Eight teams remain in the College Football Playoff field following this weekend’s first-round slate. As a result, Sporting News has ranked the eight remaining teams left in the CFP field from best to worst.
Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tulane and James Madison were eliminated after respective losses. Oregon advanced to the Orange Bowl to play Texas Tech, Alabama will take on Indiana in the Rose Bowl, Ole Miss will battle Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Miami will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
The national championship picture is now in full view. With matchups set for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, here’s how Sporting News ranked the eight teams left in the CFP.
Indiana is the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP after finishing the regular season undefeated. They most recently beat Ohio State to win the 2025 Big Ten Championship.
They boast Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza under center. In Curt Cignetti’s second year as head coach, the Hoosiers are legitimate contenders to win it all. They’ll face Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Sep 27, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks with quarterback Julian Sayin (10) during a fourth quarter timeout against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Ohio State snapped a five-game drought of losing to Michigan during its regular season finale, but fell short in the Big Ten title game vs. Indiana. Still, the Buckeyes were awarded a first-round bye for finishing the regular season 12-0.
Ryan Day’s squad has the opportunity to repeat as national champions, are are just three wins away from doing so. The Buckeyes will play Miami in the Cotton Bowl.
Georgia avenged its lone blemish by defeating Alabama in the SEC Championship game. As a result, the Bulldogs were given a first-round bye as the No. 3-seed in the CFP.
They’ll face Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl — a familiar foe for the Bulldogs. These two SEC teams met earlier in the year, seeing Georgia emerge victorious 43-35 at home.
Oregon was the No. 5 seed in the CFP this season, just missing out on a first-round bye but getting to host its first-round playoff game against James Madison. They advanced to the quarterfinals against No. 4-seed Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl after beating the Dukes 51-34 on Saturday night.
The only loss Oregon has on its resume is an October loss at home vs. top-ranked Indiana. If the Ducks and Hoosiers win their respective quarterfinal, they would face each other in the semifinal at the Peach Bowl.
Texas Tech’s wide receivers, both young and old, feasted on the West Virginia defense and were rewarded as such by PFF.
Texas Tech stormed onto the scene in 2025 after going on a spending spree this offseason. Those efforts have, quite literally, paid off for the Red Raiders in the form of a first-round bye in the CFP.
Sitting at 12-1 overall, they’ll have to take on Oregon as their first test. It’ll be arguably the toughest matchup Texas Tech has seen all season.
Alabama completed the largest comeback in CFP history on Friday night, coming back from trailing 17-0 in the first half to beating the Sooners 34-24. The Crimson Tide scored 27 unanswered points along the way, setting up a quarterfinal vs. Indiana.
The Crimson Tide have the opportunity to do something no one has been able to do all year — beat the Hoosiers. It would be a statement win for Alabama, who come in as the only three-loss team to ever earn an at-large bid into the playoffs.
Ole Miss defeated Tulane for the second time this season, and did so in similar blowout fashion as their meeting in September. The matchup sets the Rebels up for a rematch against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl — the only team Ole Miss has lost this year.
Of course, it’s Pete Golding calling the shots in Oxford now after Lane Kiffin left for LSU. Based on Saturday’s outcome, the head coaching transition appears to have not impacted the Rebels on the field.
Miami controversially jumped Notre Dame in the field CFP rankings, earning them the final at-large spot in the playoff as the No. 10-seed. They’ve made the most of their opportunity so far, defeating Texas A&M on the road 10-3.
It’s the first-ever playoff win for the Hurricanes. They’ll now get a crack at the defending national champions, Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.