2025 Bowl Projections, CFP Final Bracket Predictions and Picking Most Dangerous Teams
We're one step closer to knowing the final 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) field. Week 14 brought several rivalry games, a few upsets and some clarity on how conferences are likely to shake out.
We have an idea of how Tuesday's penultimate CFP rankings might look, thanks to an updated AP poll. However, things could change fairly significantly next week, as conference championships unfold.
Alabama, for example, finds itself in the SEC Championship Game following Texas A&M's loss to Texas. A blowout loss against Georgia could potentially knock the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide out of the playoff field.
Here, you'll find the updated AP rankings, playoff predictions ahead of championship week and an in-depth look at the most dangerous contenders likely to be in this year's field.
Updated AP Top 25 Rankings
1 of 4
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Georgia
4. Oregon
5. Texas Tech
6. Mississippi
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma
9. Notre Dame
10. Alabama
11. BYU
12. Miami
13. Vanderbilt
14. Texas
15. Utah
16. Virginia
17. USC
18. Michigan
19. James Madison
20. North Texans
21. Tulane
22. Arizona
23. Navy
24. Georgia Tech
25. Missouri
Bracket Predictions
2 of 4
Byes
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Georgia
4. Texas Tech
Round 1
12. Tulane at 5. Oregon
11. Virginia at 6. Texas A&M
10. Alabama at 7. Mississippi
9. Notre Dame at 8. Oklahoma
The Big Ten Could Have Two Teams With First-Round Byes
3 of 4
While the five highest-ranked conference champions will earn automatic playoff berths, the top four spots aren't guaranteed to go to conference champs as they were a year ago.
Therefore, there's a very real chance that we'll see both Ohio State and Indiana earn first-round byes, even though both teams will face off this week in the Big Ten title game.
Both squads should be considered massive threats in the playoff field. The Buckeyes, of course, are the defending champs, and their current team might be even more dangerous than last year's.
Ohio State has a top-tier quarterback in Julian Sayin, an elite defense coached by new coordinator Matt Patricia, plus just as many game-breaking skill players as the team boasted in 2025. The Buckeyes are undefeated and could remain that way through the CFP title game.
However, Indiana is well-equipped to battle the Buckeyes and every other possible playoff opponent. The Hoosiers have their own star quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, a terrific coach in Curt Cignetti and a defense that has allowed just 10.9 points per game.
Ohio State and Indiana both have the goods to make a championship run, and it's hard to see either team falling out of the top four with a single loss. In fact, things could be set up for a rematch between the two in the CFP Championship Game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Don't Discount Oregon
4 of 4.jpg?w=684 "Minnesota Oregon Football")
The SEC title game between Georgia and Alabama could potentially knock one team out of the top four and the other out of the playoffs. However, the prediction here is that the Bulldogs win the game while the committee insists on keeping a three-loss Alabama team in the field.
The Bulldogs and projected Big 12 champion, Texas Tech, will both loom as major playoff threats if they earn first-round byes. However, Oregon might prove to be the biggest threat among non-conference champions this year.
The Ducks have lost just a single game this season, a 30-20 defeat against the Hoosiers. The AP considers Oregon a top-four team, but missing the Big Ten Championship will probably force the Ducks to win three games to reach the CFP title game instead of only two.
That's a feat Oregon might just pull off.
Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is capable of going play-for-play with Sayin, Mendoza and every other quarterback likely to be in the playoff field. Despite being a first-year starter for Oregon, Moore—and several of his teammates—have the CFP experience that some other squads lack.
Dan Lanning coached Oregon to a Big Ten title and a CFP bye last year. With an offense and a defense that rank in the top 10 of scoring, the Ducks have a well-rounded roster that can go much further than the second round this year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
