Bracket Lab

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Choose a format and field, then pick your winners.

Format
Field
Published field

Associated Press · August 17, 2026

Official source

Current 2026 fieldHigher-seed baseline

AP until CFP rankings begin · five projected champions get a bye · résumé order returns for the Round of 12.

Field details

AP until CFP rankings begin · five projected champions get a bye · résumé order returns for the Round of 12.

Start with the displayed field, or choose every entrant yourself.

Simulation & rules

Simulations favor higher seeds. Choose how often upsets occur; these are illustrations, not forecasts or betting odds.

5 Champion byes1–2 Double byes8 Single byesR12 Résumé reseed

Six rotating bowlsBowls rotate through published Round-of-12 slots on a six-year cycle set before teams are selected.

Protection expiresFive champions skip the opener. At the Round of 12, résumé order takes over and the highest remaining seed faces the lowest.

Two reseedsNo. 1 Ohio State receives the lowest-ranked remaining team, No. 8 Texas A&M. The quarterfinal column is arranged by semifinal path before the bracket locks.

Integrated PlayoffInteractive bracket · current projection
Swipe rounds →
Bracket can be scrolled on smaller screens
Four résumé hosts

Opening Round

4 games
Campus gameOxford, Mississippi
Campus gameNorman, Oklahoma
Campus gameBaton Rouge, Louisiana
Campus gameTuscaloosa, Alabama
Champion protection expires · first reseed

Round of 12

6 games
Rose BowlPasadena, California
Sugar BowlNew Orleans, Louisiana
Orange BowlMiami Gardens, Florida
Cotton BowlArlington, Texas
Peach BowlAtlanta, Georgia
Fiesta BowlGlendale, Arizona
Second reseed

Quarterfinals

4 games
Campus gameColumbus, Ohio
Campus gameSouth Bend, Indiana
Campus gameEugene, Oregon
Campus gameAthens, Georgia
Bracket locks

Semifinals

2 games
Campus gameColumbus, Ohio
Campus gameEugene, Oregon
One game remains

National Championship

1 game
National championshipAllegiant Stadium · Las Vegas, Nevada · Jan. 25, 2027
Projected national championOne team remains
College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy
National championOhio State
Quick format guideThe 18-team path in five steps.View path
  1. 01Selection Sunday

    Eighteen teams enter. Five conference champions receive at least one bye; Nos. 1 and 2 receive two.

  2. 02Campus opening round

    Nos. 11–14 host Nos. 18–15 while students are still on campus. Four winners advance.

  3. 03Six-bowl weekend

    Seeds 3–10 join the campus winners in six rotating bowls. The field falls from 14 teams to eight.

  4. 04New Year on campus

    Nos. 1 and 2 enter. Campus quarterfinals and semifinals turn eight teams into two.

  5. 05Saturday championship

    The finalists meet at one preselected neutral site for the national title.

Automatic fieldCurrent without pretending to be official.

The site requests the latest ranking through a public ESPN data feed, then links readers to the official poll source. If the feed fails, it preserves the last bundled field.

Simulation modelRanking-weighted, never predetermined.

Higher seeds receive better chances based only on seed distance. The volatility control changes how strongly that gap matters, so an upset is always possible. These are illustrative probabilities—not betting odds.

Team directoryLive marks use a resilient fallback.

Team marks identify bracket participants. All institutional names and marks belong to their respective owners; this independent proposal is not endorsed by the NCAA, CFP, ESPN, AP, or any institution.