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2025 College Football Playoff Bracket Revealed: SI Experts Predict Every Matchup
In this story:
The 2025 College Football Playoff bracket is set with some surprises from the selection committee on Sunday. No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Miami were the final at-large teams in the field, while Notre Dame was left out. Two Group of 5 teams—No. 11 Tulane and No. 12 James Madison—became the fourth and fifth conference champions in the bracket. And No. 1 Indiana made a strong statement with its win over No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday to claim the top spot.
The first round will again be held on campus sites on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, with the quarterfinals moving to bowl locations around the new year. The semifinals at the Fiesta and Peach Bowls on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 lead into the CFP national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Jan. 19.
Sports Illustrated writers Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer predict the outcome of each game in the CFP and make their picks for the title winner.
2025 College Football Playoff Full Schedule
First round
- No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET Dec. 20 (TNT/HBO Max)
- No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi, 3:30 p.m. ET Dec. 20 (TNT/HBO Max)
- No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, noon ET Dec. 20 (ESPN/ABC)
- No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, 8 p.m. ET Dec. 19 (ESPN/ABC)
Quarterfinals
- Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, noon ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
- Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi, 8 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
- Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET Dec. 31 (ESPN)
- Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, 4 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
Semifinals
- Peach Bowl: Winner of No. 4 Texas Tech–No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon vs. winner of No. 1 Indiana–No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 9 (ESPN)
- Fiesta Bowl: Winner of No. 3 Georgia–No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Mississippi vs. winner of No. 2 Ohio State–No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 8 (ESPN)
Championship
- At Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 19 (ESPN)
Sports Illustrated Expert College Football Playoff Picks
First round
Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon |
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi | No. 6 Mississippi | No. 6 Mississippi |
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M | No. 10 Miami | No. 10 Miami |
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 8 Oklahoma | No. 9 Alabama |
Quarterfinals
Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech | No. 5 Oregon | No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech | No. 4 Texas Tech |
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana |
No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia | No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia |
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State | No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State |
Semifinals
Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 3 Georgia | No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Ohio State | No. 2 Ohio State |
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana |
Championship
Forde’s Matchup | Forde’s Pick | Fischer’s Matchup | Fischer’s Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 1 Indiana | No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Indiana | No. 2 Ohio State |
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Bryan Fischer is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college sports. He joined the SI staff in October 2024 after spending nearly two decades at outlets such as FOX Sports, NBC Sports and CBS Sports. A member of the Football Writers Association of America's All-America Selection Committee and a Heisman Trophy voter, Fischer has received awards for investigative journalism from the Associated Press Sports Editors and FWAA. He has a bachelor's in communication from USC.
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Pat Forde is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who covers college football and college basketball as well as the Olympics and horse racing. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. Forde has won 28 Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest awards, has been published three times in the Best American Sports Writing book series, and was nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. A past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and member of the Football Writers Association of America, he lives in Louisville with his wife. They have three children, all of whom were collegiate swimmers.
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