When the College Football Playoff rankings were released Sunday, the Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, and Texas Tech Red Raiders secured the top four spots.
For Indiana — historically one of the losingest programs in FBS history — this marks their second straight playoff appearance under head coach Curt Cignetti. Last season, the Hoosiers entered the 2024-25 bracket as the No. 10 seed before being knocked out by Notre Dame in the opening round. The program has yet to reach a national title game, let alone claim a championship.
Ohio State, meanwhile, heads into the postseason as the No. 2 seed with an opportunity to defend its national crown. The Buckeyes aim to avenge their earlier defeat to Indiana and chase their third CFP championship in what is now their seventh appearance over the 12-year life of the playoff system.
Georgia (12-1) lands at No. 3 after a commanding win in the SEC Championship Game. Despite defeating the only team that had beaten them earlier in the season, the Bulldogs couldn’t leapfrog the Buckeyes. Big 12 champion Texas Tech (12-1) rounds out the top four. All four programs automatically advance to the quarterfinals under the second year of the 12-team bracket.
Seeds 5–12 Bring Depth
Alabama slipped to No. 9 after a 28–7 loss to Georgia in the SEC title game and will head to Norman for a first-round showdown against No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) on Friday, Dec. 19 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC).
Miami, which had the weekend off after missing the ACC championship game, will travel to face No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1) on Saturday, Dec. 20 (Noon ET, ESPN/ABC).
With Duke defeating Virginia (10-3), James Madison climbed above the Blue Devils in the final CFP standings to secure the No. 12 seed. As one of the top five ranked conference champions, the Dukes — who transitioned from FCS to FBS in 2022 — will visit No. 5 Oregon (11-1) on Dec. 20 (7:30 p.m., TNT/HBO Max).
Tulane claimed the No. 11 seed and will meet No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1) earlier that afternoon on Dec. 20 (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max). Both teams enter amid coaching turbulence: Ole Miss is moving forward under new head coach Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU, while Jon Sumrall will coach Tulane through the playoff before heading to Florida.
Notre Dame Misses the Cut
Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman enters Mercedes-Benz Stadium before the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen)
Notre Dame’s résumé wasn’t strong enough for a playoff bid. The Irish ranked 13th in Strength of Record and 44th in strength of schedule, finishing just 2–2 against ranked opponents.
They opened the year with two narrow losses — both by a combined four points — to Miami and Texas A&M, each of which was ranked No. 16 or better at the time. From there, Notre Dame rolled to a 10–0 finish, dominating opponents with an average victory margin of 29.7 points. Despite the impressive surge, their late-season schedule featured only two ranked foes: then-No. 20 USC and then-No. 22 Pitt, limiting their playoff argument.
What’s Ahead
First-round games will be played on the home fields of the higher seeds on Dec. 19 and 20. Quarterfinal matchups follow at major bowls: the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31), Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), and Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). The semifinals take place Jan. 8 and 9 at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl.
This year’s College Football Playoff National Championship is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
