Oregon's Dierre Hill Jr. and Miami's Bryce Fitzgerald stood out during the first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman break down all four games in the first round of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.

As we gear up for the second 12-team College Football Playoff, we’ll provide an in-depth breakdown of each contender, recapping their journey to this point and highlighting what makes them tick while leveraging PFF data.

James Madison has the defense and run game that could give Oregon some issues. If Barnett can keep his hot streak going, the Dukes may have an outside chance at an upset.

Tulane’s passing attack can keep the Green Wave within striking distance in these playoff games, but the defense must perform better if Tulane is going to pull off a massive upset.

If Carson Beck can play clean football for four straight games, Miami has the talent to make a deep run in the playoff and potentially win the whole thing.

Alabama has the defense, offensive line and receiving corps capable of making a deep run in the playoff. The question is whether a cold Ty Simpson can carry this offense without much of a run game to rely on.

Oklahoma’s defense can keep it close with any team it faces in the playoff. The question is whether the offense can pull its weight enough to make a run.

Texas A&M has the defense and supporting cast on offense to compete for the program’s first national championship since 1939. It may just come down to whether or not Marcel Reed can play clean and consistent football for four straight games.

Ole Miss will be eager to show Lane Kiffin what he’s missing in the College Football Playoff. The Rebels should at least make the quarterfinals, where they’ll need to avenge their loss to Georgia in order to move further than that.

Oregon might not be the favorite going into the playoff like it was last year, but the Ducks could be primed for a deeper run than the 2024 squad thanks to a complete roster.

Texas Tech has a national championship-caliber defense. The question is whether the passing game can pull its weight for the Red Raiders to capture their first title.

Georgia isn’t the odds-on favorite to win the national championship like in previous seasons, but the Bulldogs have enough talent on both sides of the ball to potentially bring home their third trophy in the last five years.

While Ohio State suffered a setback in the Big Ten championship game, the Buckeyes are still the betting favorites to repeat as national champions.

Indiana was an incredible underdog story last season. Now, the Hoosiers enter the playoff as the team to beat.

USF's Byrum Brown and Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren headline PFF's 2025 All-Group of Six Team.

Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and receiver Malachi Toney headline PFF's 2025 All-ACC Team.

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez headline PFF's 2025 All-Big 12 Team.