What Potential Matchups in 16- and 24-Team CFP Formats Would Look Like in 2025

As the Power 4 teams continue to discuss playoff expansion, here is how the two preferred setups would come together with the selection committee’s final Top 25 ranking.

The Irish were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff field, but what about a 16- or 24-team format? / Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff is set in 2025.

Indiana is remarkably the No. 1 overall seed. Miami made it in as the final at-large. Texas Tech earned an expensive quarterfinal bye to the Orange Bowl that was worth every penny to those in Lubbock, Texas.

There was no shortage of controversy of course, with Notre Dame getting left out, ACC champion Duke coming up empty and plenty of fan bases being angry at the thought of multiple Group of 5 teams making the playoff. That’s simply the system we currently have though in Year 2 of this 12-team format.

But what if it wasn’t? 

What if, as the SEC, Big 12 and ACC prefer, we had a 16-team College Football Playoff this season? Or, what if we had the supersized, 24-team playoff that the Big Ten has been discussing?

Using the committee’s rankings released on Selection Sunday, here’s a look at each of those possibilities for the 2025 season and what the matchups would be.

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16-team CFP: Five automatic bids, 11 at-larges

No. 16 James Madison (AQ) at No. 1 Indiana (AQ)

The real Curt Cignetti Bowl, pitting the Hoosiers coach’s current team against his former one—and future Big Ten opponents on the headset given Bob Chesney is off to UCLA next season. This doesn’t seem like it would have the makings of the most high-scoring game given the defenses involved but would be a pretty cool story given who is involved. 

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma 

We’ll see this game in the first round this season after seeing it just a month ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Neither offense has looked all that good since, but the Crimson Tide have been getting a little more healthy and have a good chance at getting some revenge—on top of proving that there’s a reason why they’re in the field.

Alabama/Oklahoma vs. James Madison/Indiana in Rose Bowl quarterfinal

There’s always something special about the Rose Bowl but imagine the Hoosiers, just recently the losingest program of all time, seeing the sun set under the San Gabriel Mountains and needing to beat either of the historic bluebloods to reach a semifinal? That’s a picture-perfect script. 

No. 15 Tulane (AQ) at No. 2 Ohio State

The Green Wave drew a rematch with Ole Miss in the actual bracket, which is doing them a favor compared to going on the road in chilly conditions against an Ohio State team that would be ready to take it out on them after losing in the Big Ten title game.

No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M

This might just be the best matchup of the first round, both in this year’s field and in a hypothetical 16-teamer. Both the Hurricanes and Aggies are extremely stout in the trenches and have playmakers all over the place in the skill positions. This isn’t a chess match, but a look at which talented roster is the best.

Tulane/Ohio State vs. Miami/Texas A&M in Cotton Bowl quarterfinal

Much like the current selection committee, the potential for the Hurricanes to make it to a quarterfinal in the home stadium winds up sending this meeting to the Dallas area for the Cotton Bowl. We’ll have a shot at seeing two of the most expensive rosters in the sport square off if it does wind up being the Buckeyes against the Hurricanes.

No. 14 Vanderbilt at No. 3 Georgia (AQ)

These two old SEC East rivals actually haven’t played since 2023—predating the Diego Pavia era in Nashville. Now imagine him trying to give Kirby Smart a heart attack by running around between the hedges. That would be a box office game which everybody would tune in for.

No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 6 Mississippi

The Grove is already getting its first-round game in the playoff in 2025 but it would be an even more incredible party if the Irish were coming to town instead of a rematch with Tulane. Pete Golding’s first job as the Rebels head coach would be a lot harder if he needed to slow down Jeremiyah Love.

Vanderbilt/Georgia vs. Notre Dame/Mississippi in Sugar Bowl quarterfinal

Such a delightful set of potential matchups, including a rematch of last year’s Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia, a meeting of former Nick Saban defensive coordinators if the Bulldogs face off against SEC rival Ole Miss and two of the most fun game-breakers around if it’s Love vs. Pavia. 

No. 13 Texas at No. 4 Texas Tech (AQ)

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Could you imagine Lubbock if the Longhorns had to travel to play the Red Raiders for a first-round home game? The atmosphere was incredibly intense for Tech’s home game against top 10 BYU earlier this season, and it would be amped up about 10 times that if their in-state rival was the opponent. Plus, don’t discount the poster boy for NIL in Arch Manning this season going up against the roster whose price tag has been discussed more than any.

No. 12 BYU at No. 5 Oregon

These two programs really should play each other more than just twice in the past quarter century, but it presents a really fun meeting of teams built up front first. Autzen Stadium would surely be a mad house but even the visiting Cougars would enjoy “Shout” and all of the other fun things to do in Eugene, Ore., as they square off in the Pacific Northwest.

Texas/Texas Tech vs. BYU/Oregon in Orange Bowl quarterfinal

There could be everything from a Big 12 title game rematch in this quadrant of the bracket to a delightful meeting of Texas and Oregon, or, interestingly enough, the Steve Sarkisian Bowl involving the Longhorns and his alma mater. Yes, please. 

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24-team CFP: Two Group of 5 bids, six at-larges, four automatic bids per power conference, top eight seeds receive a bye

Duke (AQ) at No. 16 USC (AQ), winner plays at No. 1 Indiana (AQ)

By virtue of finishing in the top four of the ACC, eventual ACC champion Duke winds up making the playoff instead of missing out like it did this year. It has to go across the country to face off against a USC team that finally makes the field under Lincoln Riley and could be one of the few programs with enough playmakers to keep pace with top-seed Indiana.

James Madison (AQ) at No. 15 Utah (AQ), winner plays at No. 2 Ohio State (AQ)

One of the original BCS busters in Utah would have a picture-perfect setting of snowcapped mountains behind Rice-Eccles Stadium for one of the new CFP busters in James Madison. Should the Utes move on in that initial game, it’d be a meeting between a pair of programs who recent Hall of Fame inductee Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about.

SMU (AQ) at No. 14 Vanderbilt, winner plays at No. 3 Georgia (AQ)

Kevin Jennings vs. Diego Pavia is a quarterback matchup that would be a must-see in the first round between the Mustangs and Commodores, two small private schools that have been punching above their weight in their respective leagues. It’s a tall task for whoever moves on with the Bulldogs awaiting in Athens, Ga.

Houston (AQ) at No. 13 Texas, winner plays at No. 4 Texas Tech (AQ)

Let’s call this the Old Southwest Conference line in the bracket, with Houston first going up to Austin to take on Texas, and the winner moving on to Lubbock to face Texas Tech. Everything is bigger in the Lone Star State, and that would include the bragging rights for whoever makes it to the quarterfinals from this side.

Tulane (AQ) at No. 12 BYU (AQ), winner plays at No. 5 Oregon (AQ)

In this hypothetical world, Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff returns to Provo, Utah, to face his old team in what could be the only CFP game that has a chance to ever finish in under three hours. The victor moves on to face the Ducks in either a clash of green-clad schools or a really fun Western matchup between the Big 12 and Big Ten.

Virginia (AQ) at No. 11 Notre Dame, winner plays at No. 6 Ole MIss (AQ)

The wine-and-cheese crowd will be delighted to see the Cavaliers head out to South Bend, Ind., despite any possibility of some decent weather for a first-round game with the Irish. Things would get much rowdier for the group that advances to face an Ole Miss team which would have a long layoff to prepare under its new coaching staff.

Michigan at No. 10 Miami (AQ), winner plays at No. 7 Texas A&M (AQ)

This is the TV network part of the bracket full of big-name brands. Michigan at Miami would be the game everybody would focus on in the first round and a meeting of two coaches who won’t mind going right at each other using those big offensive and defensive lines. That could be an advantage for the Aggies, who would host the beat-up winner at Kyle Field.

Arizona at No. 9 Alabama (AQ), winner plays at No. 8 Oklahoma 

Kalen DeBoer is no stranger to seeing the Wildcats from his time in the old Pac-12 and it could be a pretty fun shootout given the two quarterbacks involved in the first-round game. The winner moves on to face Oklahoma, which has one of the best defenses in the country.

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