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
7 Ohio State
10 Arizona State
Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025
6 Texas A&M
11 Georgia
Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025
5 LSU
12 Tulane
Playoff
Dec. 20, 2025
8 Clemson
9 Iowa
Cotton
Dec. 31, 2025
3 Alabama
A&M/UGA winner
Orange
Jan. 1, 2026
4 Notre Dame
LSU/Tulane winner
Rose
Jan. 1, 2026
1 Penn State
Clemson/Iowa winner
Sugar
Jan. 1, 2026
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
Pac-12 6 UCLA
MWC 1 Boise State
Salute to Veterans
Dec. 16, 2025
Sun Belt Georgia Southern
MAC Northern Illinois
Cure
Dec. 17, 2025
Sun Belt James Madison
ESPN Toledo
68 Ventures
Dec. 17, 2025
Sun Belt South Alabama
MAC Central Michigan
Myrtle Beach
Dec. 19, 2025
Sun Belt Old Dominion
G5 UConn
Gasparilla
Dec. 19, 2025
SEC/ACC/AAC South Carolina
American/SEC/ACC USF
Famous Idaho Potato
Dec. 22, 2025
MWC San Jose State
MAC Miami (OH)
Boca Raton
Dec. 23, 2025
G5 Liberty
G5 Appalachian State
New Orleans
Dec. 23, 2025
Sun Belt Louisiana
CUSA Louisiana Tech
Frisco
Dec. 23, 2025
G5 Texas State
G5/TBD Houston
Hawai’i
Dec. 24, 2025
MWC Hawaii
American UTSA
GameAbove Sports
Dec. 26, 2025
Big Ten 8 Rutgers
MAC Buffalo
Rate
Dec. 26, 2025
Big Ten 7 Minnesota
Big 12 6 Iowa State
First Responder
Dec. 26, 2025
TBD Oregon State
TBD TCU
Military
Dec. 27, 2025
American Army
ACC 7 Georgia Tech
Pinstripe
Dec. 27, 2025
Big Ten 6 Michigan State
ACC 4-6 Pittsburgh
Fenway
Dec. 27, 2025
ACC 8 North Carolina
American Navy
Arizona
Dec. 27, 2025
MWC UNLV
MAC 2 Ohio
Pop-Tarts
Dec. 27, 2025
Big 12 3 BYU
ACC 2-4 Duke
New Mexico
Dec. 27, 2025
MWC Colorado State
TBD Colorado
Gator
Dec. 27, 2025
ACC 2-4 Miami (FL)
SEC 3-8 Oklahoma
Texas
Dec. 27, 2025
Big 12 4 Texas Tech
SEC 3-8 Auburn
Birmingham
Dec. 29, 2025
ACC/SEC/American Syracuse
American/ACC/SEC Memphis
Independence
Dec. 30, 2025
Big 12 7 Baylor
CUSA Western Kentucky
Music City
Dec. 30, 2025
Big Ten 5 Illinois
SEC 3-8 Ole Miss
Alamo
Dec. 30, 2025
Big 12 2 Kansas State
Pac-12 2 Oregon
ReliaQuest
Dec. 31, 2025
Big Ten 3 Indiana
SEC 3-8 Florida
Sun
Dec. 31, 2025
ACC 4-6 NC State
Pac-12 5 USC
Citrus
Dec. 31, 2025
Big Ten 2 Nebraska
SEC 2 Missouri
Las Vegas
Dec. 31, 2025
Pac-12 3 Utah
Big Ten 4 Michigan
Armed Forces
Jan. 2, 2026
MWC Air Force
American North Texas
Liberty
Jan. 2, 2026
Big 12 5 Kansas
SEC 3-8 Vanderbilt
Duke’s Mayo
Jan. 2, 2026
SEC 3-8 Tennessee
ACC 4-6 Louisville
Holiday
undefined NaN, NaN
ACC 2-4 SMU
Pac-12 4 Washington
Bahamas/TBD
undefined NaN, NaN
MAC Bowling Green
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)
Aug 23, 2025
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