The 2025-26 College Football Playoff first-round schedule kicks off this week with four first-round games on campus sites. The expanded 12-team format continues its second year, and these matchups feature intriguing rematches, Cinderella stories, and high-stakes action as teams battle for spots in the quarterfinals against the top four seeds (No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 Texas Tech, who earned first-round byes).
All games are elimination contests. The winners advance to the New Year’s Eve/Day quarterfinals at major bowls (Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar). Below is the full first-round schedule with TV channels, streaming options, and our quick predictions.
2025 College Football Playoff First-Round Schedule(December 19-20)
Here’s the 2025 College Football Playoff first-round schedule for you. The games take place on December 19th and 20th this coming weekend.
Friday, December 19, 2025
- 8:00 PM ET — No. 9 Alabama (10-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2)
- Location: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
- TV: ABC / ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo
- Announcers: Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
Saturday, December 20, 2025
- 12:00 PM ET (Noon) — No. 10 Miami (FL) (10-2) at No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1)
- Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
- TV: ABC / ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo
- 3:30 PM ET — No. 11 Tulane (11-2) at No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1)
- Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
- TV: TNT / truTV
- Streaming: Max (HBO Max), Sling
- 7:30 PM ET — No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No. 5 Oregon (11-1)
- Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
- TV: TNT / truTV
- Streaming: Max (HBO Max), Sling
(Note: Times and channels are confirmed as of December 15, 2025. Check ESPN or official sources for any last-minute updates.)
Free Printable CFP First-Round Pick’em Sheet
Download our free printable pick’em sheets for the first-round games:
- Straight-Up Picks PDF (Just pick the winners)
- Confidence Points PDF (1-4 points are assigned to each game)
- CFP 12 Team Bracket Challenge Printable (All of the Games)
These sheets include space for scores, spreads (if you want to add ATS), and a tiebreaker for total points in the final game.
Quick Predictions & Picks
Here’s our staff take on each matchup (straight-up winners in bold):
- Alabama at Oklahoma – Alabama wins a close one. The Crimson Tide overcome playing on the road at Normal to eek out a win. Predicted score: Alabama 27, Oklahoma 24.
- Miami at Texas A&M – Texas A&M dominates at home. The Aggies’ defense stifles Miami’s offense, advancing to face Ohio State. Predicted score: Texas A&M 31, Miami 20.
- Tulane at Ole Miss – Ole Miss rolls. The Rebels’ high-powered offense proves too much for the Group of Five champ Tulane in this rematch. Predicted score: Ole Miss 38, Tulane 17. Before the coaching staff decided to come back and help, we thought Tulane might cover on some of our earlier posts, but have now swung the other direction.
- James Madison at Oregon; Oregon survives. The Ducks avoid a massive upset against the plucky Dukes from the Sun Belt, but it’s closer than expected. Predicted score: Oregon 34, James Madison 24.
Overall, we see all but one of the home favorites advancing.
More CFP & Bowl Resources on SportsBrackets.net
- Full 2025-26 College Football Bowl Schedule: Printable PDF & TV Grid (Updated Dec 15)
- 2025 College Football Playoff Bracket: Printable 12-Team PDF
- Full Bowl Pick’em & Confidence Pools
- Bowl Predictions: All 42 Games + Playoff Winners
Bowl season is in full swing; stay tuned for updates, results, and more printables as we head toward the National Championship on January 19 in Miami!
