College Football Playoff live updates: CFP bracket, rankings reveal and analysis

At long last, we are set to learn who will be in College Football Playoff on Sunday, as the 12-team field will be revealed starting at noon ET. It’s the second year the bracket has featured 12 teams, and there are a few things to remember as the bracket is unveiled.

A year ago, the top four conference champions received automatic byes into the quarterfinals. That system was scrapped for the 2025 season, as it will now simply be the four highest-ranked teams receiving byes. However, the top five highest-ranked conference champions will still receive automatic byes into the field.

Additionally, teams ranked No. 5-8 will get the advantage of hosting first-round games. Beyond the playoff, Sunday will also bring official announcements on matchups for dozens of bowl games that comprise the backbone of Bowl Season. By day’s end, we’ll have a firm grasp of college football’s full postseason schedule.

We’ll be tracking all of the developments here as the postseason picture comes into focus.

Brad Crawford’s bowl projections | CFP Rankings prediction | Experts pick CFP teams 1-12

College Football Playoff projection

As projected by CBS Sports bowls expert Brad Crawford

Championship game: Jan. 19 — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
Peach Bowl semifinal: Jan. 9 — 
Fiesta Bowl semifinal: Jan. 8 — 

Quarterfinals

• Rose Bowl, Jan. 1: (1) Indiana vs. (8/9) Winner
• Cotton Bowl, Jan. 1: (2) Ohio State vs. (7/10) Winner
• Orange Bowl, Jan. 1: (3) Georgia vs. (6/11) Winner
• Sugar Bowl, Dec. 31: (4) Texas Tech vs. (5/12) Winner

First round

• (12) James Madison at (5) Oregon — Winner faces (4) 
• (9) Notre Dame at (8) Oklahoma —   Winner faces (1) 
• (11) Tulane at (6) Ole Miss — Winner faces (3) 
• (10) Alabama at (7) Texas A&M — Winner faces (2) 

2025 Bowl Games