl season kicks off with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on December 13. There’s a little bit of everything in these matchups.

Notable Bowl Games

• Cricket Celebration Bowl: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
• Bucked Up LA Bowl: Arizona State vs. UNLV (Bonagura) or Washington vs. Boise State (Schlabach)
• IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: UConn vs. Old Dominion (Bonagura) or Jacksonville State vs. Troy (Schlabach)
• Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: Hawai’i vs. Washington State (Bonagura) or Hawai’i vs. California (Schlabach)
• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee (Bonagura) or Miami vs. Vanderbilt (Schlabach)
• Valero Alamo Bowl: BYU vs. USC

There’s a great mix of powerhouse teams and up-and-comers. It’s a fitting finale for another wild college football season.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 college football postseason is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. With the expanded College Football Playoff and a full slate of bowl games, fans have plenty to look forward to.

As the conference championship games approach, the final picture will become clearer. For more detailed projections and analysis, visit the full article on ESPN.