The College Football Playoff with 12 teams was thrilling to watch last season. And it could be even better this year.
It’s early, but fans of any FBS team that has a legitimate chance of making the CFP will also keep an eye on some other top-tier programs as the season goes on. Any significant loss will significantly impact the postseason picture.
Here’s a look at the early CFP picture.
College Playoff Rankings
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee has yet to release any rankings and will do so for the first time on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
So if we’re going off of the current Associated Press Top 25, the teams in the CFP right now would be:
- No. 1 Ohio State
- No. 2 Penn State
- No. 3 LSU
- No. 4 Georgia
- No. 5 Miami
- No. 6 Oregon
- No. 7 Texas
- No. 8 Clemson
- No. 9 Notre Dame
- No. 10 South Carolina
- No. 11 Illinois
- No. 12 South Florida
CFP Betting Odds
Here are the teams with the best college football betting odds to make the CFP, via BetMGM:
- Ohio State +500
- Penn State +600
- Texas +700
- Georgia +700
- Oregon +900
- LSU +1100
- Notre Dame +1400
- Alabama +1500
- Clemson +1500
CFP Bracket Predictions
I predict Penn State, LSU, Georgia, and Texas will be the top four teams in the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.
I predict the Group of Five conference championship winner ranked the next highest will be Tulane, and I believe the CFP Selection Committee will rank the Green Wave No. 11.
From there, I’m projecting Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, Illinois, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Oklahoma will be in the CFP.
2025 CFP Playoff National Championship Predictions
I predict LSU will play Penn State in the College Football Playoff championship with Penn State winning.
Right now, I think the Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Drew Allar, are the best squad in college football.
Projecting the teams to win the SEC and Big Ten is especially difficult because those two conferences are always loaded with talent. But from my perspective, LSU and Penn State are the most complete teams and would be the most prepared to make it through a daunting CFP bracket.
2025 CFP Selection Show Schedule
The final College Football Playoff Selection Show will be at noon ET on Sunday, Dec. 7, on ESPN.
Here’s when the CFP Selection Committee will release its rankings throughout the season:
| Time | Date | TV |
| 8-8:45 p.m. ET | Tuesday, Nov. 4 | ESPN |
| 7-8 p.m. ET | Tuesday, Nov. 11 | ESPN |
| 8:30-9 p.m. ET | Tuesday, Nov. 18 | ESPN |
| 7-8 p.m. ET | Tuesday, Nov. 25 | ESPN |
| 7-7:30 p.m. ET | Tuesday, Dec. 2 | ESPN |
| Noon-3 p.m. ET | Sunday, Dec. 7 | ESPN |
What Is The CFP?
The College Football Playoff is a postseason system where now 12 teams compete for the national championship. The CFP was introduced in 2014.
Before that year, the two teams playing in the national title were decided by the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The two teams ranked the highest would compete for the championship while the next highest-ranked squads would face off in other bowl games.
Then the College Football Playoff was adopted in 2014, which allowed for four teams to square off, with two semifinal contests and one title game.
Ohio State won the first CFP title. Alabama won the most national championships during the four-team CFP era with three victories.
But now the CFP is in a new era with 12 teams.
Who Won The College Football Playoff National Championship Last Year?
Ohio State won the national championship last season. The Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in the title game.
12-Team College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff will feature 12 teams, just like it did last season.
The five highest-ranked conference champions in the FBS – decided by the CFP Selection Committee – will make the field, as well as the seven highest-ranked teams that didn’t win a conference title.
Unlike last year, where the four conference title winners ranked the highest earned a bye, the four highest-ranked teams will have a bye and the remaining squads will compete in the first round.
The higher seeds in those matchups will host in the first round. The top four teams with the bye will be given a bowl game, like the Sugar Bowl, and the four teams playing in the two semifinal games will also be assigned to another bowl.
Re-seeding will not occur, nor will alterations be made to avoid rematches from the regular season or contests between teams in the same conference.
2025-2026 College Football Playoff Schedule
The first round of the CFP will be played on Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20. The CFP quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 31, and Thursday, Jan. 1. The CFP semifinals will occur on Thursday, Jan. 8, and Friday, Jan. 9.
In the first round, the No. 12-seeded team will play at the No. 5-seeded team. The No. 9 team will go on the road to face the No. 8 team. The No. 11 team will travel to take on the No. 6 team. And the No. 10 team will compete at the No. 7 team.
The winner of the 5/12 matchup will play the No. 4-seeded team in the quarterfinals. Whoever wins the 8/9 contest will go against the top-seeded team. The victor in the 6/11 contest will next face the No. 3 team. And whoever is triumphant in the 7/10 bout will compete against the No. 2-seeded team.
The winners of the games involving the No. 1-seeded team and the No. 4-seeded team will square off in the semifinals, and the winner of the games involving the No. 3-seeded team and the No. 2-seeded team will also play in the semifinals.
The victor of those two contests will see each other in the national championship.
CFP Championship Schedule
The national championship will be played on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
