Reseeding the College Football Playoff After the First Round

The top three seeds remain in order, while the teams that advanced either proved their mettle or face a mountain to climb in the quarterfinal round.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes will face Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff featured some much-needed tweaks to the seeding and format of the event, which wound up making for a much more watchable set of games in the first round. We got great weather for the most part, given when it is on the calendar, and ever better moments across the CFP in iconic venues like the Palace on the Prairie, Autzen Stadium, Kyle Field and an overflowing amount of incredible tailgating all around The Grove. 

Now though, things get serious as we move into the quarterfinal round and the chase for the national championship becomes that much more serious. This group of eight teams has proven to be elite over the course of 2025 with just two more wins needed to reach Miami next month for a shot at even greater glory. 

Who looks most likely to hold that famous golden cylinder? With four extra data points from the first round, here’s a reseeding of the CFP field based on both recent performances plus a reordering of those on their bye ahead of the quarterfinals.

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1. Indiana

Actual Seed: No. 1
Last Round: Bye
Next Opponent: No. 9 Alabama, Rose Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

It can’t be overstated how much the Hoosiers will miss Stephen Daley up front on that defensive line but the only real Cinderella of this Elite Eight group still heads to Pasadena as one of the national title favorites. The Hoosiers have depth and an incredible coaching staff. It’s still a bit surreal to think the Heisman Trophy winner is an Indiana quarterback who will be playing at the Rose Bowl as nearly a touchdown favorite over the program that has won six of the last 16 championships, but here we are.

2. Ohio State

Actual Seed: No. 2
Last Round: Bye
Next Opponent: No. 10 Miami, Cotton Bowl quarterfinal, Dec. 31

There will be an interesting question for the Buckeyes regarding the long layoff between that Big Ten title game and their trip to Dallas, but they certainly won’t lack for motivation against the Hurricanes given results both recent and historical. There are a number of South Florida products who are wearing scarlet, including star wideout Jeremiah Smith, and that should add even more juice to the best quarterfinal matchup of the bunch between a pair of teams fully capable of winning it all.

3. Georgia

Actual Seed: No. 3
Last Round: Bye
Next Opponent: No. 6 Mississippi, Sugar Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

If you had to label one team as the trendy non-Indiana/Ohio State title pick, it’s undoubtedly the Bulldogs. They have a recent championship pedigree, the coach who everybody seems to put on a pedestal above all other peers and young talent for days which really is hitting a groove. There may be a few actual questions about the ceiling of Gunner Stockton & Co., but there’s no denying that Georgia has all the right ingredients to lift the trophy in January. 

4. Oregon

Actual Seed: No. 5
Last Round: Beat No. 12 James Madison, 51–34
Next Opponent: No. 4 Texas Tech, Orange Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

Yes, it was against a Group of 5 team, but did you see how crisp and terrifying the Ducks were in that first-round game? The fact they are one of the few programs that is getting healthier—especially in key spots like wideout—and look to be hitting on all cylinders at the right time should scare everybody beyond just the forthcoming Red Raiders. 

5. Texas Tech

Actual Seed: No. 4
Last Round: Bye
Next Opponent: No. 5 Oregon, Orange Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

There were no additional data points for the Red Raiders during that first round, but the vibes are still quite good around Lubbock before they head down to South Florida. Of all the teams involved in the quarterfinals, Tech just might have the most pressure on it given the amount invested in the roster and how dominant it looked in the Big 12 (which would love to notch a CFP win for the first time in a long while). 

6. Alabama

Actual Seed: No. 9
Last Round: Beat No. 8 Oklahoma, 34–24
Next Opponent: No. 1 Indiana, Rose Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

There’s still the possibility of this team tripping up on itself given the lack of a run game but being an underdog against a highly ranked opponent is where Kalen DeBoer does his best work. You can see the ceiling with this group much more clearly than you can see the floor from the last few weeks, and you wonder if that confidence will be enough for Ty Simpson and crew to pull the upset to start off 2026. 

7. Miami

Actual Seed: No. 10
Last Round: Beat No. 7 Texas A&M, 10–3
Next Opponent: No. 2 Ohio State, Cotton Bowl quarterfinal, Dec. 31

On talent alone in that win over the Aggies, the Hurricanes showed they have everything it takes to make it back for a national title game on their home field (even with a so-so Carson Beck under center). The issue, however, is that their coaching staff wasn’t exactly operating at their peak and their path ahead is one of the most difficult possible. Still, Miami looks far from a team that you would have previously labeled as the last at-large into the field. 

8. Mississippi

Actual Seed: No. 6
Last Round: Beat No. 11 Tulane, 41–10
Next Opponent: No. 3 Georgia, Sugar Bowl quarterfinal, Jan. 1

In the most pressure-packed game in school history, the Rebels took care of business just as they did the first time around against the Green Wave. There were some obvious issues that cropped up however, including allowing numerous drives into their own territory and plenty of third down conversions that shouldn’t have been. More to the point: The next game is a massive step up in weight class and a real test for a coaching staff that is far from settled. 

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