Georgia would be top-4 seed on AP-based CFP bracket with Sooners, Hurricanes back among the 12 teams
Oklahoma wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter (84) celebrates a 23-21 win over Alabama after an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Credit: AP/Vasha Hunt
Georgia would replace Alabama as a top-four seed and receive a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff if the bracket was based on The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday. Oklahoma and Miami would be back in the 12-team field.
The CFP committee will release its third rankings of the season Tuesday night.
Georgia went from playing at home in the first round to receiving a bye on this week's mock bracket because of its 35-10 win over Texas on Saturday.
Oklahoma, which had been the first team left off the bracket the past two weeks, is in as a No. 8 seed. Miami, which had been off the bracket for two weeks, moved past Georgia Tech in the AP poll and is now the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team, at No. 14.
The Southeastern Conference has five of the 12 teams on the mock bracket. The Big Ten has three teams, the Big 12 one, and the ACC and Sun Belt one each. Notre Dame would be in as an independent.
Based on the AP Top 25, the CFP would open like this, with the top four seeds receiving first-round byes (Oregon and Texas Tech are tied for No. 6 in AP poll and assigned to be either a No. 6 or 7 CFP seed):
— No. 9 seed Notre Dame at No. 8 seed Oklahoma. Winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts after an NCAA college football game against Texas, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Credit: AP/Colin Hubbard
— No. 12 seed James Madison at No. 5 Mississippi. Winner vs. No. 4 Georgia.
— No. 10 seed Alabama at No. 7 Oregon or Texas Tech. Winner vs. No. 2 Indiana.
— No. 11 seed Miami at No. 6 Oregon or Texas Tech. Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M.
The first three teams outside the bracket: BYU, Vanderbilt and Utah.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier
BYU is ranked No. 11 by the AP but would get bumped by automatically qualifying conference champion Miami of the ACC. Vanderbilt is No. 12 in the AP poll but would be on the outside looking in to make room for Group of Five representative James Madison of the Sun Belt.
The five highest-ranked conference champions automatically qualify for the CFP, but no longer do the four highest-ranked champions receive a first-round bye. The 12-team bracket is now seeded directly based on the CFP’s final rankings on Dec. 7.
The top four seeds will be assigned to quarterfinals in ranking order and in consideration of current bowl relationships. This year, quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. The No. 1 seed would receive preferential placement based on geography.
Teams ranked Nos. 5-12 by the CFP will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded school. First-round games are Dec. 19 and 20, quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8 and 9 and the championship game is Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
