The 12-team College Football Playoff is quickly becoming a college football betting staple for futures wagering, in its second season under this format.
We have arrived at Championship Week, when conference kingpins will be decided. One conference is sure to get both of its finalists into the 12-team CFP field – the Big Ten, where undefeated and No. 1 Ohio State faces undefeated and second-ranked Indiana. For the league, it's a big deal. For the CFP, they're just playing for seeding.
Here is the final RotoWire.com projection of the CFP field for 2025.
Projected College Football Playoff Field For 2025
Seed, Team | Conference | 2025 (Overall, Conference) |
1. | Big Ten | 12-0 (9-0) |
2. | SEC | 11-1 (7-1) |
3. | Big 12 | 11-1 (8-1) |
4. | Big Ten | 12-0 (9-0) |
5. | Big Ten | 11-1 (8-1) |
6. | SEC | 11-1 (7-1) |
7. | SEC | 11-1 (7-1) |
8. | SEC | 10-2 (6-2) |
9. | Independent | 10-2 |
10 | ACC | 10-2 (6-2) |
11. | ACC | 10-2 (7-1) |
12. | American | 10-2 (7-1) |
Ohio State
Georgia
Texas Tech
Indiana
Oregon
Texas A&M
Mississippi
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Miami
Virginia
TulaneOf note for customers at sports betting sites contemplating wagers on college football: The seeding format has changed from last year's inaugural run at a 12-team field.
And remember that these are projected to include results from this weekend's league title games.
For the 2025 College Football Playoff, the teams will be seeded in order of their final CFP ranking, with no first-round byes guaranteed for conference champions. The five highest-ranked conference champions – including at least one from the Group of Five leagues – will be guaranteed a spot in the 12-team field. Last year, the top four seeds (and first-round byes) were awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions, which led to ninth-ranked Boise State receiving the No. 3 seed and Big 12 champion Arizona State, which was 12th in the final CFP rankings, getting the No. 4 seed.
Don't forget to find the best sportsbook promos with us as the Playoff games and the other bowls approach.
Top CFP Contenders
Here is a quick breakdown of the most crucial conference title games.
Big Ten: Ohio State (12-0 overall, 9-0 conference) vs. Indiana (12-0, 9-0) at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday in Indianapolis. This one's easy. The winner is the No. 1 seed in the CFP, as the only unbeaten team in FBS. The loser still gets a first-round bye, probably at No. 3 or No. 4.
SEC: Georgia (11-1, 7-1) vs. Alabama (10-2, 7-1) at 4 Saturday in Atlanta. If UGA wins, we think the Dawgs jump the Big Ten runnerup into the No. 2 slot for the CFP. If Bama wins, the Crimson Tide is in automatically and the at-large bumping process begins, because we think UGA is in either way. Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are in the clubhouse, awaiting their CFP seeds. At BetMGM Sportsbook, all five of these SEC teams still have odds for the national title, with Georgia third on the board at +800 odds.
Big 12: Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1) vs. BYU (11-1, 8-1) at noon Saturday in Arlington, Texas. The Playoff committee has proven that it is more impressed by the Red Raiders, who were fifth in last week's CFP rankings, than by the 11th-ranked Cougars. So if BYU wins the league title, we think Texas Tech still gets into the CFP. If Tech wins, BYU is toast and another at-large bid opens.
ACC: Virginia (10-2, 7-1) vs. Duke (7-5, 6-2) at 8 Saturday in Charlotte. Doomsday Scenario for the league that specializes in chaos. If the Cavs take the title, no problem. Virginia is in and Miami awaits its fate as an at-large candidate. The Hurricanes are 10-2 and they will root for Texas Tech and Georgia to take out two candidates for at-large CFP bids.
If 
Duke wins? Let's just say that the folks in the ACC league offices will spend all of Saturday night and Sunday morning sweating.
There's no way the Blue Devils make the CFP field with five losses. And the rules say that the CFP takes the five highest-ranked conference champions – not necessarily the Power 4 winners and one from the Group of 5. A Duke victory could open the door for two Group of 5 champs, perhaps freezing out the ACC entirely and shaking up CFB futures betting even more. Which brings us to:
American: North Texas (11-1, 7-1) at Tulane (10-2, 7-1) at 8 Friday: Tulane was 24th in last week's CFP rankings. The committee has not ranked Sun Belt leader James Madison (11-1, 8-0) all season and there is no reason to think the Dukes would pass the American Conference champion in the rankings, even with a victory on Friday over an 8-4 Troy team. The American winner is a cinch to grab the guaranteed Group of 5 spot and we have been riding the Green Wave for most of the season.
At DraftKings Sportsbook and a few others, Ohio State – coming off of Saturday's huge win over archrival Michigan – has the best odds to win the title at +160, followed by Indiana at +425.
College Football Playoff Bubble Watch
Team, Conference | Odds | 2025 (Overall, Conference) |
Alabama, SEC | -3000 | 10-2 (7-1) |
BYU, Big 12 | +410 | 11-1 (8-1) |
North Texas, American | -150 | 11-1 (7-1) |
James Madison, Sun Belt | +138 | 11-1 (8-0) |
Playoff odds for CFB bubble teams are from FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings as of Dec. 1.
We have cut this category down to three teams that would automatically qualify for the CFP with a win, and one that needs to win and get some help.
Alabama defeated Georgia in Athens, 24-21, on Sept. 27. That is Bama's best win. The problem is, the Crimson Tide lost at home to Oklahoma and, much worse, dropped a nonconference game at Florida State. That opening defeat in Tallahassee looks worse every week, as FSU wound up 5-7.
A few sportsbook operators didn't even have an Alabama Playoff prop on their boards on Monday afternoon and FanDuel had 
Crimson Tide CFP odds at -3000. Oddsmakers at sportsbooks offering top college football betting promotions seem convinced that Bama is in even with a loss on Saturday. We disagree.
BYU is also in a must-win situation. A second loss to Texas Tech will put the Cougars out of the field. A win would avenge BYU's only defeat and secure a spot – and we are confident that the Big 12 would a second bid because the Red Raiders are a strong at-large candidate.
We have already covered the Duke scenario for the ACC. James Madison was still not ranked as of last week and needs a Duke victory in the ACC to even entertain thoughts of getting a CFP slot (funny that the Dukes will be rooting for Duke). This is the only way the Sun Belt champ can get in.
North Texas, on the other hand, is in prime position.
The Mean Green can punch their CFP ticket with an American Conference title game win on the road at No. 24 Tulane. There's no way that a road win over a ranked team won't get UNT in, compared to a James Madison team that would have an identical record from a much worse Group of 5 league.
Check out our college football odds before Championship Week.
Q&A
Q: Who is projected as the No. 1 seed in the 2025 College Football Playoff?
A: Ohio State currently holds the top seed with a 12-0 record (9-0 in Big Ten play). The Buckeyes are ahead of Georgia, Texas Tech, Indiana and Oregon in the projected playoff field.
Q: Which SEC teams are in the 2025 College Football Playoff picture?
A: Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma appear in the Top 10, with Alabama on the bubble. The SEC's depth makes it the most competitive conference in the playoff race this year.
Q: What teams are on the 2025 College Football Playoff bubble?
A: Alabama (-3000 odds to make the CFP at FanDuel), BYU (+410 at FanDuel), North Texas (-150 at DraftKings) and James Madison (+138 at FanDuel) are considered bubble teams. This weekend's conference title games will determine whether they can secure a playoff spot.
