College Football Playoff Quarterfinals: Updated Bracket and Scores Revealed
The road to Miami has officially begun, and the 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket just got its first round of cuts. After a wild batch of games, the 12-team playoff is now down to eight, and the quarterfinals are shaping up to be a blast.
Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, and Oregon all clawed their way through some tough matchups to punch their tickets. Meanwhile, Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech—those top-seeded squads—are waiting to see who’s coming for them next.
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First Round Recap: Triumphs and Upsets
Honestly, the first round was a spectacle. There were dominant wins, a couple of eyebrow-raising upsets, and plenty of drama.
On Friday, Dec. 19, Alabama took down Oklahoma 34-24. They pulled off a wild 34-7 run starting in the second quarter, with Ty Simpson leading the way. Alabama just keeps finding ways to win, don’t they?
Miami’s Historic Win
Saturday brought the shocker. Miami, seeded tenth, toppled No. 7 Texas A&M 10-3. The game didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, but Miami snagged its first-ever CFP win.
True freshman Bryce Fitzgerald picked off a pass in the final moments to seal it, which was a pretty cool moment for the Hurricanes’ defense.
Ole Miss Dominates Tulane
Next up, Ole Miss steamrolled No. 11 Tulane, 41-10. This was their first game since Lane Kiffin left for LSU, and you could tell they wanted to make a statement.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss put up three total touchdowns and tossed for 282 yards. Ole Miss isn’t fading away quietly, that’s for sure.
Oregon Overcomes James Madison
The last quarterfinal spot went to Oregon, who outgunned No. 12 James Madison 51-34. The Dukes actually outscored Oregon in the second half, 28-17, but it wasn’t enough.
Dante Moore threw for five touchdowns, and that was just too much to overcome.
Quarterfinals Matchups Set
So, here’s what’s next. The quarterfinals are locked in, and the matchups look pretty spicy:
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami | Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
- Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon | Jan. 1, Noon ET | ESPN
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama | Jan. 1, 4 p.m. ET | ESPN
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss | Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET | ESPN
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Miami
The Cotton Bowl starts things off on New Year’s Eve. No. 2 Ohio State takes on No. 10 Miami. Ohio State’s got that explosive offense and tough defense, so Miami’s going to have to dig deep again, especially on defense, if they want to pull off another upset.
Orange Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
Then there’s the Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech against No. 5 Oregon. Texas Tech likes to air it out, but Oregon’s balanced attack, led by Dante Moore, is no joke.
This one could be a shootout—high-scoring and unpredictable. Wouldn’t miss it.
Rose Bowl: Indiana vs. Alabama
After that, the Rose Bowl has top-seeded Indiana facing No. 9 Alabama. Indiana’s been on a roll, but Alabama is heating up right when it matters.
Feels like anything could happen in this one. Classic Rose Bowl vibes.
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Ole Miss
The Sugar Bowl wraps up the quarterfinals. No. 3 Georgia squares off with No. 6 Ole Miss. Georgia’s a well-rounded team, but Ole Miss, with Trinidad Chambliss leading the offense, can score in bunches.
This might come down to who blinks first. Or maybe a lucky bounce or two.
Looking Ahead: Semifinals and Championship
Winners from the quarters move on to the semifinals, which are set for the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl:
- Fiesta Bowl: Winner of Cotton Bowl vs. Winner of Sugar Bowl | Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
- Peach Bowl: Winner of Rose Bowl vs. Winner of Orange Bowl | Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
The whole thing wraps up at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Jan. 19. The championship game will be everywhere—ABC, ESPN, TNT, truTV—so there’s really no excuse to miss it.
Broadcast and Streaming Information
Most of the CFP games are set to air nationally on ESPN and ABC. If you want to stream the games, the ESPN app works—just need a TV login.
Fubo’s got a free trial for new folks, which is handy. Some first-round matchups will also show up on TNT and truTV, and you can catch those through Sling TV.
Need the nitty-gritty on the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket and schedule? Check out the official USA Today sports page.
