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 are just two weeks away from knowing which 12 teams will participate in this season's CFP. Conference races are coming down to the wire and there are still perhaps two dozen teams who think they have a chance at the Playoff.
Here is the updated projection of the CFP field for the 2025 season after Week 12, from RotoWire.com.
Projected College Football Playoff Field For 2025
Seed, Team | Conference | 2025 (Overall, Conference) |
1. | Big Ten | 10-0 (7-0) |
2. | SEC | 10-0 (7-0) |
3. | Big Ten | 11-0 (8-0) |
4. | SEC | 9-1 (7-1) |
5. | Big 12 | 10-1 (7-1) |
6. | SEC | 10-1 (6-1) |
7. | Big Ten | 9-1 (6-1) |
8. | SEC | 8-2 (4-2) |
9. | Independent | 8-2 |
10. | Big 12 | 9-1 (6-1) |
11. | ACC | 9-1 (6-1) |
12. | American | 8-2 (5-1) |
Ohio State
Texas A&M
Georgia
Texas Tech
Mississippi
Oregon
Notre Dame
BYU
Georgia Tech
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.
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 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.
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Top CFP Contenders
Oklahoma has muscled its way into our projected field.
The Sooners downed Alabama for the second straight season, this time on the road in Tuscaloosa. Saturday's 23-21 win for the Sooners was their fifth this season over a team that was ranked in the Associated Press poll at the time of the game.
Coach Brent Venables (above) might have had his biggest win at Oklahoma, which forced three turnovers and gave up none. Quarterback John Mateer only passed for 138 yards, and Bama outgained OU 406-212, but Tate Sandell's go-ahead 24-yard field goal with 13:41 left in the game held up.
While Oklahoma is back in our projected top 12, Alabama is out for the time being. But the Crimson Tide could well get back into the mix and be a CFB futures betting factor. They have only overmatched Eastern Illinois and underwhelming Auburn ahead on the schedule. And Bama could still get into the SEC title game, which is something that the CFP committee proved last year that it values.
That's why 
Indiana is a heavy favorite to get a bye in the first round of the CFP even if the Hoosiers lose the Big Ten championship game.
IU is sitting at 11-0, with a bye this week followed by the regular-season finale at rival Purdue. The Boilermakers (2-9, 0-8 Big Ten) are awful and should put up little resistance as the Hoosiers aim for their first perfect regular season in program history.
At bet365 Sportsbook, Indiana has +500 odds to win the national title, second behind Ohio State (+175). IU has an easier path than OSU to the Big Ten title game; the Buckeyes should roll over Rutgers this week, but a trip to Ann Arbor to face That Team Up North looms on Nov. 29. And Michigan (8-2, 6-1) still has CFP and conference title game hopes of its own.
College Football Playoff Bubble Watch
Team, Conference | Odds | 2025 (Overall, Conference) |
Alabama, SEC | -250 | 8-2 (6-1) |
Miami, ACC | +300 | 8-2 (4-2) |
Utah, Big 12 | +260 | 8-2 (5-2) |
Virginia, ACC | +240 | 9-2 (6-1) |
USC, Big Ten | +400 | 8-2 (6-1) |
Playoff odds for CFB bubble teams are from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Nov. 17.
We mentioned how easily Alabama could bounce back into the top 12, so let's look at a few other teams on bubble watch.
Miami has a ranked team (Pittsburgh) awaiting in the final week, and the Hurricanes have that early win over Notre Dame on their resume. Will that be enough if, as seems very likely, UM misses the ACC title game? Virginia has its fate more directly in its hands; a win over downtrodden rival Virginia tech in the finale would almost surely put UVA in the league title game.
Utah is lurking in the Big 12 in case Texas Tech or BYU stumble. The Utes were 13th in last week's CFP rankings but likely need help to move up. Ditto for USC in the Big Ten, though the Trojans have a huge opportunity to make their CFP case if they win on Saturday at No. 8 Oregon (12:30 p.m. Pacific, CBS).
Vanderbilt was No. 14 in last week's CFP rankings, but the Commodores are not on our bubble list.
The problem for the Commodores (8-2, 4-2) is that victories over Kentucky this Saturday and Nov. 29 at Tennessee might not be enough of a boost to pass the other SEC teams ahead of Vandy in the Playoff picture. A couple of teams below them, especially USC and Michigan, have bigger chances to boost their resume.
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 10-0 record (7-0 in Big Ten play). The Buckeyes are ahead of Texas A&M, Indiana, Georgia and Texas Tech in the projected playoff field.
Q: Which SEC teams are in the 2025 College Football Playoff picture?
A: Texas A&M, Georgia, 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 (-250 odds to make the playoff at DraftKings), Miami (+300), Utah (+260), Virginia (+240) and USC (+400) are considered bubble teams. Games in the final two weeks of the regular season will determine whether they can secure a playoff spot.
