And then there were eight.
The 2025 college football season began with 133 FBS programs dreaming of a chance at championship glory. After months of shocking upsets, heated rivalries and a flurry of coach firings, the postseason is here, and the first round has come and gone. Eight teams remain in the hunt to claim a national championship in the second edition of the College Football Playoff 12-team bracket.
The first round of the tournament had a bit of everything. No. 9 seed Alabama stormed back to defeat No. 8 Oklahoma 34–24 to start things off, and No. 10 Miami edged No. 7 Texas A&M in an ugly defensive battle, 10-3. In the other two matchups, the two Group of 5 programs in the 12-team field weren’t able to keep the games close, as No. 12 James Madison fell 51–34 to No. 5 Oregon, and No. 11 Tulane was blown out 41–10 by No. 6 Ole Miss.
Now that the playoff has officially started, here’s a look at the final CFP rankings and the updated bracket and schedule. The race to the national championship in Miami Gardens continues:
2025 College Football Playoff final rankingsThe College Football Playoff selection committee announced the final rankings Dec. 7 on the CFP Selection Show. Here they are:
Indiana (13–0)Ohio State (9–0)Georgia (12–1)Texas Tech (12–1)Oregon (11–1)Ole Miss (11–1)Texas A&M (11–1)Oklahoma (10–2)Alabama (10–3)Miami (10–2)Notre Dame (10–2)BYU (11–2)Texas (9–3)Vanderbilt (10–2)Utah (10–2)USC (9–3)Arizona (9–3)Michigan (9–3)Virginia (10–3)Tulane (11–2)Houston (9–3)Georgia Tech (9–3)Iowa (8–4)James Madison (12–1)North Texas (11–2)(Note: Teams in bold were selected to the 12-team playoff.)
2025 College Football Playoff bracketThe second 12-team bracket in CFP history was officially announced Dec. 7 during ESPN’s CFP Selection Show.
The four highest-ranked teams—No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Texas Tech—earned a first-round bye and will play their first CFP games in the quarterfinals.
The five automatic bids went to the five highest-ranked conference champions in the latest CFP rankings: No. 1 Indiana (Big Ten), No. 3 Georgia (SEC), No. 4 Texas Tech (Big 12), No. 20 Tulane (American) and No. 24 James Madison (Sun Belt).
The seven at-large bids went to four SEC programs (No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Alabama), two Big Ten teams (No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Oregon) and No. 10 Miami, the ACC’s lone representative.
Here’s the full bracket after the first round:
Sports IllustratedRELATED: 2025 College Football Playoff Bracket Revealed: SI Experts Predict Every Matchup2025 College Football Playoff: Full scheduleCFP First-Round GamesFriday, Dec. 19
Game 1: No. 9 Alabama 34, No. 8 Oklahoma 24 | Story: Flawed but Fighting Alabama Answers Doubters With a Stunning CFP Comeback WinSaturday, Dec. 20
Game 2: No. 10 Miami 10, No. 7 Texas A&M 3 | Story: Mario Cristobal Built a Contender at Miami—Can He Coach It to a Title?Game 3: No. 6 Ole Miss 41, No. 11 Tulane 10 | Story: Life After Lane Kiffin Begins With CFP Statement for Ole Miss, Pete GoldingGame 4: No. 5 Oregon 51, No. 12 James Madison 34 | Story: College Football World Had a Lot to Say As Tulane, James Madison Got Demolished in CFPQuarterfinalsWednesday, Dec. 31
Cotton Bowl: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Arlington, TexasThursday, Jan. 1
Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech — 12 p.m. ET, ESPN, Miami Gardens, Fla.Rose Bowl: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana — 4 p.m. ET, ESPN, Pasadena, Calif.Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia — 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, New OrleansSemifinalsThursday, Jan. 8
Fiesta Bowl: Sugar Bowl winner (Ole Miss/Georgia) vs. Cotton Bowl winner (Miami/Ohio State) — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Glendale, Ariz.SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER
Friday, Jan. 9
Peach Bowl: Orange Bowl winner (Oregon/Texas Tech) vs. Rose Bowl winner (Alabama/Indiana) — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, AtlantaNational championshipMonday, Jan. 19
Fiesta Bowl winner vs. Peach Bowl winner — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Miami Gardens, Fla.More College Football on Sports IllustratedListen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
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