The 2025 College Football Playoff bracket is set with some surprises from the selection committee on Sunday. No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Miami were the final at-large teams in the field, while Notre Dame was left out. Two Group of 5 teams—No. 11 Tulane and No. 12 James Madison—became the fourth and fifth conference champions in the bracket. And No. 1 Indiana made a strong statement with its win over No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday to claim the top spot.
The first round will again be held on campus sites on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, with the quarterfinals moving to bowl locations around the new year. The semifinals at the Fiesta and Peach bowls on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 lead into the CFP national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Jan. 19.
Sports Illustrated writers Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer predict the outcome of each game in the CFP and make their picks for the title winner.
2025 College Football Playoff Full Schedule
First round
- No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET Dec. 20 (TNT/HBO Max)
- No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi, 3:30 p.m. ET Dec. 20 (TNT/HBO Max)
- No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, noon ET Dec. 20 (ESPN/ABC)
- No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, 8 p.m. ET Dec. 19 (ESPN/ABC)
Quarterfinals
- Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, noon ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi, 8 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET Dec. 31 (ESPN)
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, 4 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
Semifinals
- Peach Bowl: Winner of No. 4 Texas Tech–No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon vs. winner of No. 1 Indiana–No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 9 (ESPN)
- Fiesta Bowl: Winner of No. 3 Georgia–No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Mississippi vs. winner of No. 2 Ohio State–No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 8 (ESPN)
Championship
- At Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 19 (ESPN)
Sports Illustrated Expert College Football Playoff Picks
First round
| Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|
| No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon |
| No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi | No. 6 Mississippi | No. 6 Mississippi |
| No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M | No. 10 Miami | No. 10 Miami |
| No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 9 Alabama |
Quarterfinals
| Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech | No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech | No. 4 Texas Tech |
| No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana |
| No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia | No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia |
| No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State | No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State |
Semifinals
| Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State |
| No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana |
Championship
| Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 2 Ohio State |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 College Football Playoff Bracket Revealed: SI Experts Predict Every Matchup.