With Week 5 of the 2025 college football season in the books, it's never too early to project how the 12-team playoff will look by December. The projected field features several changes following Week 5 action. Ohio State holds the No. 1 seed after its win at Washington. However, Big Ten counterpart Oregon is on the move up to No. 2 following a huge road victory at Penn State . Miami jumps to No. 3, while Ole Miss climbs to No. 4 after beating LSU . Five teams from the SEC are projected to make the field, with Oklahoma dropping out this week due to the uncertainty surrounding the health of quarterback John Mateer .
Although the season is just a month old, the impact of every game isn't limited to just the top four. Instead, each contest takes on an increased role due to eight additional spots in the playoff, as well as seeding, and the automatic bids for conference champions.
As a refresher for '25: 12 teams — the five highest-rated conference champions and seven highest-ranked at-large selections by the selection committee — will receive berths to the College Football Playoff. The top four teams receive a bye, with the first-round games slated to be played at the home sites of the higher seed. In a change from '24, the top four teams receiving a bye do not have to be conference champions. Beginning with the quarterfinals, all games through the national championship will be played at bowl or neutral sites.
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2025 After Week 5
With Week 5 completed, Athlon Sports projects the CFP field for 2025:
The Projected Field for 2025-26
Ranking All 136 College Football Teams for 2025
1. Ohio State (Projected Big Ten Champion)
2. Oregon
3. Miami (Projected ACC Champion)
4. Ole Miss (Projected SEC Champion)
5. Alabama
6. Georgia
7. Texas
8. Texas A&M
9. Texas Tech
(Projected Big 12 Champion)
10. Indiana
11. Penn State
12. South Florida
(Projected Highest G5 Champion)
Bubble Watch After Week 5
Oklahoma (4-0)
LSU (4-1)
Iowa State (5-0)
Georgia Tech
(5-0)
Florida State (3-1)
Arizona State (4-1)
Michigan
(3-1)
USC (4-1)
Illinois
(4-1)
Notre Dame (2-2)
Tennessee
(4-1)
Vanderbilt (5-0)
TCU (3-1)
Utah (4-1)
Missouri
(5-0)
BYU
(4-0)
G5 Playoff Contenders
Projected Conference Champions:Boise State, James Madison
, Toledo, and Western Kentucky
Other G5 Teams in the Mix: UNLV
, Buffalo, North Texas, Memphis, Navy, Tulane, Texas State, Army, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, and Ohio
First-round games will be placed on campus sites of highest seed. Matchups will take place from Dec. 19-20
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 South Florida
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Penn StateNo. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Indiana
No. 8 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 Texas Tech
Second-round games will be played at bowl sites and will take place from Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31)
Projection: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 7 Texas
Orange Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 3 Miami vs. No. 6 Georgia
Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Texas A&M
Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1)
Projection: No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Alabama
Semifinal games will be played at bowl sites. Matchups are scheduled for Jan. 8-9.
Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 8)
Projection: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Alabama
Peach Bowl (Jan. 9)
Projection: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 3 Miami
Jan. 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Projection: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Oregon
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2025-26
Related: 2025 Bowl Projections after Week 5: Oregon, Alabama Upsets Shake Up Playoff Field
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
