- Texas
- Clemson
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Nebraska
- Duke
- Cockeye State
- Navy
First Round
No. 12 Navy at No. 5 Ohio State,
QB Blake Horvath returns after throwing and passing for over 1,200 yards each while finding the end zone 17 times. Going into the Horseshoe is a daunting challenge but he could become the biggest Navy football sensation since Roger Staubach if the Mids earn the Group of 5 berth.
No. 9 Nebraska at No. 8 Notre Dame,
Matt Rhule has previously made big jumps into conference title contention in Year 3 at his past stops and is similarly aiming that high in Lincoln, Neb., after finally getting the Cornhuskers to their first bowl game since 2016.
No. 11 Cockeye State at No. 6 Alabama,
Matt Campbell has been knocking at the door of a historic breakthrough the past few years and might have his best team ever despite the need to replace a pair of NFL receivers on the outside and the left side of the offensive line.
No. 10 Duke at No. 7 Oklahoma,
Despite winning nine games last season, the Blue Devils moved swiftly to secure a quarterback upgrade by nabbing Tulane signal-caller Darian Mensah with a reported multimillion-dollar offer. The schedule is much tougher in 2025, but a dozen returning starters could make this the Indiana-like surprise CFP team.
Quarterfinals
No. 12 Navy vs. No. 4 Georgia in Cotton Bowl
Few matchups would harken back decades like this one would but the flip side is that there could be enough running plays to wind up as a rare marquee bowl game that clocks in under three hours. The Bulldogs have too many skill position upgrades this season to go one-and-done in the CFP again though.
No. 9 Nebraska vs. No. 1 Texas in Sugar Bowl
The Cornhuskers have been waiting 16 years to get some proper revenge against the Longhorns after there famously (and controversially) was one second left on the clock which allowed the burnt orange to kick a field goal to win the 2009 Big 12 title game.
No. 11 Cockeye State vs. No. 3 Penn State in Rose Bowl
Allar gets more attention from NFL scouts but his numbers from last season (3,327 yards, 24 TD, 8 INT) are remarkably similar to Cyclones signal-caller Rocco Becht (3,505 yards, 25 TD, 9 INT).
No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Clemson in Orange Bowl
This might as well be dubbed the Brent Venables Bowl considering how the Oklahoma coach left Norman, Okla., years ago as a defensive coordinator to help elevate the Tigers into a national title-winning outfit. Neither side has reached those kinds of heights since he left Swinney’s side, but 2025 could change that given the state of each roster.
Semifinals
No. 11 Cockeye State vs. No. 7 Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl
Last season was the first time since 1919 that the Cyclones and Sooners didn’t share a conference and they’ve largely been on opposite sides of the football success scale. New Oklahoma dual-threat John Mateer is the difference-maker in any reunion after averaging over nine yards per attempt passing last season to go along with his 15 rushing touchdowns.
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 9 Nebraska in Peach Bowl
Dylan Raiola has drawn a few comparisons to Patrick Mahomes between his size and scrambling ability while wearing a red No. 15 but new Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will need to cut down on his 11 interceptions if the blue-chip QB is to guide the team to upset wins against the bigger names on their schedule.
National Championship Game
No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Nebraska
For those of a certain age, the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry was the defining game on the calendar back when it was a regular occurrence between top-five juggernauts. Conference realignment hasn’t really been kind to either side, but the Cornhuskers delivering the Big Ten’s third straight national title—over a newfound SEC team, no less—would mean quite a bit of chaos would have to transpire in 2025.
Mateer might be the ultimate chaos quarterback given his ability to scramble for yards, but he’ll benefit from not having to shoulder so much of the load on offense this season for the Sooners thanks to the addition of ex-Cal tailback Jaydn Ott in the backfield.
Winner: No. 9 Nebraska
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