College Football Playoff Predictions: Odds, Picks for Remaining Bowl Games

The 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) is heating up with just eight teams left. The excitement is real—top four seeds are finally about to take the field again after the conference championships.

Bowl season is packed, and everyone’s got their picks and wild predictions. Let’s dig into the upcoming quarterfinal matchups, toss around some opinions, and see what the experts are thinking. Indiana and Alabama? That’s a matchup with some real intrigue. And don’t sleep on Texas Tech versus Oregon—there’s plenty of drama to go around.

Quarterfinal Showdowns: Key Matchups and Predictions

The quarterfinals for the 2025 CFP are shaping up to be some of the tightest, most entertaining games we’ve seen all season. Every team brings something different to the table, and honestly, it’s tough to call who’s got the upper hand in a few of these.

Let’s break down the matchups and see what the experts are saying.

Indiana vs. Alabama

Indiana’s coach, Curt Cignetti, has a few tricks up his sleeve—he’s learned from Nick Saban himself. Indiana steps in as the favorite, thanks to a top-10 run defense and an offense that’s just plain efficient.

Alabama’s in a tougher spot, leaning on quarterback Ty Simpson since their ground game hasn’t really clicked.

• Prediction: Indiana 27, Alabama 24 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Indiana 31, Alabama 17 (Crawford)

Indiana’s got the edge, but Alabama could always throw a wrench into things if they play out of their minds.

Ohio State vs. Miami

Ohio State is all about that tough line play and fast receivers, but Miami’s offensive line and pass rush are no joke. The Buckeyes’ offense struggled against Indiana, so Miami’s defense—led by Mario Cristobal—could give them fits.

• Prediction: Ohio State 27, Miami 20 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Ohio State 20, Miami 14 (Crawford)

Still, both experts are leaning toward Ohio State, but not by much.

Oregon vs. Texas Tech

Texas Tech’s front seven is elite, and Oregon’s got speed to burn. These teams are pretty evenly matched, both ranking high in explosive plays and defending against them.

Texas Tech’s coach Joey McGuire has his team ready for just about anything, and their ability to adapt could make the difference.

• Prediction: Texas Tech 21, Oregon 20 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Texas Tech 30, Oregon 24 (Crawford)

Experts are giving Texas Tech the nod, mostly because of their power up front and knack for big moments.

Georgia vs. Ole Miss

Georgia and Ole Miss meet again after their regular-season showdown. Georgia’s hitting its stride at just the right time, while Ole Miss has been dealing with a carousel of coaching changes.

• Prediction: Georgia 34, Ole Miss 24 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Georgia 27, Ole Miss 20 (Crawford)

Georgia’s defense and steady play make them the clear pick here.

Non-Playoff Bowl Games: Insights and Picks

Besides the CFP quarters, there are 24 more bowl games running through January 2. That’s a lot of football, and plenty of chances for fans to catch their teams one last time this season.

Here’s a quick look at some of the more interesting non-playoff bowl matchups and what the experts are thinking.

Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State

• Prediction: Appalachian State +7.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Appalachian State +7.5 (Crawford)

Both experts are siding with Appalachian State to cover against Georgia Southern.

Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech

• Prediction: Louisiana Tech -8.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Coastal Carolina +8.5 (Crawford)

No consensus here—Hummer’s with Louisiana Tech, Crawford’s rolling with Coastal Carolina.

Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois

• Prediction: Illinois +2.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Tennessee -2.5 (Crawford)

Split picks again: Hummer likes Illinois, Crawford says Tennessee.

Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU

• Prediction: USC -6.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: USC -6.5 (Crawford)

Both are on USC to cover against TCU.

ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt

• Prediction: Vanderbilt -5.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Vanderbilt -5.5 (Crawford)

Vanderbilt’s the pick for both experts here.

Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke

• Prediction: Duke -2.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Duke -2.5 (Crawford)

Duke’s expected to cover versus Arizona State.

Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas

• Prediction: Texas -7.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Texas -7.5 (Crawford)

Both experts are backing Texas to cover against Michigan.

Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah

• Prediction: Nebraska +15.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Nebraska +15.5 (Crawford)

Nebraska’s the pick to cover that big spread against Utah.

Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State

• Prediction: Texas State -8.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Texas State -8.5 (Crawford)

Texas State’s expected to handle Rice and cover the spread.

Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati

• Prediction: Cincinnati +6.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Navy -6.5 (Crawford)

Hummer’s leaning Cincinnati, Crawford’s got Navy—no agreement here.

Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State

• Prediction: Wake Forest +4.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: Wake Forest +4.5 (Crawford)

Both say Wake Forest covers against Mississippi State.

Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU

• Prediction: SMU +2.5 (Hummer)
• Prediction: SMU +2.5 (Crawford)

Experts agree—SMU should cover against Arizona.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 College Football Playoff and the bowl games really do bring a wild end to the season. There’s just something about the stakes, the noise, the unexpected twists—fans can’t help but get drawn in.

If you want to dig into expert predictions or just see how the matchups stack up, the original article on CBS Sports is worth a look. There’s plenty there for anyone who loves the game, or just wants to argue about who’s got the best shot.