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🏈 CFP to Pop-Tarts: Picking every bowl game

playFinebaum isn't buying IU as CFP favorite (0:46)Paul Finebaum explains why Indiana isn't the College Football Playoff favorite despite its win over Ohio State. (0:46)Adam RittenbergDec 8, 2025, 08:05 AM ETCloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University. Follow on XEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe 12-team College Football Playoff is no longer new, but there are some different elements to consider when beginning the intrepid task of predicting every postseason game the day the pairings are announced. For starters, there are more justifiably aggrieved teams at being left out of the 12-team CFP.

🏈 CFP to Pop-Tarts: Picking every bowl game

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Key Highlights

  • Among them: Vanderbilt (10-2), BYU (11-2), Texas (9-3) and, of course, Notre Dame (10-2), which had the most bitter Sunday following the selections. The annual coaching carousel always impacts the postseason, but this year has seen moves that have impacted the CFP unlike ever before.
  • Ole Miss will play without former coach Lane Kiffin, while new coach Pete Golding will make his debut at the helm in the biggest game in team history.
  • Jon Sumrall, meanwhile, will lead Tulane into its first CFP before focusing fully on his new job at Florida.
  • James Madison is a surprise inclusion to the CFP, and coach Bob Chesney will lead the Dukes before departing for UCLA. Several CFP teams also have coordinators moving on to head-coaching roles, including Oregon's Will Stein (Kentucky) and Tosh Lupoi (Cal), and Ohio State's Brian Hartline (South Florida).
  • There are also the standard uncertainties around bowl games, including NFL draft declarations and transfer announcements, which haven't kicked into high gear yet since the portal doesn't open until January.
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Sources

  1. 🏈 CFP to Pop-Tarts: Picking every bowl game

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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