The Official College Football Playoff Bracket is Still Days Away, but We Have Some Insights
The official College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket is still days away, but Tuesday night’s rankings provided some clarity and raised more questions about how the committee values teams. Ohio State and Indiana, both with perfect 12-0 records, are set to meet in the Big Ten championship game, and regardless of the outcome, both teams are locked into a CFP spot. Texas Tech, Georgia, Oregon, and Ole Miss all advanced over Texas A&M, which suffered its first loss against Texas in rivalry week. Ole Miss’s surprising climb, despite former head coach Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU, was due to the committee’s confidence in the team’s new leadership and the return of their offensive coordinator.
The Top 12 Teams in the CFP Bracket Poll
The top two positions remained unchanged, with Ohio State and Indiana holding the first and second spots, respectively. Both teams are guaranteed spots in the CFP, and the Big Ten champion will likely be seeded higher. Texas A&M’s loss to Texas caused them to drop from No. 3 to No. 7, while Texas Tech moved up to No. 4. Ole Miss, despite Kiffin’s departure, rose a spot to No. 6. Other notable changes include Alabama moving ahead of Notre Dame to No. 10 and Miami remaining at No. 12. These rankings set the stage for championship weekend, but they are not set in stone. Committee chair Hunter Yurachek emphasized that all teams will be re-ranked following championship weekend, and idle teams can still move up or down based on the outcomes.
The First Four Teams Out and the Rest of the Top 25
The first four teams out of the CFP bracket are Texas, Vanderbilt, Utah, and USC. Despite Texas’s three losses, their victory over Texas A&M in rivalry week boosted them to No. 13. Vanderbilt remained at No. 14 after beating Tennessee, while Utah fell to No. 15 despite a road win over Kansas. USC moved up one spot to No. 16 after defeating UCLA. The remaining teams in the top 25, including Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, Tulane, Houston, Georgia Tech, Iowa, North Texas, and James Madison, are unlikely to make the 12-team playoff. However, James Madison, if they win the Sun Belt championship, could leapfrog teams ahead of them and secure a spot in the field.
How the College Football Playoff Format Works in 2025
This is the second year of the 12-team playoff, and the format has been slightly adjusted. The five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the next seven best non-conference champions will earn wild card spots. Seeding is based on overall rankings, regardless of conference championship wins. The top four seeds will receive byes, while seeds 5-12 will face off in the first round. The quarterfinals will then feature the top seeds against the winners of the first-round matchups. The semifinals and the national championship will round out the playoff, with key games scheduled from December 19 to January 19.
College Football Playoff Predictions
TSN’s Bill Bender projected the 12-team CFP as follows: Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Texas Tech, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama, Virginia, and Tulane. These predictions are based on current rankings and the potential outcomes of conference championship games. The first round will see No. 5 Oregon hosting No. 12 Tulane, No. 6 Texas A&M facing No. 11 Virginia, No. 7 Ole Miss taking on No. 10 Alabama, and No. 8 Oklahoma playing No. 9 Notre Dame. The quarterfinals will pit the top four seeds against the winners of these first-round matchups, culminating in the semifinals and the national championship.
Upcoming CFP Rankings and Selection Show
The next CFP rankings will be released on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, with a live stream available on Fubo. The final selection show, which will reveal the complete 12-team playoff bracket, will air on Sunday, December 7, at 12:00 p.m. ET, also on ESPN. These events will be crucial for teams and fans as they wait to see how the final standings will shake out and which teams will advance to the playoff. The excitement builds as championship weekend approaches, with every game potentially impacting the ultimate fate of these college football powerhouses.
