Selection Sunday has come and gone, and the 2025-26 College Football Playoff is set with an unprecedented team atop the field as the undefeated, top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers shockingly stand atop the sport entering postseason play. On the back of its thrilling victory in a Big Ten Championship Game that pitted the top two teams in the nation against one another, Indiana (13-0) completed an undefeated regular season, knocking reigning national champion Ohio State (12-1) from its pearch and earning the No. 1 spot in the CFP Rankings along with pole position in the 12-team field for the first time in program history.
The Hoosiers -- the second-losingest team since the advent of the FBS -- are participating in the playoff for the second time in as many seasons under coach Curt Cignetti. They were a No. 10 seed in the 2024-25 field, falling to Notre Dame in the first round. Indiana has never completed in a national championship game, let alone been crowned the top team in college football.
The Buckeyes will nevertheless have a chance to defend their national title as the No. 2 seed in this year's proceedings. Ohio State is seeking revenge on Indiana and a third CFP crown in its seven playoff appearances across 12 years of the bracket's existence.
Fresh off a dominant performance in the SEC Championship Game, Georgia (12-1) earned the No. 3 seed, failing to supplant OSU despite beating the only team that had defeated it earlier in the season. Big 12 champion Texas Tech (12-1) slotted No. 4. The top four seeds all receive first-round byes in Year 2 of the 12-team format.
With Duke (7-5) knocking off Virginia (10-3) to take the ACC crown, a Power Four champion will not be represented in the playoff field for the first time since it expanded to 12 teams. Instead, given that the five highest-ranked conference champions all receive automatic bids, two Group of Five league winners have advanced.
Tulane (11-2) of the American earned the No. 11 seed as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion; it will visit No. 6 seed Ole Miss (11-1) in a rematch from Week 4, which the Rebels won 45-10 over the Green Wave. James Madison (12-1) of the Sun Belt picked up the No. 12 seed and will open the first round playing at No. 5 seed Oregon (11-1).
All first-round games will be held at the sites of the lower-seeded teams placed higher in the final CFP Rankings.
Rounding out the opening matchups, No. 8 seed Oklahoma (10-2) will host No. 9 seed Alabama (9-3) and No. 7 seed Texas A&M (11-1) will see No. 10 seed Miami (FL) (10-2) come to town. The Crimson Tide beat the Sooners, 23-21, less than a month ago.
Alabama is the first three-loss team to qualify for the playoff, while Miami was ultimately chosen as the last at-large team over Notre Dame (10-2). Though the Fighting Irish were listed two spots ahead of the Hurricanes in the penultimate CFP Rankings -- and neither team was in action on conference championship weekend -- Miami's win over Notre Dame in Week 1 likely led the committee to make a switch on Selection Sunday.
Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be held at traditional New Year's Six bowl sites with those designations set to be announced.
Let's take a look at the 12 teams that are competing for the national championship.
The 2025-26 College Football Playoff field may be set, but these 12 teams are not the only ones that matter entering the postseason. Check out CBS Sports' live bowl games announcements coverage as well as the entire 2025-26 college football bowl schedule.
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