The MSM Rankings · 2026 Playoff Picture
MSM Playoff Picture
If the season ended today, here is the 12-team College Football Playoff built from The MSM Top 25, using the official CFP selection rules.
- Built on The MSM Rankings
- Updates every Sunday
- No score predictions
How we build it
- The field and seeds come straight from The MSM Top 25. The selection committee's real rankings start November 3 and can differ.
- Conference champion: the highest-ranked team from each conference in The MSM Rankings. Conference title games are not simulated.
- Automatic bids: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, plus the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. Notre Dame is in if it ranks in the top 12.
- The other spots go to the highest-ranked remaining teams.
- Seeds follow the rankings: the top four get first-round byes. Automatic qualifiers ranked outside the top 12 are seeded at the bottom, in rank order.
- First round at the higher seed: 5 hosts 12, 6 hosts 11, 7 hosts 10, 8 hosts 9. Quarterfinals: 1 meets the 8/9 winner, 2 meets 7/10, 3 meets 6/11, 4 meets 5/12. No reseeding.
