College Football Playoff 2025-26 Playoff Odds, Schedule and Bracket Predictions

It's here, football fans! The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) will officially get underway with a thrilling Friday night showdown between SEC rivals Alabama and Oklahoma.

The bracket's opening game will be a rematch of a mid-November contest that the Sooners won 23-21. That game knocked the Crimson Tide out of a top-four spot in the rankings, though Alabama still managed to reach the SEC Championship and the playoff.

Three more CFP games will unfold on Friday, setting up a second round that will involve the top four teams—Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech.

Here, you'll find a look at the complete bracket schedule, latest odds, and a few last-minute predictions.

CFP Schedule and Game Lines

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Alabama QB Ty Simpson

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) 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

*Lines from DraftKings Sportsbook

Playoff Preview

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

The CFP committee underwent a fairly straightforward selection process, with a couple of exceptions. The inclusion of Sun Belt champion James Madison and AAC champ Tulane was the result of the committee's automatic qualifier setup.

Like last year, five of the 12 playoff spots went to the five highest-ranked conference champions. James Madison and Tulane joined Indiana, Georgia and Texas Tech as automatic qualifiers.

Of course, Indiana, Georgia, and Texas Tech also happen to be top-ranked teams.

The surprise came with the inclusion of Alabama, which lost the SEC Championship decisively to Georgia and yet did not drop in the rankings. Ohio State fell one spot after losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, and BYU and Virginia both fell out of the bracket after losing the Big 12 and ACC title games, respectively.

Instead, the committee decided to drop Notre Dame, while moving Miami into the No. 10 spot, based on Miami's head-to-head win over the Irish at the beginning of the year.

Alabama will now get a shot at redemption against Oklahoma, but it will likely need quarterback Ty Simpson to return to his early-season form in order to advance. Simpson was terrific early in the year, but he threw a critical pick-six in the first meeting and hasn't been particularly consistent since.

Miami will face Texas A&M in what is likely to be a defensive slugfest. The Hurricanes enter the contest allowing just 13.8 points per game, while the Aggies have surrendered 21.9 points per game.

Tulane will get a rematch with Mississippi, a team that beat the Green Wave 45-10 back in September. While the oddsmakers are predicting another lopsided contest, Tulane's running game and improved defense could keep things closer.

Vegas isn't predicting a close game between James Madison and Oregon. That's unsurprising, as the Ducks have been one of the top teams in the country. Oregon's only loss came against Indiana and Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Oregon can't take the Dukes lightly, though. If James Madison can get Wayne Knigth and the ground game rolling, it can be a problem.

The Hoosiers will be waiting in the second round, along with the Buckeyes, Bulldogs and Red Raiders.

Bracket Predictions

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Mississippi QB Trinidad Chambliss

Round 1

9. Alabama 22, 8. Oklahoma 20

7. Texas A&M 27, 10. Miami 24

6. Mississippi 38, 11. Tulane 24

5. Oregon 44, 12. James Madison 20

Quarterfinals

1, Indiana 28, 9. Alabama 19

2. Ohio State 31, 7. Texas A&M 22

3. Georgia 30, 6. Mississippi 28

5. Oregon 26, 4. Texas Tech 22

Semifinals

1. Indiana 27, 5. Oregon 25

2. Ohio State 28, 3. Georgia 22

CFP Championship

1. Indiana 22, 2. Ohio State 21

Updated Championship Odds

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin

Ohio State +210 (bet $100 to win $210)

Indiana +290

Georgia +550

Texas Tech +800

Oregon +900

Texas A&M +2000

Alabama +2500

Mississippi +2500

Miami +2500

Oklahoma +5000

James Madison +70000

Tulane +80000

*Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

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