The 2025-26 College Football Playoff is set to showcase a mix of traditional powerhouses and exciting newcomers. Long-established teams such as Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, and Oregon will be joined by first-time participants like Texas A&M, Miami, and Tulane, highlighting the evolving landscape of college football.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) officially kicks off next week, although fans can look forward to one non-CFP bowl game today, featuring Boise State taking on Washington at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 13.
This season marks the second year of the expanded 12-team playoff format, which starts on Friday. The competition will begin with first-round games held on campus, featuring teams seeded from fifth to eighth hosting lower-seeded opponents. The top four seeds will receive a bye and directly advance to the national quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, further escalating the excitement around this revised playoff structure.
Here’s a rundown of the first-round matchups:
– No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma on December 19 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.
– No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M on December 20 at 11 a.m. at Kyle Field in College Station.
– No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss on December 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
– No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon on December 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
As the playoffs unfold, the anticipation builds not only for the action on the field but also for the thrilling stories of underdogs and traditional teams alike vying for the championship title. The rankings going into the playoffs highlight the competitive nature of the participating teams:
1. Indiana
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Texas Tech
5. Oregon
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma
9. Alabama
10. Miami
11. Tulane
12. James Madison
With an exciting blend of familiar and fresh faces, fans of college football are eagerly awaiting what promises to be a remarkable playoff season, full of intense matchups and memorable moments.