2025–26 College Football Playoff: the full rundown, data, and an ESPN-style bracket
The 12-team College Football Playoff field for the 2025–26 season was announced on December 7, 2025 — and it arrived with shock, history and controversy. Indiana earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, four teams (Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech) received byes, and the first round begins Dec. 19–20 with two wild Friday/Saturday slates leading into quarterfinals on Dec. 31–Jan. 1. The semifinals are set for the Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8) and Peach Bowl (Jan. 9) and the CFP National Championship will be played Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (College Football Playoff)
The 12 teams & seeds (as released by the CFP selection committee)
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Indiana (13–0) — No. 1 seed, receives first-round bye. (College Football Playoff)
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Ohio State (12–1) — No. 2 seed, bye. (College Football Playoff)
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Georgia (12–1) — No. 3 seed, bye. (College Football Playoff)
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Texas Tech (12–1) — No. 4 seed, bye. (College Football Playoff)
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Oregon (11–1) — No. 5 seed, hosts a first-round game. (ESPN.com)
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Ole Miss (11–2) — No. 6 seed. (ESPN.com)
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Alabama (10–3) — No. 7 seed; notable as a multi-loss at-large entry. (The Washington Post)
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Oklahoma (11–2) — No. 8 seed. (ESPN.com)
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Alabama listed as 9 in some displays? — (Note: ESPN’s bracket presentation showed Alabama as the 9 seed opposite No. 8 Oklahoma for a first-round meeting; bracket presentation/seed labeling can vary in visuals but matchup pairings are official). (ESPN.com)
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Texas A&M (10–2) — No. 10 seed. (ESPN.com)
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Tulane (11–2) — No. 11 seed, representing the Group of Five and earning a travel-heavy matchup. (ESPN.com)
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James Madison (12–1) — No. 12 seed; JMU becomes the first Sun Belt team in the CFP and makes its first appearance in the playoff four years after joining FBS. They travel to Oregon in the first round. (Underdog Dynasty)
Note on Notre Dame: The committee’s decisions produced immediate fallout: 10–2 Notre Dame was left out despite national attention, and several commentators and the program itself criticized the outcome. The committee cited head-to-head and strength-of-schedule factors in explaining choices between closely ranked teams. (The Washington Post)
First round — Dec. 19–20 (matchups, sites, kickoff windows)
(First round is single-elimination; winners advance to quarterfinals on Dec. 31 / Jan. 1.)
Friday, Dec. 19
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No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama — 8:00 p.m. ET (site: Oklahoma, per bracket hosting rules). Broadcast: ABC/ESPN. (Oddsmakers initial line shown on ESPN bracket page.) (ESPN.com)
Saturday, Dec. 20
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No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison — 7:30 p.m. ET, in Eugene (ESPN/TNT/truTV coverage). This is JMU’s first CFP game; their travel to the Pacific Time Zone is a first for CFP first-round hosting. (Underdog Dynasty)
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No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane — 3:30 p.m. ET (site: Ole Miss). (ESPN.com)
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No. 7 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma listed above — (see Friday slot). (ESPN.com)
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No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 3/4 seed? — (Some pairings/re-seeding logic: the bracket pairs winners into the predetermined quarter slots; see bracket below for exact quarter matches). (NCAA.com)
(For a printable PDF of the bracket and official schedule, the NCAA released a bracket file the same day the committee announced the field.) (NCAA.com)
Quarterfinals — Dec. 31 & Jan. 1 (site = higher seed / predetermined bowls)
Winners from the first round will travel to play the top-4 seeds on these dates. The bracket pairs are fixed (no reseeding): winners advance into the predetermined quarterfinal matchups that feed the Fiesta and Peach semifinal slots. Official TV windows and exact kickoff times were listed by the CFP and ESPN. (NCAA.com)
Semifinals
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Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ) — Thursday, Jan. 8 — CFP Semifinal, 7:30 p.m. ET. (ESPN.com)
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Peach Bowl (Atlanta, GA — Mercedes-Benz Stadium) — Friday, Jan. 9 — CFP Semifinal, 7:30 p.m. ET. (ESPN.com)
CFP National Championship — Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, 7:30 p.m. ET. (ESPN.com)
Storylines & data points to watch
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Indiana unbeaten and No. 1 seed: Indiana (13–0) claimed the season’s top seed and a bye — their highest CFP placement ever — and will host its quarterfinal. How their schedule-strength (and margin of victory metrics) hold up against traditional powers is a key subplot. (College Football Playoff)
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Alabama makes the field despite three losses: The committee included Alabama as an at-large, marking a rare multi-loss inclusion and prompting debate about whether historical reputation, schedule strength, or late-season form weighed most heavily. Expect heavy line movement and media focus on Alabama’s postseason path. (The Washington Post)
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James Madison historic appearance: JMU (12–1), Sun Belt champions and making the CFP in their fourth FBS season, travel to face Oregon in Eugene. This is a milestone for Group of Five upward mobility and will be the first CFP game hosted in the Pacific Time Zone. (Underdog Dynasty)
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Notre Dame left out — fallout: Notre Dame’s decision to decline bowl participation after the snub and the ensuing public criticism highlight the committee’s strained relationships with some non-Power-5 or independent programs and will be a major narrative through bowl season. (The Washington Post)
2025–26 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
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Quarterfinals (Dec 31 / Jan 1) -> Semifinals (Jan 8/9) -> Championship (Jan 19)
(1) Indiana (BYE) ──────────────────────────────────┐
│
├─ Winner QF 1 ────┐
First Round Winner of (8) Oklahoma vs (9) Alabama ─┘ │
├─ Winner SF (Fiesta/Peach) ── CFP CHAMP
(4) Texas Tech (BYE) ──────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │
├─ Winner QF 2 ────┘
First Round Winner of (5) Oregon vs (12) JMU ───────┘
---------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Georgia (BYE) ──────────────────────────────────┐
│
├─ Winner QF 3 ────┐
First Round Winner of (6) Ole Miss vs (11) Tulane ─┘ │
├─ Winner SF (Peach/Fiesta) ─ CFP CHAMP
(2) Ohio State (BYE) ──────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │
├─ Winner QF 4 ────┘
First Round Winner of (7) Alabama vs (8) Oklahoma ─┘
---------------------------------------------------------------
First round schedule (official):
- Fri Dec 19: (8) Oklahoma vs (9) Alabama — 8:00 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN). :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}
- Sat Dec 20: (5) Oregon vs (12) James Madison — 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT/truTV/ESPN feed). :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}
- Sat Dec 20: (6) Ole Miss vs (11) Tulane — 3:30 p.m. ET. :contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}
Semifinals:
- Jan 8 — Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, AZ), 7:30 p.m. ET. :contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}
- Jan 9 — Peach Bowl (Atlanta, GA), 7:30 p.m. ET. :contentReference[oaicite:32]{index=32}
National Championship:
- Jan 19 — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, 7:30 p.m. ET. :contentReference[oaicite:33]{index=33}
Quick-reference table (key facts)
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Selection date: December 7, 2025. (College Football Playoff)
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Format: 12-team bracket (top 4 byes). (College Football Playoff)
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Semifinal dates: Jan. 8 (Fiesta) and Jan. 9 (Peach). (ESPN.com)
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Championship: Jan. 19, 2026 — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. (ESPN.com)
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Most controversial exclusion: Notre Dame (10–2) left out. (The Washington Post)
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Historic inclusion: James Madison (first Sun Belt team in CFP). (Underdog Dynasty)
Sources & further reading
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Official CFP release and final top-25 (selection committee). (College Football Playoff)
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ESPN CFP bracket and coverage (bracket visualization and game lines). (ESPN.com)
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NCAA bracket printable PDF and schedule. (NCAA.com)
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News coverage of Notre Dame reaction and committee controversy (Washington Post). (The Washington Post)
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James Madison’s CFP acceptance and first-round pairing at Oregon (Underdog Dynasty reporting). (Underdog Dynasty)
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