College football’s postseason picture snapped into focus on Selection Sunday, capping a packed weekend that also featured dramatic NFL finishes and full slates of NBA and NHL action. The sport now turns its attention to both the 12-team College Football Playoff and New York, where the Heisman Trophy winner will be announced tonight after one of the closest races in recent memory.
Indiana completed a stunning rise to the top of the sport, earning the No. 1 seed in the 2025-26 playoff after a 13-0 season and a Big Ten title game win over defending champion Ohio State. The Hoosiers, once among the losingest programs in FBS history, head straight to a Rose Bowl quarterfinal and enter the bracket led by star quarterback Fernando Mendoza, widely viewed as the Heisman front-runner.
Ohio State fell to No. 2 but still claims a bye and a Cotton Bowl quarterfinal as it chases a third College Football Playoff crown. SEC champion Georgia is the No. 3 seed and tied to the Sugar Bowl, while Big 12 champion Texas Tech rounds out the top four and will be anchored to the Orange Bowl. All four earn first-round byes in the second year of the 12-team format.
First-round games will be played on campus sites. No. 5 Oregon will host Sun Belt champion James Madison, the No. 12 seed. No. 6 Ole Miss welcomes American champion Tulane in a rematch of a lopsided Rebels win from September. No. 7 Texas A&M draws No. 10 Miami, and No. 8 Oklahoma faces No. 9 Alabama in a sequel to the Sooners’ narrow regular-season victory. Alabama becomes the first three-loss program to reach the playoff, while Miami edges Notre Dame for the final at-large berth thanks in part to its head-to-head win over the Irish in Week 1. Group of Five champions Tulane and James Madison give their leagues rare representation on the national stage.
Off the field, Penn State made news of its own, naming longtime Iowa State coach Matt Campbell as the Nittany Lions’ next head coach on an eight-year deal, pending final board approval. Campbell takes over after James Franklin’s firing in October and a 54-day search, inheriting a program that slid out of the playoff race this fall but still heads to the Pinstripe Bowl under interim coach Terry Smith, who has agreed to return to the PSU coaching staff next season as an assistant.
The winner of the Heisman Trophy will be announced tonight, honoring the nation’s most outstanding college football players. Oddsmakers see Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Vanderbilt signal-caller Diego Pavia tightly bunched at the top of the ballot, with championship-week performances expected to swing many votes. Analysts believe the outcome of the Indiana–Ohio State title game likely gave either Mendoza or Sayin the inside track, though Pavia’s work turning Vanderbilt into a 10-win contender keeps him firmly in the conversation.
In the NFL, Josh Allen delivered one of Sunday’s most dramatic performances as Buffalo erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Cincinnati 39–34. The Bills scored three touchdowns in just over four minutes, including a pick-six by Christian Benford, to improve to 9-4 and fortify their AFC playoff positioning.
The Houston Texans tightened their grip on a wildcard spot and pushed the Kansas City Chiefs closer to the brink with a 20–10 win on Sunday night. Patrick Mahomes was intercepted three times as Kansas City fell to 6-7 and saw its playoff odds shrink, while Houston won its fifth straight to move to 8-5.
Pittsburgh took sole possession of first place in the AFC North, edging Baltimore 27–22 as Aaron Rodgers accounted for two touchdowns and the Steelers’ defense survived a late Ravens rally. In the NFC North, Green Bay climbed past Chicago with a 28–21 victory sealed by Keisean Nixon’s end-zone interception in the final seconds.
Jacksonville rolled past Indianapolis 36–19 in a key AFC South matchup, though the Colts lost quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles. The Rams dominated Arizona 45–17 to stay atop a crowded NFC West race, Denver improved to 11-2 with a 24–17 win over Las Vegas, and New Orleans stunned Tampa Bay 24–20 to tighten the NFC South. Seattle crushed Atlanta 37–9, Tennessee snapped a seven-game skid by edging Cleveland 31–29, Minnesota blanked Washington 31–0 and Miami stayed hot with a 34–10 win over the Jets. The weekend wraps up tonight when the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
On the hardwood, the NBA’s Sunday slate saw the Knicks top the Magic 106–100 and the Celtics outlast the Raptors 121–113. Memphis handled Portland 119–96, while Denver beat Charlotte 115–106. Golden State rolled past Chicago 123–91, the Lakers slipped by the 76ers 112–108 and Oklahoma City routed Utah 131–101.
In the NHL, Colorado edged the Flyers 3–2, San Jose beat Carolina 4–1 and St. Louis slipped past Montreal 4–3. Washington shut out Columbus 2–0, Florida beat the Islanders 4–1, Dallas nipped Pittsburgh 3–2 in a shootout and Vegas outlasted the Rangers 3–2 in overtime. Anaheim closed the night by routing Chicago 7–1.
Source: ESPN, The Guardian, nba.com, nhl.com, Wash Post