Honestly, the way we watch college football has completely shifted. If you’re looking for the college football playoff games schedule, you probably already know that the old four-team era is dead and gone. We are living in the 12-team expansion era now. It's chaotic. It’s loud. And frankly, the schedule is a lot more grueling than it used to be. This season—the 2025-26 run—has been particularly wild because of how the seeds fell and the sheer number of games we've had to keep track of since mid-December.
The playoff kicked off with a first round that basically took over a whole weekend. We saw games on campus sites, which is something fans have been begging for for decades. Imagine the atmosphere in Norman or College Station in late December. It was electric. But now, we are down to the very end. The smoke has cleared from the semifinals, and we are staring at a National Championship matchup that almost nobody predicted back in August.
The Remaining 2025-26 College Football Playoff Games Schedule
If you're just tuning in for the big finale, here is the only date that matters now. Everything else is in the rearview mirror.
National Championship Game
- Matchup: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami
- Date: Monday, January 19, 2026
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, FL
- TV: ESPN (with the usual MegaCast options on ESPN2 and ESPNU)
It’s kind of surreal seeing Indiana at the top of the heap, isn't it? Curt Cignetti has done something in Bloomington that feels like a fever dream. They aren't just winning; they are steamrolling people. They just hung 56 points on Oregon in the Peach Bowl. On the other side, you’ve got Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes. They’ve played the role of the giant killer, knocking off No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinals and then squeaking past Ole Miss in a 31-27 thriller at the Fiesta Bowl.
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How the 12-Team Bracket Actually Shook Out
The path to Miami was a gauntlet. The first round (December 19–20) was a test of depth. Alabama handled Oklahoma 34-24, while Miami really started their "team of destiny" narrative by beating Texas A&M 10-3 in a defensive slog. Ole Miss and Oregon also took care of business against Tulane and James Madison, respectively.
Then came the Quarterfinals on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. This is where the "New Year's Six" bowls come into play.
- Cotton Bowl: Miami shocked Ohio State 24-14.
- Orange Bowl: Oregon shut out Texas Tech 23-0.
- Rose Bowl: Indiana demolished Alabama 38-3.
- Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss outlasted Georgia 39-34.
The blowout in the Rose Bowl was the moment everyone realized Indiana was the real deal. People thought the Hoosiers might crumble under the bright lights of Pasadena against a program like Bama. Instead, they looked like the varsity team playing the JV. It changed the entire vibe of the college football playoff games schedule.
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Why the Schedule Format Changed for 2025
The CFP Board of Managers didn't just expand the field; they tweaked how teams get in. This year was the first time we moved toward a "straight-seeding" model. Previously, the top four conference champions were guaranteed the top four seeds and those precious first-round byes. That led to some weirdness last year where highly-ranked teams were seeded lower just because they didn't win their conference.
This season, the committee just ranked them 1 through 12 based on who they thought the best teams actually were. It’s why Indiana—unbeaten and dominant—secured that No. 1 spot. The goal was to reward the body of work over the entire season rather than just one Saturday in early December.
It also means the schedule is longer. We are talking about teams playing 16 or 17 games if they go the distance. That's an NFL-sized season. Critics, like Joel Klatt and various SEC coaches, have been vocal about the physical toll on these players. There’s already talk of expanding to 14 or even 16 teams in 2026 or 2027, which would only make the college football playoff games schedule more complex.
What to Expect for the National Championship
The betting lines are already out. Indiana is an 8.5-point favorite. That feels high for a championship game, but considering they are 15-0 and have a point differential that looks like a video game, it makes sense. Miami has the "home field" advantage since the game is at Hard Rock Stadium, but Indiana fans have been traveling in droves.
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The storyline to watch? The Mendoza family. Miami’s quarterbacks, Fernando and Alberto Mendoza, are playing in their backyard. Their dad played at the same high school in Miami-Dade. It’s a homecoming for them, but they’re facing a Hoosier defense that has been a brick wall all year.
Actionable Steps for Fans
- Check Your Streaming: If you don't have cable, make sure your YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV subscription is active. ESPN is the exclusive home for this, but the "MegaCast" on the ESPN App usually offers the best "All-22" views for the real junkies.
- Watch the Calendar: The 2026-27 schedule will likely be released or finalized shortly after this game concludes on January 19.
- Travel Plans: If you’re heading to Miami Gardens, expect traffic to be a nightmare near the stadium starting around 3:00 p.m. local time.
The era of the "Little Four" is over. We have a true tournament now, and while the schedule is exhausting to keep up with, it has undeniably made the month of December the best time to be a sports fan. Now, we just wait to see if the Hoosiers can finish the greatest underdog story in the history of the sport.