The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set, and the games begin on Dec. 19. The first round is hosted by the higher seed before the games shift to neutral sites. Here is you need to know: 11 games are set between Dec. 19 and Jan. 19, and each will be broadcast nationally. The first round (CFP seeds, times Eastern):

This is the second season the CFP is a 12-team bracket. Play will open with team seeded fifth through eighth hosting a first-round game on campus. The lowest-four seeds will be the visitors in the those matchups. The top four seeds earned first-round bye into to the national quarterfinals, which will be played New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as $87 million head coach flirts with hot seat in College Football Playoff. The 2025 college football season is quickly nearing a conclusion.

Alabama will make another case as 'NFLU' in the 2026 NFL Draft. Ty Simpson, Kadyn Proctor and two others make USA TODAY Sports' top draft prospects.

Even though Mississippi lost to Alabama, 40-10, in the MS/AL All-Star Game, local college signees stood out on both sides of the ball. This is the Magnolia State’s sixth straight loss to the neighbors to the east.

Alabama and Miami are in, Notre Dame is out and Indiana is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff’s 12-team bracket.

The 2026 football schedule for all SEC schools was unveiled on Thursday night. The conference's top teams continued to excel this season, as Alabama, Georgia Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas A&M nearly made up half of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff field.

The first bowl game of the year is set take place on Saturday when the Washington Huskies take on the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl, and new users can take advantage of the latest FanDuel promo code to get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins.