With the 2025 college football regular season wrapped up, the postseason is officially here. A stacked lineup of conference championship games figures to make a huge impact on the College Football Playoff picture.
On Tuesday, we got a look into the College Football Playoff committee's take on who's in and who's out in the rankings, setting the stage for some deserving teams to be on the outside looking in after conference championships.
Some squads will be sitting at home, crossing their fingers for a playoff berth, while others will be looking to boost their potential seedings or secure a spot in the 12-team field this weekend.
PrizePicks Team Picks projections give us insights on which teams are in better spots to make the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, especially after Tuesday's rankings. With Team Picks, you can make picks on which teams will make the Playoffs and win real money if you're right!
Let’s look at the College Football Playoff picture before Conference Championship Week, plus the latest payouts for each team to make the field from PrizePicks Team Picks as of publishing, which are subject to chang
College Football Playoff Picture & Rankings
The final CFP rankings will be released on Sunday, December 7 at 12 p.m. ET, which will officially set the Playoff bracket.
Tuesday’s rankings gave us our best look yet at this season’s playoff. Here's the latest Playoff rankings:
With the final rankings days away, this is when the drama truly picks up. Fans and experts will ramble for hours about who is the “most deserving.” Which squads could be left out?
No. 13 Texas comes to mind. Despite last week’s big-time win over now-No. 7 Texas A&M, Texas (9-3) is a longshot to make the College Football Playoff, with a 33.33x payout if they make the final field on PrizePicks Team Picks — where you can earn money if your picks are right on college football games, totals, futures, and more.
Which top-tier teams could earn byes? No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 Texas Tech are all in position to enjoy a rest week in the first round of the playoff. The top seed will be on the line between OSU and IU in the Big Ten Championship Game.
With wins this weekend, the Bulldogs and Red Raiders could round out the top four; however, a loss could potentially move either of them out of the top four.
No. 5 Oregon (11-1) still has a legitimate shot of earning a bye, too. If Georgia and/or Texas Tech fall, Oregon could sneak into the top four. The Ducks have a 5.88x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks when picked to earn the No. 4 seed in the Playoff, and a 1.05x payout on No.
The bubble watch seems to demand the most attention, though. How could the final spots shake out this weekend, especially with two spots reserved for conference champions entirely unknown from the ACC, Sun Belt, and the American.
College Football Playoff Bubble Watch: Who's In? Who's Out?
If you like bubble drama, we’ve got plenty in 2025. The drama starts with No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Notre Dame.
These could be the final “comfortable” spots in the rankings going into the final weekend, as PrizePicks Team Picks lists Alabama with a 1.04x payout and Notre Dame at 1.25x to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. The No. 11 and 12 spots are up in the air, courtesy of the five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic bids.
The Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 Conference Championship matchups all feature teams in the top 12 of CFP rankings. These contests shouldn’t cause any major shakeups in the College Football Playoff picture, but what about the other two conference victors?
This is where things get spicy.
Will Virginia or Duke Get Into the College Football Playoff?
The ACC is severely lacking in good teams – especially after No. 12 Miami (FL) didn't earn a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a 6-2 conference record.
No. 17 Virginia (10-2) looks like a favorite to leap into the Playoff with a win over Duke (7-5). If the 7-5 Blue Devils win the ACC, two Group of Five squads could crash the party and earn bids over them.
Virginia is currently the favorite to be the #11 seed in the Playoff as the fourth conference champion, with a 1.49x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks to qualify for the Playoffs — right behind Notre Dame. However, earning the #11 spot relies on the Cavaliers winning their conference championship.
Duke, meanwhile, looks like a longshot to make the Playoff at current payouts; the Blue Devils' payout is 10x to qualify for the Playoffs on PrizePicks Team Picks, with a 1.03x payout on not to qualify.
However, the Blue Devils have a 2.5x payout to win the ACC Championship game; signaling that even with a win, the Blue Devils may not earn a berth from the committee, favoring other conference champions with fewer losses.
Will Tulane or North Texas Get Into the Playoff?
Moving to the American Athletic Conference, No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 North Texas meet on Friday night in the conference championship, and the winner could potentially secure a College Football Playoff berth.
Currently, on PrizePicks Team Picks, North Texas "Yes" to qualify for the Playoffs pays out at 1.66x, while Tulane to qualify pays out at 2.17x. North Texas spread is -2.5 vs. Tulane, with a 1.78x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks in the AAC Championship.
North Texas hasn’t played Tulane in 2025, with its only loss coming to USF. Other than that, the Mean Green have won every game by 2 TDs or more. Tulane’s losses came to UTSA at the Alamo Dome and Ole Miss on the road, but it also has a quality win over bowl-eligible Northwestern in non-conference play.
How Can James Madison Get Into the Playoff?
No. 25 James Madison is another potential playoff squad, as a Sun Belt title could make them one of the five highest-ranked conference champions with a guaranteed bid.
However, that outcome will likely require Virginia to lose against Duke in the ACC Championship and BYU to lose to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship, as James Madison is ranked below both, as well as both potential AAC champions.
James Madison currently has a 2.5x payout on "Yes" to make the 12-team College Football Playoff field, with a payout 1.47x on “No”. The Sun Belt Championship favorites have a higher chance to make it than BYU, Miami, and Texas, according to current projections.
Who Secures the Final Two Spots in the College Football Playoff Picture?
Sunday is gearing up to be a wild final Playoff rankings reveal. Two conference champions are bound to leap into the top 12, putting the current No. 11 and 12 teams (BYU and Miami) in trouble. According to PrizePicks Team Picks, BYU is 4.16x and Miami (FL) sit at 3.84x to make it into the College Football Playoff.
The Canes feel like a longshot unless the committee has a change of heart in the rankings, but the Cougars would still earn an automatic berth with a win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game. However, BYU lost to Tech on Nov. 8 in Lubbock, Texas, 29-7 — the Cougars' lone loss on the season.
If BYU is to pull off a notable upset against the Red Raiders, the alarms could be going off for Notre Dame.
Ranked as the No. 4 team, one-loss Texas Tech feels secure – even with a potential loss this weekend. The Red Raiders have a 16.66x payout on “No” to make the College Football Playoff, and 1.01x on “Yes”.That’s one less spot for the Fighting Irish to get.
Keep in mind, the ACC, AAC, and Sun Belt Championship games still have two CFP spots on the line. If BYU wins the Big 12, the final at-large spot essentially comes down to Notre Dame and Alabama. The Crimson Tide have a chance to guarantee a spot with a win over Georgia in the SEC title game.
Each of this weekend’s top conference championship games truly carry some level of CFP stakes.
Potential College Football Playoff Bracket, Matchups as of Dec. 3
We have a good idea of which teams could be in the 12-team field, drawing attention to potential CFP matchups. Here’s how the bracket stands before the final rankings reveal, and before the final two conference championship spots are secured.
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama and No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Notre Dame would be one heck of a way to kick off the first round. Both would be rematches, as Oklahoma defeated Alabama, 23-21, on Nov. 15, and Texas A&M took out Notre Dame, 41-40, in one of the season’s best games on Sept. 15.
If the bracket looks similar in Sunday’s College Football Playoff picture, the No. 2 and 4 seeds could have the toughest roads among teams with a bye. Facing Texas A&M or Notre Dame in the second round would be a brutal pull for the No. 2 seed.
According to Game On Paper, Texas A&M ranks sixth in adjusted expected points added (EPA) per play. Notre Dame features an explosive offense with 42.0 points per game (second). PrizePicks Team Picks projections have Georgia as the favorite to earn the No. 2 seed, with a 1.72x potential payout, followed by Indiana 3.44x and Ohio State 4.54x — pending conference championships.
The No. 5 seed also catches the eye. PrizePicks Team Picks has Oregon (1.38x) and Georgia (4.76x) as the favorites to get the No. 5 spot — Oregon would likely stay at No. 5 if all the favorites win their conference championships.
The Ducks rank fourth in adjusted EPA per play while the Red Raiders sit at ninth. For reference, only five of the top 10 teams in adjusted EPA per play are currently projected to appear in the playoffs. One of the bracket’s best teams is bound to fall in the fifth slot.
A potential second-round clash between Texas Tech and Oregon could be one to remember. One of these squads could square off with the No. 1 seed in the semifinal, too. With that said, keep your eyes on where the Red Raiders and Ducks fall on Sunday.
Make College Football Playoff Picks on PrizePicks Team Picks
There’s plenty to digest ahead of Conference Championship Week. The College Football Playoff picture buzz is alive and well as we draw near to the final rankings on Sunday.
As usual, the bubble watch will likely draw the most interest. Which squads will grab the final two conference title bids? Will it be Virginia, Tulane, North Texas, or James Madison? Or can BYU pull an improbable upset vs. Texas Tech? Top teams still have plenty to play for, too, as the four bye spots are far from locked up.
From conference championship winners to predicting College Football Playoff seeds and berths, there’s plenty to choose from on PrizePicks Team Picks — just pick a side and earn money if you're right.
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