It took a whole lot of controversy and even a bowl boycott by Notre Dame, but the 2025 College Football Playoff field is officially set. All 12 teams are seeded and know who and where they’re going to play in the second edition of the expanded College Football Playoff. Indiana is the No. 1 overall seed after finishing the year with an undefeated record and beating Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.
Ohio State is the No. 2 seed in the field despite the loss. The rest of the field includes five total SEC teams, three Big Ten teams, two Group of 5 teams — thanks Duke for beating Virginia in the ACC title game — and Miami as the lone ACC representative. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s field.
Everything to know for the College Football Playoff
- College Football Playoff bracket
- College Football Playoff seeding
- College Football Playoff schedule
- College Football playoff matchups
- Where are the 2025 CFP games played?
- Fan anxiety meter: How each playoff fanbase should feel right now
College Football Playoff bracket
College Football Playoff seeding
- Indiana Hoosiers (13-0, Big Ten champion)
- Ohio State (12-1, at-large)
- Georgia Bulldogs (12-1, SEC champion)
- Texas Tech (12-1, Big 12 champion)
- Oregon Ducks (11-1, at-large)
- Ole Miss Rebels (11-1, at-large)
- Texas A&M Aggies (11-1, at-large)
- Oklahoma Sooners (10-2, at-large)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3, at-large)
- Miami Hurricanes (10-2, at-large)
- Tulane Green Wave (11-2, American champion)
- James Madison Dukes (12-1, Sun Belt champion)
The first four seeds in the CFP receive a first round bye.
The CFP seeds were officially locked in as the selection committee had their work cut out for them, trying to decide who should get in. Though their criteria can feel a bit vague at times, they do have four specific areas they look at when deciding who should get in:
- Strength of schedule
- Head-to-head competition
- Comparative outcomes of common opponents
- Other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason
College Football Playoff schedule
First round
Date | Matchup | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
Friday, Dec. 19 | No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | 8 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN |
Saturday, Dec. 20 | No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M | 12 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN |
Saturday, Dec. 20 | No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss | 3:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max |
Saturday, Dec. 20 | No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max |
Quarterfinals
Date | Matchup | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, Dec. 31 | Texas A&M/Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Thursday, Jan. 1 | Oregon/James Madison winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech | 12 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Thursday, Jan. 1 | Oklahoma/Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana | 4 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Thursday, Jan. 1 | Tulane/Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Semifinals and Championship Game
Date | Matchup | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
Thursday, Jan. 8 | Semifinals TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Friday, Jan. 9 | Semifinals TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Monday, Jan. 19 | Title game TBD | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
College Football playoff matchups
No. 12 James Madison Dukes at No. 5 Oregon Ducks
Dante Moore and the Ducks are ready for redemption. Last year Oregon was whooped by eventual champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl after Oregon was awarded the No. 1 overall seed. On paper, they should have no problems with James Madison, but the Dukes are a sneaky team that could pull off the improbable upset.
Oregon might be a 21.5-point favorite, but Alonza Barnett IV and the Dukes have been on a heater, not losing since the second game of the season to Louisville. This could end up being a better game than people think and it has less to do with Oregon and more to do with JMU being better than they’re getting credit for.
No. 11 Tulane Green Wave at No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels
No Lane Kiffin, no problem right? That’s what newly hired coach Pete Golding is hoping as the Rebels prepare for their first CFP game. They still have Kewan Lacy and Trinidad Chambliss, meaning this explosive offense should be just as efficient the first time around like it was when the two met earlier this year. They’ll absolutely have their eyes on another blowout win.
That said, this is a different Tulane team than the Rebels saw at the beginning of the season. The Green Wave were the last team standing in the American Conference and now they get to prove how much they’ve improved throughout the year. They’re an explosive offense that could surprise Ole Miss.
No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners
Alabama is looking for revenge, while Oklahoma is set to prove it’s ready to be a power in its second year in the SEC. Ty Simpson and Alabama’s one dimensional offense came up short to Oklahoma earlier this year, 23-21, and it put the Crimson Tide in hot water with their CFP bid. Fortunately for them, the selection committee didn’t punish them for a third loss against Georgia. Kalen DeBoer needs a CFP win badly. If he loses, the hot seat will be ignited once again in Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma is looking to put an end to any drama around Alabama in the first round of the CFP. John Mateer, in one year, has saved Brent Venables’ job and now has the Sooners back in the CFP for the first time since Jalen Hurts was the quarterback. They could very well beat Bama for a second time and if they do, it would shut any chatter about whether Mateer was ready for the SEC or not.
No. 10 Miami Hurricanes at No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies
Carson Beck needs redemption more than any single player in this College Football Playoff field. He returned to college with one goal in mind: Win a national championship. Against all odds, the CFP selection committee put the Hurricanes in and now the real work begins. Beck has faced a lot of scrutiny for his inconsistent play and costing his team games. It won’t be easy against Texas A&M, but anything less than a win and it just might be Beck’s final career football game.
As for Marcel Reed and the Aggies, well they’ve had quite a bit of time off thanks to being stunned by Texas in the final game of the season. The 10-point loss not only booted the Aggies out of the SEC title game, but brought a bad spotlight on Reed and this offense. It was his worst game and the best thing for him is getting back home and proving why he was once a Heisman finalist.
Where are the 2025 CFP games played?
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
- Eugene, Oregon
- Outdoor stadium
- Crowd lean: Oregon Ducks
- Weather risk: Cold / Rain
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
- Oxford, Mississippi
- Outdoor stadium
- Crowd lean: Ole Miss
- Weather risk: Cold / Rain
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma
- Norman, Oklahoma
- Outdoor stadium
- Crowd lean: Oklahoma Sooners
- Weather risk: Possible wind or rain
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M
- College Station, Texas
- Outdoor stadium
- Crowd lean: Texas A&M
- Weather risk: Possible wind or rain
Fan anxiety meter: How each playoff fanbase should feel right now
Indiana Hoosiers
Confidence score: 9
- Nightmare matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dream matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Quick emotional read: Playing with house money
Ohio State Buckeyes
Confidence score: 8
- Nightmare matchup: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dream matchup: Miami Hurricanes
- Quick emotional read: Pissed off determination
Georgia Bulldogs
Confidence score: 7
- Nightmare matchup: Ole Miss
- Dream matchup: Ohio State
- Quick emotional read: Title-or-bust pressure
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Confidence score: 8
- Nightmare matchup: Indiana Hoosiers
- Dream matchup: Oregon Ducks
- Quick emotional read: Underdog with nothing to lose
Oregon Ducks
Confidence score: 6
- Nightmare matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dream matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Quick emotional read: Title-or-bust pressure
Ole Miss Rebels
Confidence score: 6
- Nightmare matchup: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dream matchup: Texas A&M Aggies
- Quick emotional read: Playing with house money
Texas A&M Aggies
Confidence score: 5
- Nightmare matchup: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dream matchup: Ole Miss Rebels
- Quick emotional read: Motivated
Oklahoma Sooners
Confidence score: 6
- Nightmare matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dream matchup: Oregon Ducks
- Quick emotional read: Underdog with a point to prove
Alabama Crimson Tide
Confidence score: 5
- Nightmare matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dream matchup: Oregon Ducks
- Quick emotional read: Pressure for a deep run
Miami Hurricanes
Confidence score: 4
- Nightmare matchup: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dream matchup: Ole Miss Rebels
- Quick emotional read: Just happy to be here
Tulane Green Wave
Confidence score: 2
- Nightmare matchup: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dream matchup: Miami Hurricanes
- Quick emotional read: Underdog with nothing to lose
James Madison Dukes
Confidence score: 3
- Nightmare matchup: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Dream matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Quick emotional read: Underdog with upset potential