Can OU football win rematch with Alabama in first round of College Football Playoff?
On the latest edition of the SoonersXtra podcast, OU beat writer Colton Sulley and columnist Joe Mussatto react to the announcement of the Sooners hosting Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The College Football Playoff is here, and our printable bracket will help you keep track of all the action. Here is a .pdf bracket for the 2025-26 CFP.
The CFP committee awarded Oklahoma the No. 8 seed on Sunday, giving the Sooners a home game in the first round and a rematch against No. 9 Alabama at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Dec. 19.
This is the Sooners‘ first trip to the playoffs since 2019 — when it was a four-team format instead of a 12-team field — and the first appearance under fourth-year coach Brent Venables.
2025-26 College Football Playoff BracketWhen do the College Football Playoffs start?
The first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoffs starts on Friday, Dec. 19. The first four CFP games will once again take place on the campuses of the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds.
How to fill out a CFP bracket
You can download, print and fill out your bracket by hand, or you can submit your bracket virtually through NCAA.com’s Official Bracket Challenge. Just select who you think will win each of the 11 tournament games.
Here are few things to keep in mind when filling out your bracket, according to the athletic governing body’s website.
The top four teams automatically advance to the quarterfinals.Each round has 60 points up for grabs.Participants can make the biggest impact by correctly picking the semi-finalists and championship team.
If you aren’t sure who to pick, the NCAA website also has an autopick tool that will fill out the bracket for you.
College Football Playoff bracket 2025-26 datesFirst round: Dec. 19 and 20Quarterfinals: Dec. 31 and Jan. 1Semifinals: Jan. 8 and 9National championship: Jan. 19CFP bracket 2025-26Indiana (13-0)*Ohio State (12-1)Georgia (12-1)*Texas Tech (12-1)*Oregon (11-1)Ole Miss (11-1)Texas A&M (11-1)Oklahoma (10-2)Alabama (10-3)Miami (10-2)Tulane (11-2)*James Madison (12-1)*
*-One of the top five highest-ranked conference champions
Who were the College Football Playoff bubble teams?First team out: Notre Dame (10-2)Second team out: BYU (10-2)
College Football Playoff scheduleFirst-round games (at campus sites)Quarterfinals (at bowl sites)ROSE BOWL: No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama | 3 p.m. CT Thursday, Jan. 1, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California (ESPN)COTTON BOWL: No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 7 Texas A&M/No. 10 Miami | 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, Dec. 31, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TexasSUGAR BOWL: No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 Tulane | 7 p.m. CT Thursday, Jan. 1, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (ESPN)ORANGE BOWL: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison | 11 a.m. CT Thursday, Jan. 1, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (ESPN)Semifinals (at bowl sites)FIESTA BOWL: TBD vs. TBD | 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, Jan. 8, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (ESPN)PEACH BOWL: TBD vs. TBD | 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, Jan. 9, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (ESPN)National championshipTBD vs. TBD at 6:30 p.m. CT Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (ESPN)