College Football Playoff Picture & Predictor 2026
The 12-team College Football Playoff race: the projected bracket from the latest rankings, a bracket predictor and the full playoff schedule.
Updated · CFP Rankings Week 11, released November 10, 2026
Projected seeds
- Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) – Projected Southeastern champion
- Utah Utes (9-0) – Projected Big 12 champion
- Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2) – At-large
- UCLA Bruins (9-0) – Projected Big Ten champion
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) – Notre Dame, ranked in the top 12
- Texas Longhorns (7-2) – At-large
- Miami Hurricanes (8-1) – Projected Atlantic Coast champion
- Tennessee Volunteers (7-2) – At-large
- Indiana Hoosiers (8-1) – At-large
- BYU Cougars (7-2) – At-large
- Kentucky Wildcats (7-2) – At-large
- Boise State Broncos (8-1) – Highest-ranked Group of Six champion (Pac-12)
How the 2026 playoff works
The 2026 College Football Playoff has 12 teams. The four Power Four conference champions (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) get automatic bids, as does the highest-ranked Group of Six champion. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if it finishes in the top 12 of the final CFP rankings. The remaining spots go to the highest-ranked teams. All 12 teams are seeded by their final ranking, and the top four seeds get first-round byes.
Selection Day is December 6, 2026. First-round games are played on campus December 18–19, the quarterfinals are at the Fiesta, Cotton, Peach and Rose Bowls, the semifinals at the Orange and Sugar Bowls, and the national championship is January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.