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CFP bracket: How 12-team field differs from College Football Playoff rankings
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- CFP bracket: How 12-team field differs from College Football Playoff rankings
The initial College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 4, providing teams with an early benchmark on where they stand heading into the final stretch of the season.
Ohio State and Indiana led the way, as expected, as the two Big Ten powers are undefeated with big wins. The Buckeyes defeated Texas (No. 11 in the initial top 25) in their season opener, and Indiana took down Oregon (No. 9) by double-digits on the road.
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Texas A&M came in at No. 3, which was the highest ranking among SEC teams. No. 4 Alabama followed the Aggies to round out the teams with first-round byes (if the season ended on Nov. 4).
The CFP bracket format is a bit different in 2025 , with the committee moving to a straight-seeding system. The top four seeds are no longer granted to the four highest-ranked conference champions, but rather the top four ranked teams, as ranked as by the CFP selection committee on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Here's a look at how the CFP bracket would like if the season ended after the initial rankings reveal on Nov. 4.
CFP bracket
Though Memphis was unranked in the initial top 25, the Tigers would be the No. 12 seed of the CFP bracket. The selection committee said during the reveal show that they rank teams until the first non-Power Four team appears, which was Memphis.
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Here's a look at the CFP bracket, including each matchup, based on the initial ranking reveal.
First round
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No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia
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No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Texas Tech
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No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Ole Miss
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No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 BYU
Quarterfinals
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No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Georgia/No. 12 Memphis
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No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Texas Tech/No. 9 Oregon
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No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 Virginia
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No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 7 BYU/No. 10 Notre Dame
CFP rankings after Week 10
Here's the full CFP rankings from Nov. 4's release.
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Ohio State (8-0)
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Indiana (9-0)
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Texas A&M (8-0)
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Alabama (7-1)
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Georgia (7-1)
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Ole Miss (8-1)
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BYU (8-0)
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Texas Tech (8-1)
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Oregon (7-1)
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Notre Dame (6-2)
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Texas (7-2)
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Oklahoma (7-2)
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Utah (7-2)
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Virginia (8-1)
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Louisville (7-1)
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Vanderbilt (7-2)
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Georgia Tech (8-1)
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Miami (6-2)
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Southern California (6-2)
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Iowa (6-2)
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Michigan (7-2)
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Missouri (6-2)
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Washington (6-2)
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Pittsburgh (7-2)
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Tennessee (6-3)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CFP bracket: How 12-team field looks after initial rankings reveal
