Arizona was 17th in the final College Football Playoff rankings after finishing the regular season with nine wins and three losses. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports examined "College Football Playoff expansion: How 2025 CFP bracket would've looked as 24-team spectacle."
As the 17th-ranked team in the final rankings, Arizona would have just missed out of hosting a CFP game. Arizona would have played at 16th-ranked USC in the CFP first round. The winner between Arizona and USC would have played top-seeded Indiana in the second round of the CFP.
The proposed CFP expansion would eliminate conference title games. Teams seeded in the top eight would play second-round CFP home games. The quarterfinals and semifinals should be expected to remain at the prominent bowl games.
With nine wins and three losses at the end of the 2025 regular season, Arizona was not a candidate in the 12-team CFP. If the CFP had been 16 teams Arizona would have been a serious candidate for a CFP berth. Arizona would have been a lock in a 24-team CFP.
.@joelklatt says expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is gaining support among coaches.
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) May 5, 2026
The reason: self-preservation pic.twitter.com/dvwQ2sA2d3
Arizona was closer than you think to 2025 CFP
Arizona had six wins and three losses in the Big XII in 2025. A 39-14 loss at Iowa State was the only game that Arizona was not competitive in 2025. Arizona lost 33-27 in double overtime to BYU and 31-28 in a walk-off field goal at Houston. If Arizona had defeated BYU, it would have played in the Big XII Championship Game.
The CFP after the 2026 season will remain at 12 teams. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has the goal of leading the Wildcats to their first outright Power Conference title. Beginning this season, the Big XII champion will earn an automatic CFP berth.
Arizona is on the fringe of being ranked in the top-25. A challenging schedule includes games at BYU and Texas Tech, the projected top teams in the Big XII in 2026. Arizona will almost definitely need to win at either BYU or Texas Tech to have an opportunity to earn a berth in the Big XII title game.
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