Last season’s politicking for the final College Football Playoff spot will have nothing on what this year will bring, according to our preseason CFP and bowl projections.

Our 12-team CFP field includes five SEC teams, three from the Big Ten, Notre Dame and one each from the Big 12, ACC and American. Based on Stewart Mandel’s conference previews, the final spot would come down to seven Power 4 teams with three losses, including ACC runner-up Miami (10-3) and Big 12 runner-up Kansas State (10-3). We predicted Georgia (9-3), which boasts one of nation’s more difficult conference schedules, would earn that spot.

A couple of surprise teams will qualify for the Playoff. We’re going with Iowa and Texas A&M, both at 10-2.

One notable change to this year’s CFP format: The top four teams in the rankings will earn the top-four seeds and first-round byes, regardless of whether they’re conference champions. Those teams will slot into the Cotton (Dec. 31), Orange (Jan, 1), Rose (Jan. 1) and Sugar (Dec. 31) bowls on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Teams seeded 5-8 will host seeds 9-12 on Dec. 19-20.

College Football PlayoffBowlMatchup

Playoff
Dec. 19, 2025

Logo for Ohio State

7 Ohio State

Logo for Arizona State

10 Arizona State

Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025

Logo for Texas A&M

6 Texas A&M

Logo for Georgia

11 Georgia

Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025

Logo for LSU

5 LSU

Logo for Tulane

12 Tulane

Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025

Logo for Clemson

8 Clemson

Logo for Iowa

9 Iowa

Cotton
Dec. 31, 2025

Logo for Alabama

3 Alabama

A&M/UGA winner

Orange
Jan. 1, 2026

Logo for Notre Dame

4 Notre Dame

LSU/Tulane winner

Rose
Jan. 1, 2026

Logo for Penn State

1 Penn State

Clemson/Iowa winner

Sugar
Jan. 1, 2026

Logo for Texas

2 Texas

OSU/ASU winner

Fiesta
Jan. 8, 2026

QF winner

QF winner

Peach
Jan. 9, 2026

QF winner

QF winner

Championship
Jan. 19, 2026

SF winner

SF winner

Remaining bowlsBowlMatchup

LA
Dec. 13, 2025

Logo for UCLA

Pac-12 6 UCLA

Logo for Boise State

MWC 1 Boise State

Salute to Veterans
Dec. 16, 2025

Logo for Georgia Southern

Sun Belt Georgia Southern

Logo for Northern Illinois

MAC Northern Illinois

Cure
Dec. 17, 2025

Logo for James Madison

Sun Belt James Madison

Logo for Toledo

ESPN Toledo

68 Ventures
Dec. 17, 2025

Logo for South Alabama

Sun Belt South Alabama

Logo for Central Michigan

MAC Central Michigan

Myrtle Beach
Dec. 19, 2025

Logo for Old Dominion

Sun Belt Old Dominion

Logo for UConn

G5 UConn

Gasparilla
Dec. 19, 2025

Logo for South Carolina

SEC/ACC/AAC South Carolina

Logo for USF

American/SEC/ACC USF

Famous Idaho Potato
Dec. 22, 2025

Logo for San Jose State

MWC San Jose State

Logo for Miami (OH)

MAC Miami (OH)

Boca Raton
Dec. 23, 2025

Logo for Liberty

G5 Liberty

Logo for Appalachian State

G5 Appalachian State

New Orleans
Dec. 23, 2025

Logo for Louisiana

Sun Belt Louisiana

Logo for Louisiana Tech

CUSA Louisiana Tech

Frisco
Dec. 23, 2025

Logo for Texas State

G5 Texas State

Logo for Houston

G5/TBD Houston

Hawai’i
Dec. 24, 2025

Logo for Hawaii

MWC Hawaii

Logo for UTSA

American UTSA

GameAbove Sports
Dec. 26, 2025

Logo for Rutgers

Big Ten 8 Rutgers

Logo for Buffalo

MAC Buffalo

Rate
Dec. 26, 2025

Logo for Minnesota

Big Ten 7 Minnesota

Logo for Iowa State

Big 12 6 Iowa State

First Responder
Dec. 26, 2025

Logo for Oregon State

TBD Oregon State

Logo for TCU

TBD TCU

Military
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for Army

American Army

Logo for Georgia Tech

ACC 7 Georgia Tech

Pinstripe
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for Michigan State

Big Ten 6 Michigan State

Logo for Pittsburgh

ACC 4-6 Pittsburgh

Fenway
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for North Carolina

ACC 8 North Carolina

Logo for Navy

American Navy

Arizona
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for UNLV

MWC UNLV

Logo for Ohio

MAC 2 Ohio

Pop-Tarts
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for BYU

Big 12 3 BYU

Logo for Duke

ACC 2-4 Duke

New Mexico
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for Colorado State

MWC Colorado State

Logo for Colorado

TBD Colorado

Gator
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for Miami (FL)

ACC 2-4 Miami (FL)

Logo for Oklahoma

SEC 3-8 Oklahoma

Texas
Dec. 27, 2025

Logo for Texas Tech

Big 12 4 Texas Tech

Logo for Auburn

SEC 3-8 Auburn

Birmingham
Dec. 29, 2025

Logo for Syracuse

ACC/SEC/American Syracuse

Logo for Memphis

American/ACC/SEC Memphis

Independence
Dec. 30, 2025

Logo for Baylor

Big 12 7 Baylor

Logo for Western Kentucky

CUSA Western Kentucky

Music City
Dec. 30, 2025

Logo for Illinois

Big Ten 5 Illinois

Logo for Ole Miss

SEC 3-8 Ole Miss

Alamo
Dec. 30, 2025

Logo for Kansas State

Big 12 2 Kansas State

Logo for Oregon

Pac-12 2 Oregon

ReliaQuest
Dec. 31, 2025

Logo for Indiana

Big Ten 3 Indiana

Logo for Florida

SEC 3-8 Florida

Sun
Dec. 31, 2025

Logo for NC State

ACC 4-6 NC State

Logo for USC

Pac-12 5 USC

Citrus
Dec. 31, 2025

Logo for Nebraska

Big Ten 2 Nebraska

Logo for Missouri

SEC 2 Missouri

Las Vegas
Dec. 31, 2025

Logo for Utah

Pac-12 3 Utah

Logo for Michigan

Big Ten 4 Michigan

Armed Forces
Jan. 2, 2026

Logo for Air Force

MWC Air Force

Logo for North Texas

American North Texas

Liberty
Jan. 2, 2026

Logo for Kansas

Big 12 5 Kansas

Logo for Vanderbilt

SEC 3-8 Vanderbilt

Duke’s Mayo
Jan. 2, 2026

Logo for Tennessee

SEC 3-8 Tennessee

Logo for Louisville

ACC 4-6 Louisville

Holiday
undefined NaN, NaN

Logo for SMU

ACC 2-4 SMU

Logo for Washington

Pac-12 4 Washington

Bahamas/TBD
undefined NaN, NaN

Logo for Bowling Green

MAC Bowling Green

Logo for Middle Tennessee

CUSA Middle Tennessee

The power conferences have contracts with non-CFP bowls that expire after the current season, but old ties remain for the former Pac-12 members scattered across four different conferences. Like last year, the Pac-12’s previous bowls will choose from the league’s current (Oregon State and Washington State) and former members.

The former Bahamas Bowl, which is owned by ESPN Events, will resurface at an undetermined date and location. The Holiday Bowl has yet to learn its game date. And once again, Academic Progress Rate (APR) data will determine which, if any, 5-7 teams qualify for a bowl.

(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)

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