College Football Playoff: Schedule, Bracket, Rankings, and Scores
The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) is in full swing, showcasing an exciting lineup of matchups. The playoffs consist of a total of 12 teams, with the bracket released on December 7.
2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule
The playoffs kick off with the first round scheduled for December 19 and 20, followed by the quarterfinals on December 31 and January 1. Here is how the schedule looks:
- First Round:
- Friday, December 19 – Oklahoma vs Alabama at 8 p.m. ET
- Saturday, December 20 – Remaining matchups
- Quarterfinals:
- Wednesday, December 31 – Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl
- Thursday, January 1 – Continuation of quarterfinals
- Semifinals:
- Thursday, January 8 – Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Friday, January 9 – Peach Bowl, Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET
- National Championship Game:
- Monday, January 19 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL at 7:30 p.m. ET
CFP Rankings and Seeding
The selection committee’s final top 25 rankings determined the seeding for the playoffs. Notably, the four highest-ranked teams received byes in the first round:
- 1st Seed: Indiana (13-0)
- 2nd Seed: Ohio State (12-1)
- 3rd Seed: Georgia (12-1)
- 4th Seed: Texas Tech (12-1)
The following teams round out the playoff bracket:
- 5. Oregon (11-1)
- 6. Ole Miss (11-1)
- 7. Texas A&M (11-1)
- 8. Oklahoma (10-2)
- 9. Alabama (10-3)
- 10. Miami (Fla.) (10-2)
- 11. Notre Dame (10-2)
- 12. BYU (11-2)
Key Details
The playoff format ensures that the five highest-ranked conference champions automatically secure bids, even if their rankings are lower than other teams. The CFP does not re-seed the bracket after the first round, meaning that the matchups remain consistent through to the eventual championship game.
Fans can enjoy this thrilling college football season as conferences compete for the prestige of the national championship. Stay tuned to El-Balad for updates on scores, games, and more during the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.
