Bracketology: College Football Playoff Field Based on Committee’s Latest Update

Using the CFP selection committee’s fifth top 25 rankings, which were revealed on Tuesday, December 2, this is how the 2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket looks.

The final, official CFP bracket won’t be made available until Sunday, December 7. The bracket below is just how the CFP tournament would look based on the most recent CFP rankings.

College Football Playoff bracket for 2025–2026

This bracket uses the fifth selection committee top 25 rankings from Tuesday, Dec. 2. This means that on Sunday, December 7, when we receive the official College Football Playoff bracket, the rankings will be revealed.

First Round (and related quarterfinal matchups)

• No. 12 fifth-highest ranked conference champion at No. 5 Oregon
  • Winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in the quarterfinals
• No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma
  • Winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State in the quarterfinals
• No. 11 fourth highest-ranked conference champion at No. 6 Ole Miss
  • Winner vs. No. 3 Georgia in the quarterfinals
• No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 Texas A&M
  • Winner vs. No. 2 Indiana in the quarterfinals

Rankings and seeds for the College Football Playoffs

Regardless of how they do in their conference, the top four teams advance to the quarterfinals via first round byes. The list of these teams is bold. Bids are automatically awarded to the top five conference winners.

The latest CFP top 25 rankings are shown here.

1. Ohio State: 12-0
2. Indiana: 12-0
3. Georgia: 11-1
4. Texas Tech: 11-1
5. Oregon: 11-1
6. Ole Miss: 11-1
7. Texas A&M: 11-1
8. Oklahoma: 10-2
9. Alabama: 10-2
10. Notre Dame: 10-2
11. BYU: 11-1
12. Miami (Fla.): 10-2
13. Texas: 9-3
14. Vanderbilt: 10-2
15. Utah: 10-2
16. USC: 9-3
17. Virginia: 10-2 (would be fourth highest-ranked conference champion)
18. Arizona: 9-3
19. Michigan: 9-3
20. Tulane: 10-2 (would be fifth highest-ranked conference champion)
21. Houston: 9-3
22. Georgia Tech: 9-3
23. Iowa: 8-4
24. North Texas: 11-1
25. James Madison: 11-1

The bracket is not reseeded following rounds.

Like the first round, none of the four quarterfinal games take place on campus. The quarterfinals will be played at the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl on December 31 and January 1. One of these bowls will be given to the top four teams based on seeding and historical bowl affiliations.

On January 8 and 9, the four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinals at either the Peach Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl. No. 1 would play No. 4 and No. 2 would play No. 3 if the seeding hold. The CFP national championship match between the two semifinal winners will take place in Miami on Monday, January 19.

2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule

• First round (Dec. 19-20) — on campus
  • Friday, Dec. 19
    • 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
  • Saturday, Dec. 20:
    • 12 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
    • 3:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
    • 7:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
• Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)
  • Wednesday, Dec. 31
    • Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
  • Thursday, Jan. 1
    • Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Fla.) | 12 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
    • Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) | 4 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
    • Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) | 8 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
• Semifinals (Jan. 8-9)
  • Thursday, Jan. 8
    • Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
  • Friday, Jan. 9
    • Peach Bowl (Atlanta) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
•  College Football Playoff National Championship Game
  • Monday, Jan. 19
    • Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN