Honestly, if you told a college football fan three years ago that the national title would come down to Indiana and Miami, they would have laughed you out of the room. Yet, here we are. The current cfp playoff bracket has been sliced, diced, and whittled down to just two names.
It’s been a wild ride. We started with twelve. Now, only the Hoosiers and the Hurricanes remain standing.
The Road to the National Championship
The bracket has been a total meat grinder. We saw massive upsets that basically broke the internet. Remember when No. 10 Miami walked into Columbus and shocked No. 2 Ohio State? That 24-14 win in the Cotton Bowl was the moment everyone realized this new 12-team format wasn't just about giving more teams a chance—it was about letting the "wrong" teams win.
Indiana, meanwhile, has been a buzzsaw. They didn't just beat No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl; they dismantled them 56-22. It was a statement. Coach Curt Cignetti has turned a program that was historically a basement dweller into the No. 1 seed that looks absolutely unbeatable.
Who Got Knocked Out?
If you're looking at the current cfp playoff bracket and wondering where the usual suspects went, you aren't alone. The heavyweights took some serious chin music this year.
- Georgia: The No. 3 Bulldogs fell to Ole Miss in a 39-34 Sugar Bowl thriller.
- Alabama: The Tide managed to beat Oklahoma in the first round, but then ran into the Indiana wall, losing 38-3 in the Rose Bowl.
- Texas Tech: They earned a bye as the No. 4 seed but got shut out 23-0 by Oregon.
It’s been a year of firsts. James Madison made the field. Tulane was in the mix. The old guard didn't just lose; they were pushed aside by a new wave of programs that took advantage of the extra breathing room the 12-team expansion provided.
The Last Game on the Schedule
The only game left on the current cfp playoff bracket is the big one.
No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami.
It’s happening Monday, January 19, 2026. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is going to be rocking, mostly because the Hurricanes are essentially playing a home game for the natty.
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Miami’s path was arguably the hardest. They had to win a true road game at Kyle Field against Texas A&M just to get into the quarterfinals. Then they took out Ohio State. Then they survived a 31-27 nail-biter against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. They are battle-tested in a way most No. 10 seeds never get to be.
Why This Bracket Changed Everything
For years, the playoff was a closed circle. You knew Alabama, Clemson, or Georgia would be there. This year, the current cfp playoff bracket proved that the bye isn't a guarantee of success. Three of the top four seeds—Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech—didn't even make the semifinals.
Only Indiana protected their home turf (or rather, their bye status). It suggests that the "rust vs. rest" debate is going to be the main talking point for every sports talk radio host for the next decade. Does a week off help, or does it kill the momentum of a team that just finished a heated conference championship? Based on this year's bracket, momentum seems to be winning the argument.
What You Need to Do Now
If you’re planning on watching the finale, here is the move. Clear your schedule for Monday night. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. If you're a betting person, keep an eye on the injury reports for Miami's secondary; they took some hits in the Ole Miss game, and Indiana’s passing attack is relentless.
Check your local listings if you're streaming, because with the new TNT/Max sub-licensing deals, the broadcast landscape is a bit more fragmented than it used to be. But for the title game, ESPN remains the king.
Keep an eye on the line movement. Indiana opened as a favorite, but the "home field" advantage for Miami is starting to shrink that gap. This is the first time since 1966 these two have played. History is literally being written in real-time.
Take a second to appreciate the chaos. We wanted a playoff that felt like March Madness, and for the first time in the history of this sport, we actually got it.