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About and data sources Suggest an improvement
season, through week 6

If the season plays out

Not official.These are projections from this site's own model, built on its power index. They are not the playoff committee's rankings or any bowl's actual selections, and early in the season they move a lot from week to week.

Every game left goes to the team the model favors, then each conference's top two meet in a title game. Change any result in the what-if section and the field is rebuilt.

Projected national champion Notre Dame Wins the title in 25% of this bracket's outcomes. Game by game, the favorites' path ends with Georgia.
Notre Dame25%
Georgia23%
Alabama22%
BYU12%
Ohio State6%

What if

Pick the winner of any game that has not been played. The rankings, the playoff field, the bracket and the bowls on this page are rebuilt around your results. Click a pick again to clear it.

Week 68 games
Week 719 games
Week 816 games
Week 920 games
Week 1017 games
Week 1120 games, 1 set
Week 1219 games, 1 set
Week 1322 games

The percentage is each team's chance to win as the model sees it. The small number is this page's ranking. Your results change records and strength of record. They do not change how good the model thinks a team is.

12-team playoff bracket

First round

at UtahDec 18 or 19
8 Utah 54%
9 LSU 46%
at GeorgiaDec 18 or 19
5 Georgia 93%
12 James Madison 7%
at MiamiDec 18 or 19
7 Miami 76%
10 UCLA 24%
at TexasDec 18 or 19
6 Texas 60%
11 Indiana 40%

Quarterfinals

Peach BowlJan 1
1 Alabama 71%
8 Utah 29%
Rose BowlJan 1
4 Ohio State 32%
5 Georgia 68%
Fiesta BowlDec 30
2 Notre Dame 66%
7 Miami 34%
Cotton BowlJan 1
3 BYU 62%
6 Texas 38%

Semifinals

Sugar BowlJan 15
1 Alabama 46%
5 Georgia 54%
Orange BowlJan 14
2 Notre Dame 62%
3 BYU 38%

Championship

Las VegasJan 25
5 Georgia 53%
2 Notre Dame 47%
WinnerGeorgia

The percentage is each team's chance in that game. The favorite advances. The top four seeds get a first-round bye, and lower seeds play at the higher seed's stadium in the first round. Quarterfinal and semifinal sites are the real ones for the 2026 season, handed out here by region.

The field

SeedTeamRecordHow they got inReach semifinalReach finalWin title
1 Alabama 12-0 SEC champion 70% 37% 22%
2 Notre Dame 12-0 Ranked in the top 12 70% 46% 25%
3 BYU 11-1 Big 12 champion 63% 28% 12%
4 Ohio State 11-1 Big Ten champion 35% 15% 6%
5 Georgia 10-2 At-large 63% 38% 23%
6 Texas 11-1 At-large 23% 8% 2%
7 Miami 11-1 ACC champion 26% 13% 5%
8 Utah 11-1 At-large 16% 5% 2%
9 LSU 10-2 At-large 15% 5% 2%
10 UCLA 12-0 At-large 4% 1% <1%
11 Indiana 10-2 At-large 14% 4% 1%
12 James Madison 12-0 Sun Belt champion 1% <1% Out

First four out: Houston (10-2), Missouri (9-3), Nebraska (10-2), Mississippi State (9-3). The four power conference champions and the best champion from the other six conferences are in automatically. Notre Dame is in if it is ranked in the top 12. Seeds follow the ranking straight down.

Conference champions

ACCMiamibeats SMU in the title game
AmericanEast Carolinabeats Memphis in the title game
Big 12BYUbeats Utah in the title game
Big TenOhio Statebeats UCLA in the title game
Conference USALibertybeats Jacksonville State in the title game
MACToledobeats Western Michigan in the title game
Mountain WestNew Mexicobeats North Dakota State in the title game
Pac-12Boise Statebeats Oregon State in the title game
SECAlabamabeats Texas in the title game
Sun BeltJames Madisonbeats Georgia State in the title game

Bowl projections

Citrus BowlJan 2, Orlando
Missouri9-3 49%
Nebraska10-2 51%

Pick: Nebraska in a toss-up

ReliaQuest BowlDec 31, Tampa
Mississippi State9-3 50%
Pittsburgh10-2 50%

Pick: Pittsburgh in a toss-up

Alamo BowlDec 29, San Antonio
Houston10-2 69%
Boise State10-1 31%

Pick: Houston by 7

Pop-Tarts BowlDec 29, Orlando
Wake Forest10-2 40%
Arizona10-2 60%

Pick: Arizona by 3

Gator BowlDec 30, Jacksonville
Oklahoma7-5 67%
SMU10-2 33%

Pick: Oklahoma by 6

Holiday BowlDec 28, San Diego
Virginia Tech8-4 54%
Oregon State8-3 46%

Pick: Virginia Tech by 1

Las Vegas BowlDec 31, Las Vegas
USC9-3 73%
Fresno State7-4 27%

Pick: USC by 9

Texas BowlDec 31, Houston
Kansas8-4 67%
Tennessee9-3 33%

Pick: Kansas by 6

Music City BowlDec 30, Nashville
Florida7-5 39%
Oregon8-4 61%

Pick: Oregon by 4

Duke's Mayo BowlDec 26, Charlotte
Duke8-4 42%
Northwestern9-3 58%

Pick: Northwestern by 3

Liberty BowlJan 2, Memphis
Texas Tech9-3 60%
Ole Miss6-6 40%

Pick: Texas Tech by 4

Sun BowlDec 31, El Paso
Louisville7-5 66%
Texas State6-5 34%

Pick: Louisville by 6

Pinstripe BowlDec 26, New York
Florida State6-6 42%
Iowa9-3 58%

Pick: Iowa by 3

Cactus BowlDec 26, Tempe
Wisconsin8-4 40%
Baylor8-4 60%

Pick: Baylor by 4

Military BowlDec 28, Annapolis
Virginia7-5 48%
Memphis10-2 52%

Pick: Memphis by 1

Fenway BowlDec 26, Boston
Clemson6-6 30%
East Carolina9-3 70%

Pick: East Carolina by 8

Independence BowlDec 22, Shreveport
Oklahoma State8-4 52%
Liberty11-1 48%

Pick: Oklahoma State by 1

Birmingham BowlDec 29, Birmingham
Kentucky6-6 60%
UTSA10-2 40%

Pick: Kentucky by 4

Gasparilla BowlDec 18, Tampa
NC State6-6 41%
Jacksonville State10-2 59%

Pick: Jacksonville State by 3

First Responder BowlJan 2, Dallas
Kansas State8-4 67%
North Texas8-4 33%

Pick: Kansas State by 6

Armed Forces BowlDec 23, Fort Worth
UCF6-6 61%
Florida Atlantic8-4 39%

Pick: UCF by 4

Poinsettia BowlDec 23, San Diego
New Mexico11-1 58%
Georgia State10-2 42%

Pick: New Mexico by 3

Hawaii BowlDec 24, Honolulu
North Dakota State11-1 61%
South Florida8-4 39%

Pick: North Dakota State by 4

New Mexico BowlDec 24, Albuquerque
Air Force10-2 65%
Tulsa8-4 35%

Pick: Air Force by 6

Arizona BowlDate not set, Tucson
Toledo10-2 59%
UNLV7-5 41%

Pick: Toledo by 3

Famous Idaho Potato BowlDec 21, Boise
Western Michigan9-3 22%
Louisiana10-2 78%

Pick: Louisiana by 11

68 Ventures BowlDec 26, Mobile
Louisiana Tech9-3 47%
Sam Houston7-5 53%

Pick: Sam Houston by 1

New Orleans BowlDec 23, New Orleans
Troy7-5 53%
Florida International7-5 47%

Pick: Troy by 1

Salute to Veterans BowlDec 15, Montgomery
App State7-5 54%
Ohio8-4 46%

Pick: App State by 1

Myrtle Beach BowlDec 21, Conway
Marshall6-6 18%
Navy6-6 82%

Pick: Navy by 14

Cure BowlDec 22, Orlando
Miami (OH)8-4 69%
San José State6-7 31%

Pick: Miami (OH) by 7

Boca Raton BowlDec 18, Boca Raton
Massachusetts8-4 63%
Central Michigan7-5 37%

Pick: Massachusetts by 5

Frisco BowlDec 23, Frisco
Michigan6-6 75%
Cincinnati6-6 25%

Pick: Michigan by 10

Puerto Rico BowlDec 22, Bayamón
Penn State7-5 73%
UConn7-5 27%

Pick: Penn State by 9

Frisco Football ClassicDec 15, Frisco
Auburn5-7 61%
Texas A&M5-7 39%

Pick: Auburn by 4

Teams need six wins to qualify. Each bowl takes the best team left from the conferences it has a deal with. When a conference runs out of teams, the best team left from anywhere fills the spot. Real selections also weigh travel, rematches and ticket sales, which this does not.

Record projections

RankTeamRecordProjectedExpected winsChance of 6 winsChance to win out
1 Alabama 5-0 11-1 10.9 >99% 26%
2 Notre Dame 6-0 11-1 11.1 >99% 34%
3 BYU 5-0 10-2 10.4 >99% 13%
4 Ohio State 4-1 10-2 9.5 >99% 16%
5 Georgia 5-1 10-2 10.1 >99% 33%
6 Texas 4-0 10-2 9.9 >99% 7%
7 Miami 5-0 11-1 10.7 >99% 16%
8 Utah 4-0 10-2 10.2 >99% 10%
9 LSU 4-1 9-3 9.3 >99% 11%
10 UCLA 5-0 11-1 10.7 >99% 23%
11 Indiana 6-1 10-2 9.9 >99% 24%
12 Houston 5-1 9-3 9.5 >99% 12%
13 Missouri 5-1 9-3 8.7 >99% 2%
14 Nebraska 5-1 9-3 9.4 >99% 12%
15 Mississippi State 4-1 8-4 8.4 >99% 2%
16 Arizona 5-1 9-3 9.0 >99% 7%
17 Pittsburgh 5-1 9-3 9.4 >99% 9%
18 James Madison 5-0 11-1 10.9 >99% 28%
19 USC 6-1 9-3 8.5 >99% 2%
20 Boise State 4-1 9-2 8.9 >99% 28%
21 Oklahoma 2-2 7-5 7.1 91% 2%
22 Wake Forest 5-1 10-2 9.6 >99% 18%
23 New Mexico 4-1 10-2 9.9 >99% 29%
24 Kansas 2-2 7-5 6.5 80% <1%
25 SMU 4-1 8-4 8.3 >99% <1%
26 Oregon 3-2 7-5 7.1 92% 1%
27 Texas Tech 5-0 10-2 9.5 >99% 4%
28 Liberty 5-1 10-2 10.5 >99% 57%
29 North Dakota State 5-0 11-1 10.7 >99% 17%
30 Baylor 4-1 7-5 7.4 95% <1%
31 Northwestern 4-1 8-4 8.0 99% <1%
32 Tennessee 4-1 8-4 7.7 98% <1%
33 Iowa 5-1 8-4 8.2 >99% 2%
34 Georgia State 4-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 9%
35 Oklahoma State 4-1 8-4 7.8 97% 1%
36 Florida 4-2 6-6 6.4 82% <1%
37 Memphis 4-1 9-3 8.6 >99% 5%
38 Oregon State 3-2 7-4 7.4 98% 11%
39 East Carolina 3-2 8-4 8.1 99% 10%
40 Kansas State 3-2 7-5 6.8 85% 1%
41 Wisconsin 4-1 8-4 8.0 98% 1%
42 Air Force 3-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 9%
43 Virginia Tech 4-2 8-4 7.7 99% 2%
44 UTSA 5-1 8-4 8.5 >99% 3%
45 Louisiana 4-1 9-3 9.2 >99% 8%
46 Ole Miss 4-1 7-5 6.7 89% <1%
47 Michigan 3-2 7-5 6.7 86% <1%
48 Jacksonville State 4-2 9-3 8.8 >99% 25%
49 Duke 4-1 8-4 7.7 97% <1%
50 UCF 3-3 6-6 5.8 61% <1%
51 Louisville 3-3 7-5 6.9 90% 5%
52 Toledo 4-2 9-3 8.9 >99% 26%
53 Kentucky 4-1 7-5 6.6 83% <1%
54 Louisiana Tech 2-2 8-4 7.7 96% 5%
55 Auburn 3-2 6-6 5.7 57% <1%
56 North Texas 4-2 8-4 7.8 98% 5%
57 Penn State 3-2 7-5 7.0 90% 1%
58 Florida State 3-3 6-6 5.7 57% <1%
59 Florida Atlantic 4-1 8-4 7.7 96% <1%
60 South Florida 4-2 8-4 7.8 99% 5%
61 Virginia 3-2 7-5 6.6 82% <1%
62 Fresno State 4-1 8-3 7.7 98% 4%
63 Cincinnati 4-1 6-6 6.2 74% <1%
64 Texas A&M 3-3 5-7 5.2 36% <1%
65 Texas State 2-3 6-5 5.7 57% 2%
66 Tulsa 3-3 7-5 6.8 88% 5%
67 Sam Houston 1-4 6-6 6.3 81% 11%
68 Clemson 3-2 7-5 6.6 84% <1%
69 Washington 3-3 5-7 5.0 31% <1%
70 Navy 2-3 6-6 5.7 58% <1%
71 Minnesota 4-1 6-6 6.2 71% <1%
72 Western Michigan 4-2 8-4 7.6 97% 3%
73 Syracuse 2-2 5-7 5.5 49% <1%
74 Troy 3-2 7-5 6.6 84% <1%
75 UNLV 3-2 7-5 7.1 95% <1%
76 South Carolina 4-3 6-6 5.9 66% <1%
77 Ohio 4-2 8-4 8.1 >99% 7%
78 Miami (OH) 3-3 7-5 7.1 94% 9%
79 NC State 3-3 6-6 6.2 74% 2%
80 TCU 2-3 4-8 4.4 17% <1%
81 Michigan State 2-4 4-8 4.2 11% <1%
82 Arizona State 2-2 5-7 4.8 25% <1%
83 Iowa State 3-3 5-7 4.8 24% <1%
84 App State 3-2 7-5 6.8 87% <1%
85 Florida International 3-2 7-5 6.7 87% <1%
86 UConn 3-3 6-6 6.1 70% <1%
87 Vanderbilt 3-3 5-7 4.8 20% <1%
88 Maryland 2-3 5-7 4.9 30% <1%
89 North Carolina 3-2 5-7 5.4 46% <1%
90 Massachusetts 4-2 8-4 7.8 99% 3%
91 Purdue 2-3 4-8 4.4 17% <1%
92 Georgia Southern 2-3 5-7 5.3 42% <1%
93 Illinois 3-3 4-8 4.4 13% <1%
94 Colorado 2-3 4-8 4.3 14% <1%
95 Central Michigan 3-3 6-6 6.5 80% 3%
96 Temple 2-4 5-7 4.9 25% <1%
97 West Virginia 3-3 4-8 4.0 5% <1%
98 California 3-3 5-7 4.6 15% <1%
99 Boston College 2-3 4-8 3.5 2% <1%
100 Army 3-2 6-6 5.6 53% <1%
101 Arkansas State 2-4 5-7 4.9 28% <1%
102 Utah State 2-4 4-7 3.6 2% <1%
103 UAB 3-2 6-6 5.6 53% <1%
104 Marshall 3-2 6-6 5.9 61% <1%
105 Kennesaw State 1-4 4-8 4.3 15% <1%
106 Stanford 2-4 4-8 3.7 2% <1%
107 New Mexico State 2-4 4-8 4.1 9% <1%
108 San José State 3-3 6-7 5.7 59% <1%
109 Arkansas 2-3 3-9 2.7 <1% <1%
110 Delaware 2-3 5-7 5.1 36% <1%
111 Eastern Michigan 4-3 6-6 6.0 67% <1%
112 Tulane 2-3 5-7 4.9 29% <1%
113 Georgia Tech 2-3 3-9 3.2 <1% <1%
114 Colorado State 2-3 4-7 3.8 4% <1%
115 Old Dominion 2-4 4-8 4.4 15% <1%
116 San Diego State 2-3 4-7 3.6 3% <1%
117 Wyoming 3-3 5-7 5.1 32% <1%
118 Hawai'i 1-4 4-8 4.1 7% <1%
119 Rice 1-5 3-9 2.9 1% <1%
120 South Alabama 4-2 6-6 5.9 61% <1%
121 Kent State 2-4 4-8 4.3 14% <1%
122 Washington State 1-5 2-9 2.3 <1% <1%
123 Ball State 1-5 4-8 3.8 5% <1%
124 Rutgers 1-4 2-10 1.9 <1% <1%
125 Southern Miss 1-4 3-9 3.2 2% <1%
126 Coastal Carolina 1-4 3-9 3.0 1% <1%
127 Middle Tennessee 2-3 4-8 4.1 10% <1%
128 Nevada 1-3 3-9 3.4 2% <1%
129 Western Kentucky 2-4 3-9 3.4 1% <1%
130 Buffalo 3-3 5-7 5.0 30% <1%
131 Missouri State 1-4 3-9 2.7 <1% <1%
132 Akron 1-5 3-9 2.9 <1% <1%
133 Bowling Green 2-4 4-8 3.6 3% <1%
134 Northern Illinois 0-4 2-10 2.3 <1% <1%
135 UL Monroe 0-5 1-11 1.3 <1% <1%
136 UTEP 1-4 2-10 2.1 <1% <1%
137 Charlotte 0-6 0-12 0.4 <1% <1%

Rank is this page's committee-style ranking: half the power index, half strength of record. Projected is the record a team is most likely to finish near, from its chance in each remaining game. Bowls and playoff games are not counted in these records, and a conference title game counts only once it is on the schedule.

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