Wed Dec 31 23:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the text:

College Football Playoff Bracket Set: Indiana Claims Top Seed

[CITY, STATE] – The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee has finalized the bracket for the 2025-26 playoffs, with Indiana securing the coveted No. 1 seed. Ohio State claims the No. 2, Georgia the No. 3 and Texas Tech the No. 4 seed. These four teams receive first-round byes and advance directly to the quarterfinals.

The bracket was determined using the committee’s final top 25 rankings released on Sunday, December 7th, with adjustments made to accommodate the five highest-ranked conference champions who receive automatic bids into the playoff. While the selection prioritizes conference champions, the four highest-ranked teams – regardless of conference finish – receive byes.

Quarterfinal Matchups Set for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

The quarterfinal round is scheduled for Wednesday, December 31st, and Thursday, January 1st, and will take place at the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The committee will consider historic bowl relationships and seeding when assigning the top four teams to these locations.

Semifinals and Championship on the Horizon

The winners of the quarterfinal games will advance to the semifinals, held on January 8th and 9th at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl. The No. 1 seed is slated to face the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed will take on the No. 3 seed, if the seeds hold. The two semifinal victors will then clash for the national championship on Monday, January 19th, in Miami. There will be no re-seeding of the bracket after each round.

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