College Football Playoff bracket predictions: Expert picks for 2025-26 CFP games, national championship

Welcome to Year 2 of the 12-team College Football Playoff. 

The debates are over. The field is set, and we have two questions. 

Will straight seeding lead to a better first round? Blowouts were the norm in the first round last season. The upsets came in the quarterfinal round when the top four seeds lost. Will there be a correction this year? 

The best part of the first round is the new locations. Autzen Stadium, Kyle Field, Vaught Hemingway Stadium and Gaylord Memorial Stadium will share in the experience. 

MORE: Ranking the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff

We have blue blood and new blood, and that makes it tough to pick a national champion. Ohio State is looking to go back to back. Will they get another crack at Indiana after losing 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game? Georgia has won back-to-back SEC championships. Will they end the Big Ten's national championship streak at two? Why is Oregon-Texas Tech the game we want to see most?

We answer all those questions with our College Football Playoff predictions.

DECOURCY: After a month of nonsense, the committee got the field right

College Football Playoff bracket predictions 2025

Round 1 picks

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma 

Turnovers and an inability to run the football have been problematic for the Crimson Tide in their last two losses to the Sooners. Will Jam Miller be back for this game? How will Ty Simpson – who took four sacks in the last meeting – adjust to Oklahoma's defense? The Sooners won their last four games, but those victories were by an average of 5.8 points per game. Alabama will be pressured to validate their playoff ranking – and Kalen DeBoer comes through in a mild upset. 

Pick: Alabama

No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M 

How will the Hurricanes handle playing on the road? Miami quarterback Carson Beck had 10 TDs and one interception in his last four games – all coming after the shocking overtime loss at SMU on Nov. 1. Texas A&M earned its spot in the CFP, and Marcel Reed will have a challenge against a Miami defense that features edge rusher Rueben Bain. Miami ranked sixth in the FBS with a defense that allowed 13.8 points per game, and they are playing with ACC pride on the line. The Aggies' high-scoring offense at home, however, is a different challenge. 

Pick: Texas A&M 

No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss 

The Rebels won the regular-season meeting 45-10, and the Rebels had 548 yards of total offense in that game. How will Ole Miss respond without coach Lane Kiffin – who left for LSU? The Green Wave will rally around Jon Sumrall, who is leaving to take the job at Florida. It's a nothing-to-lose environment, but quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy combined for 180 rushing yards in the first meeting. 

Pick: Ole Miss 

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No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon 

Don't blame the Dukes for being part of the system. It's a great moment for the Sun Belt Conference, and running back Wayne Knight has 1,263 rushing yards on 6.6 yards per carry. Bob Chesney has done an excellent job with the group. Oregon is a different beast at home. The Ducks have allowed 14.5 points per game since the loss to Indiana, and Dan Lanning has this team clicking on both sides. 

Pick: Oregon 

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Quarterfinal picks

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Texas A&M 

The Buckeyes lost the Big Ten championship game, but the defense remains a constant. Ohio State should recalibrate on the offensive side, and the key will be generating a running game with freshman Bo Jackson against Texas A&M's front seven. Texas A&M allows 127.1 rushing yards per game on four yards per carry. Once Ohio State establishes the running game, Julian Sayin will do the rest with his talented group of receivers. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate each score a TD here. 

Pick: Ohio State 

No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon 

This is the most exciting potential matchup in the CFP. The Red Raiders' defense – led by Jacob Rodriguez – can make the ultimate statement for the Big 12 here. Oregon is pretty good up front on defense, too, and they will challenge Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton. The Ducks have a top-10 defense, too, and Lanning will be able to use the underdog card here. Oregon flexes for the Big Ten and sets up a CFP rematch with Ohio State - this time in the CFP semifinals. This is the game that will make or break most CFP brackets. 

Pick: Oregon 

No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss 

It's another rematch. Georgia won the first meeting 43-35 on Oct. 18, and Gunner Stockton hit 26 of 31 passes for 289 yards and four TDs. The Bulldogs' defense stood up in the second half of that victory, and they have been dominant for Kirby Smart ever since. Georgia has the extra motivation of losing the Sugar Bowl last season, too. Smart knows how to play that card, and this game will be less of a shootout and more of a showcase for Georgia against the Rebels, especially if they can limit Chambliss in the passing game. 

Pick: Georgia 

No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 10 Alabama 

How many more times will you doubt Curt Cignetti? The Hoosiers' defense will pose a challenge for Alabama, especially with running the football. Fernando Mendoza continues to be efficient in the passing game. He took 11 sacks in Indiana's last four games, so Alabama will try to dial up the pressure. We just can't pick against Cignetti in this spot again – and Indiana scores a Rose Bowl victory and gives the Big Ten a third semifinal team. 

Pick: Indiana

Semifinal picks

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Georgia 

These are the two best programs in the FBS the last five years, and another national championship is at stake. Georgia can make this a defensive slugfest, especially if CJ Allen leads the charge against Ohio State's rushing attack. Will Stockton make the right decisions against the Buckeyes' secondary? It's risky to pick a repeat national champion, especially one that just lost the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State, however, still has the most-talented team in the field. Will those young playmakers step up when it matters most? This is the toughest pick. 

Pick: Georgia 

No. 1 Indiana vs. No.5 Oregon 

Another rematch. Indiana made the plays necessary to beat the Ducks 30-20 the first time around, and Mendoza will be the key again here. The Ducks had just 81 rushing yards in that first meeting, and the Hoosiers have not changed on that side of the ball with linebacker Aiden Fisher. Indiana also has the confidence around Mendoza to know they can win this game. Get ready for Cignetti to punch a ticket to the CFP championship game. 

Pick: Indiana 

CFP national championship picks

No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 Indiana  (Miami Gardens, Fla.) 

Imagine if Cignetti can knock off Alabama and Georgia in the same playoff. It's not that difficult if Indiana can maintain a running game against the Bulldogs. Georgia has played in these moments. This is the next level up for Indiana, and it likely would be a tight game into the fourth quarter. This is we're counting on Smart – and a team that won four one-score games this season – to make the plays. Mendoza, however, might have a shot at another game-winning fourth-quarter drive. Who makes those game-defining plays? 

Pick: Georgia

College Football Playoff schedule 2025