Gridiron Core
CFB Predictors
College Football Playoff · 2026

CFP Playoff Hub

Explore the College Football Playoff in three ways — the rules-based projection from real results and the CFP Rankings, the bracket your own season picks produce, and a field you build from scratch.

Real-Life CFP Projection

Follows actual results, the published rankings, and the selection rules. Projected from the CFP Rankings.

First Round
Higher seed hosts
Quarterfinals
Seeds 1-4 on a bye
Semifinals
Semifinals
Quarterfinals
Seeds 1-4 on a bye
First Round
Higher seed hosts
8UCLA@ Rose BowlPasadena, CA9BYU5Alabama@ Bryant-Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL12Boise State7Texas@ DKR-Texas Memorial StadiumAustin, TX10Ole Miss6Kentucky@ Kroger FieldLexington, KY11Notre Dame1MiamiPeach BowlWinner 8/9Winner 5/12Rose Bowl4Indiana2GeorgiaCotton BowlWinner 7/10Winner 6/11Fiesta Bowl3UtahWinner QF 1Orange BowlWinner QF 2Winner QF 3Sugar BowlWinner QF 4Winner SF 1Winner SF 2
Champion undecided
National Championship
Site to be announced
Rules-derived — follows the published rankings

Final Four

The two semifinals at their sites, as the bracket produced them.

Semifinals
College Football Playoff National Championship — Las Vegas
Capital One Orange Bowl
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Awaiting the quarterfinals
Awaiting the quarterfinals
Awaiting the quarterfinals
Awaiting the quarterfinals
College Football Playoff National Championship — Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Awaiting the
semifinals
Awaiting the
semifinals
College Football Playoff — 2027 National ChampionsAwaiting the national championship
Selection Rules
  • 4 power-conference championsSEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC
  • 1 highest-ranked Group of Five championAmerican, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, Sun Belt
  • 7 at-large teamsThe highest-ranked teams still available
  • Notre Dame qualifies inside the Top 12Which leaves six ordinary at-large places
  • Seeds 1-4 receive first-round byesBy ranking — winning a conference no longer earns a bye
Auto-Bids & Bubble
Projected Auto-Bids
  • MiamiACC
  • GeorgiaSEC
  • UtahBig 12
  • IndianaBig Ten
  • Notre DameIndependent
  • Boise StatePac-12
Last 4 In
  • 7Texas
  • 8UCLA
  • 9BYU
  • 10Ole Miss
First 4 Out
  • 12Ohio State
  • 13Tennessee
  • 14LSU
  • 15Texas Tech

Projected from the CFP Rankings, week 10.

Your CFP Outlook

Pick a team from the field — or click one in the bracket — to see where it stands.