College Football Playoff Bracket Revealed: Indiana Tops the Rankings

The 2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket is officially locked in after a wild championship weekend. Indiana surged to the No. 1 seed after upsetting Ohio State, while Notre Dame was surprisingly left out of the 12-team field. Here’s a full breakdown of the bracket, seeds, and complete first-round schedule.

The Top Four Seeds Receive First-Round Byes

The 2025–26 College Football Playoff bracket is officially set following an eventful championship weekend. Indiana shocked Ohio State to claim the Big Ten title and secure the No. 1 seed. The Hoosiers enter the postseason at 13–0 with major momentum, marking their second straight CFP appearance under head coach Curt Cignetti, who has the program playing at an elite level. Ohio State’s loss drops them from the top spot, and they now await the winner of the Miami vs. Texas A&M matchup.

Notre Dame Misses The 12-Playoff Bracket

Another major storyline is Notre Dame (10–2) being left out entirely. The committee made the tough call to exclude them, and in response the university opted out of all bowl participation—widely viewed as a statement of protest. Their loss to Miami earlier in the season may have been the deciding factor.

This year marks the debut of the expanded 12-team playoff, with the top four seeds—Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech, receiving first-round byes. The opening round begins December 19, featuring a full slate of matchups including Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tulane, and James Madison. You can find the complete schedule below.

Full schedule:

First Round (Dec. 19–20)

Friday, Dec. 19

• No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama — 8 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN

Saturday, Dec. 20

• No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) — 12 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
• No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane — 3:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max
• No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison — 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max

Quarterfinals (Dec. 31–Jan. 1)

Wednesday, Dec. 31

• No. 2 Ohio State vs. Texas A&M/Miami (Fla.) winner — Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 1

• No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Oregon/James Madison winner — Orange Bowl, 12 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 1 Indiana vs. Oklahoma/Alabama winner — Rose Bowl, 4 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 3 Georgia vs. Ole Miss/Tulane winner — Sugar Bowl, 8 p.m. | ESPN

Semifinals (Jan. 8–9)

Thursday, Jan. 8

• Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.) — 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Friday, Jan. 9

• Peach Bowl (Atlanta) — 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

College Football Playoff National Championship

Monday, Jan. 19

• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.) — 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

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