With Week 13 coming to a close and only one game left for the No. 6 Ducks, it’s time to start thinking about the College Football Playoffs. This is the second year of the 12-team expanded playoff bracket, and The Daily Emerald is here to give you a recap of all the rules in this new playoff system.
With 12 teams eligible for the playoffs, seeding is more important than ever, with the highest-ranked conference champions no longer getting a first-round bye. Last season, the Ducks got a first-round bye after winning the Big Ten Championship, which secured their spot in the quarterfinal round at the Rose Bowl. Now with the new rule for straight seeding, the top four teams are composed of the top four ranked teams, regardless of conference championships.
One of the reasons for this rule change was that Boise State, which was ranked ninth in the final CFP ranking, got a first-round bye due to winning the Mountain West Conference. The change also gives a team like Notre Dame, an independent, the opportunity to secure a first-round bye in the future.
The highest-ranked teams that didn’t win a conference championship are seeded 5-12, with the highest four-ranked teams hosting playoff games on home turf. Currently, the No. 6 Oregon Ducks would host the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes at home due to their current ranking.
The rankings are chosen by the College Football Playoff committee, which is composed of former coaches, administrators and media experts who decide the rankings each week. The rankings are selected based on multiple factors, including strength of schedule, head-to-head results and performance.
While only 12 teams make the playoffs, 25 total teams are ranked leading into the day of the draw following conference championships Saturday, Dec. 6. The final rankings will be released on Dec. 7, and first round games will take place on Dec. 19 and 20 at the home stadiums of the higher seeded teams. Quarterfinals will kick off with the Cotton Bowl Dec. 31, in Arlington Texas and the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl will finish the round Jan. 1. After semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 8 and Peach Bowl Jan. 9, the 2025 National Championship Game will be hosted at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Jan. 19.
![The Oregon Ducks throw up their “O”s to the crowd after winning the match. On May 30, 2026, The Oregon Ducks defeated the Washington State Cougars [4-0] in game 4 of the NCAA D1 Baseball Regionals at PK Park, at University of Oregon, based in Eugene, Ore. (Fred Hall/Emerald)](https://dailyemerald.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026.5.30.EMG_.FJH_.BSBLvsWashingtonStNCAA-15-1200x800.jpg)
