College Football Playoff bracket, based on the current committee rankings

Using the CFP Selection Committee’s fourth Top 25 ranking, announced on Tuesday, November 25, this is how the 2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket looks.

This is not the final, official CFP bracket, which will not be revealed until Sunday, December 7. The bracket below outlines exactly what the CFP bracket will look like based on the most recent CFP rankings.

2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket

This bracket uses the fourth selection committee’s top 25 rankings from Tuesday, November 25. There is still one more season ranking to be released before the committee’s final rankings – and the official College Football Playoff bracket – are revealed on Sunday, December 7.

The Top 25 ranking does not always correspond to seeding in the playoffs, as the five highest-ranked conference champions are automatically included, even if they finish behind the teams in the Top 25 or are not ranked in the Top 25 at all.

First round (and corresponding quarterfinal matchups)

• No. 12 Tulane at No. 5 Texas Tech
  • Winner vs. No. 4 Georgia in quarterfinals
• No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 8 Oklahoma
  • Winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State in quarterfinals
• No. 11 Miami (Fla.) at No. 6 Oregon
  • Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M in quarterfinals
• No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Ole Miss
  • Winner vs. No. 2 Indiana in quarterfinals

College Football Playoff Rankings, Seeds

The four highest-ranked teams – regardless of how they finish in their conference – receive a first-round bye into the quarterfinals. These teams are listed boldThe bracket includes all teams obliqueThe five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids,

Here are the latest CFP Top 25 rankings.

1. Ohio State: 11-0
2. Indiana: 11-0
3. Texas A&M: 11-0
4. Georgia: 10-1
5. Texas Tech: 10-1
6. Oregon: 10-1
7. Ole Miss: 10-1
8. Oklahoma: 9-2
9. Notre Dame: 9-2
10. Alabama: 9-2
11. BYU: 10-1 (1st team out)
12. Miami (Florida): 9–2 (fourth highest-ranked conference champion)
13. Utah: 9-2
14. Vanderbilt: 9-2
15. Michigan: 9-2
16. Texas: 8-3
17. USC: 8-3
18. Virginia: 9-2
19. Tennessee: 8-3
20. Arizona State: 8-3
21. SMU: 8-3
22. Pitt: 8-3
23. Georgia Tech: 9-2
24. Tulane: 9–2 (fifth highest-ranked conference champion)
25. Arizona: 8-3

There is no re-seeding of the brackets after the round.

The four quarterfinal games are not played at campus sites like the first round. The quarterfinals, scheduled for December 31 and January 1, will be played at the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The four highest-ranked teams will be assigned to one of these bowls, taking into account historical bowl relationships as well as seeding.

The four quarterfinal winners will then meet in the semifinals on January 8 and January 9 at the Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl. If the seeds remain intact, it means No. 1 will play No. 4 and No. 2 will play No. 3. The two semifinal winners will then play for the CFP National Championship on Monday, January 19 in Miami.

2025–26 College Football Playoff schedule

• First Round (December 19-20) – On Campus
  • Friday, December 19
    • 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
  • Saturday, December 20,
    • 12 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
    • 3:30 PM on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
    • 7:30 pm on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
• Quarterfinals (31 December-1 January)
  • Wednesday, December 31
    • Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas) | 7:30 pm espn, watchespn
  • Thursday, January 1
    • Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida) | 12 noon espn, watchespn
    • Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) | 4 pm espn, watchespn
    • Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) | 8 pm espn, watchespn
• Semifinals (8–9 January)
  • Thursday, January 8
    • Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona) | 7:30 pm espn, watchespn
  • Friday, January 9
    • Peach Bowl (Atlanta) 7:30 pm espn, watchespn
• College Football Playoff National Championship Game
  • Monday, January 19
    • Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida 7:30 pm espn, watchespn