Bowl Games 2025-26 Odds, Predictions, Schedule for College Football Playoff Bracket

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket has been set, and the opening round is less than a week away. While the top four teams in the country won't be in action this weekend, eight other championship contenders will face off for the chance to challenge Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech.

The field includes a few surprises, like Group of Five (G5) champs James Madison and Tulane.

Will any of the underdogs manage to make noise in this year's playoff? Will the Buckeyes repeat? Will Indiana complete its epic turnaround and win a national championship?

Let's dive into the schedule and the latest odds before making a few predictions.

CFB Schedule and Opening-Round Game Lines

Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Alabama RB Ak Dear

Round 1

Friday, December 19

No. 9 Alabama (-1.5) at No. 8 Oklahoma at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC

Saturday, December 20

No. 10 Miami (+3.5) at No. 7 Texas A&M at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC

No. 11 Tulane (+17.5) at No. 6 Mississippi at 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT, TruTV, HBO Max

No. 12 James Madison (+21.5) at No. 5 Oregon at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, TruTV, HBO Max

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, December 31

Cotton Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Thursday, January 1

Orange Bowl at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN

Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN

Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

Semifinals

Thursday, January 8

Fiesta Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Friday, January 9

Peach Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

College Football Playoff Championship Game

When: Monday, January 19

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami

TV: ESPN

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

CFP Championship Odds

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State +215 (bet $100 to win $215)

Indiana +280

Georgia +550

Texas Tech +800

Oregon +900

Texas A&M +2000

Alabama +2500

Mississippi +2500

Miami +2500

Oklahoma +5000

James Madison +70000

Tulane +80000

CFP Preview

James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

One of the biggest storylines entering this year's playoff has been the rise of Indiana. A program that won just three games in 2023 made last year's playoff but lost to Notre Dame in the opening round. The Hoosiers enter this year's bracket with an unblemished record, the No. 1 seed and the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

What head coach Curt Cignetti has done in his two seasons has been remarkable. Nothing about this year's success has been fluky either. Indiana has handed both Ohio State and Oregon their only losses of the season.

The Buckeyes and Ducks are two legitimate contenders who could represent the Big Ten in the CFP Championship. Georgia, Mississippi and Texas A&M appear to be the two top contenders in the SEC. Oklahoma is also in the mix, though not widely viewed as a favorite.

Alabama made the tournament, though the Crimson Tide's inclusion was met with plenty of skepticism. The Tide got blown out by Georgia in the SEC title game but did not drop in the final CFP rankings. Instead, the committee dropped Notre Dame out of the bracket and moved Miami into the No. 10 seed.

Miami did beat the Irish at the beginning of the regular season, so that decision wasn't entirely surprising—though it's fair to wonder why the Hurricanes weren't ranked ahead of Notre Dame long before the final rankings.

It was a bit more curious to see Alabama stay at No. 9, when the Buckeyes, BYU and Virginia all dropped after losing their conference title games. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, though, argued that a loss in the SEC Championship shouldn't be held against the Tide.

"If this game applies to and takes away from our résumé, I don't think that's right," DeBoer said, per ESPN's Dave Wilson. "I really don't."

While the worthiness of Alabama—and, to a lesser extent, Miami—can be debated, James Madison and Tulane earned their spots in straightforward fashion.

The CFP selection process includes automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions. Virginia losing the ACC Championship to a five-loss Duke squad put two G5 schools in the bracket.

Of course, that doesn't mean either G5 underdog will pull off an upset and advance to the quarterfinals. Those controversial entrants, Alabama and Miami, are the two teams best equipped to win on the road in Round 1.

Bracket Predictions

David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Rose Bowl

9. Alabama vs. 1. Indiana

Cotton Bowl

7. Texas A&M vs. 2. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl

6. Mississippi vs. 3. Georgia

Orange Bowl

5. Oregon vs. 4. Texas Tech

Peach Bowl

5. Oregon vs. 1. Indiana

Fiesta Bowl

3. Georgia vs. 2. Ohio State

CFP Championship

2. Ohio State vs. 1. Indiana

Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.