CBS Sports has released its updated projections for the 2025 College Football Playoff and full slate of bowl games, offering fans and analysts a fresh look at how the postseason picture is beginning to shape up heading into a pivotal year for the sport. With the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff format in full effect, this year’s postseason outlook is more wide open—and more strategic—than ever before.
The new projections reflect a combination of spring practice insights, transfer portal activity, returning talent, incoming recruits, and coaching changes across the country. With powerhouse programs looking to maintain their dominance and emerging contenders hoping to break into the national spotlight, CBS Sports analysts provided detailed predictions for each of the New Year’s Six bowls and beyond.
At the top of the playoff picture, CBS Sports projects Georgia, Michigan, Texas, and Oregon as the top four seeds, securing first-round byes in the expanded playoff format. Georgia, led by head coach Kirby Smart and a defense that continues to reload with NFL-caliber talent, is seen as the preseason favorite to claim the No. 1 overall seed. Michigan, despite losing several key players to the NFL Draft and Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, remains a strong contender under new leadership, thanks to depth and a culture of physicality and discipline.
Texas and Oregon round out the top four, with both programs returning explosive offenses and aggressive defenses. Texas, now in its second year in the SEC, is looking to build on the momentum of its deep run in 2024, while Oregon, fueled by a dynamic quarterback and a deep receiving corps, looks poised to challenge for its first national title since 2014.
The remaining eight playoff spots are filled with a mix of familiar names and new faces. Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Florida State, Washington, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Utah are all projected to earn playoff bids, adding a rich diversity of styles, conferences, and storylines to the field. These matchups will be hosted on-campus in the first round, providing a unique and highly anticipated new twist to the playoff experience.
Among the first-round projected matchups are Alabama hosting Utah, Ohio State facing Notre Dame in a rematch of last year’s thriller, Florida State taking on Ole Miss, and Penn State clashing with Washington in what promises to be a battle of elite defenses. These games will not only determine who advances to the quarterfinals, but also offer fans a new kind of high-stakes environment rarely seen in the college game—true playoff football in hostile environments.
Beyond the College Football Playoff, CBS Sports also released projections for the full bowl season, including the New Year’s Six bowl games not involved in the semifinal rotation. These include the Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl, which still offer marquee matchups and significant bragging rights. Projected pairings include LSU vs. USC in the Orange Bowl, a potential offensive shootout between two of the nation’s most talented quarterback rooms, and Oklahoma vs. Miami in the Peach Bowl, a clash of tradition-rich programs aiming to reclaim national relevance.
The Cotton Bowl projection features Kansas State facing Tennessee in a battle of rising teams from the Big 12 and SEC, while the Fiesta Bowl could see North Carolina take on Wisconsin, highlighting two programs hoping to build on recent progress and make deeper postseason pushes.
Outside of the New Year’s Six, CBS Sports’ predictions offer insight into the broader bowl landscape. With 41 total bowl games on the schedule, including the playoff, there’s no shortage of compelling matchups across the country. Regional rivalries, under-the-radar squads, and standout individual performers will all get the chance to shine during the holiday season.
For mid-major programs and Group of Five conferences, the updated projections highlight a few key opportunities. CBS Sports projects Tulane to represent the top Group of Five team, landing a bid to the New Year’s Six as the highest-ranked non-power conference champion. Teams like Boise State, Appalachian State, and Liberty are also expected to feature prominently in respected bowl games, reinforcing the strength and visibility of football outside the Power Five.
The impact of the transfer portal and NIL continues to be felt in the landscape of these projections. Programs that aggressively pursued talent in the offseason, like Colorado under Deion Sanders, are considered wildcards—capable of either exceeding expectations or falling short depending on chemistry and depth.
Coaching changes have also played a major role in shaping CBS Sports’ forecast. Several high-profile hires, including Dan Lanning at Alabama and Kalen DeBoer’s continued growth at Washington, have introduced new schemes and philosophies that could influence team performance throughout the season.
As always, these projections are subject to change as the season progresses, but they offer a comprehensive look at where things stand heading into summer training and fall camp. For fans, these early predictions serve as a roadmap of what could be a thrilling and historic college football season—one defined by a deeper playoff, a wider national reach, and a greater sense of parity than ever before.
As the countdown to the 2025 season continues, anticipation is building not just for the games themselves, but for the stories that will unfold across campuses nationwide. Whether it’s traditional blue bloods chasing another title, new contenders pushing into the spotlight, or underdogs aiming to crash the playoff party, this season promises to deliver drama, excitement, and unforgettable moments from kickoff to championship.
