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How a CFP Pick'em pool works
CFP Pick'em covers the eleven College Football Playoff games, round by round: First Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship. Members pick every game in each round, and later rounds score more. Here is Miami's real 2025–26 run, with closing lines.
1. The commissioner sets the rules
The games are set for you. The commissioner chooses the rest, and can change it until the playoff opens on Selection Sunday:
- Pick types. The winner, the spread, or both, with the total (over/under) as an extra if you like. Members make every pick type on every game.
- Pushes. With spreads or totals on, a pick that lands exactly on the line can count as nothing (the default), as a win, or as a loss.
- Round points. By default a correct pick scores 1 point in the first round, 2 in the quarterfinals, 3 in the semifinals and 4 in the title game.
- Locks. Each round locks at its first game (the default), or each game at its own kickoff.
- Tiebreaker. The title game's total points (the default), or none.
2. You pick each round
A game opens for picks once both teams are set and, if the pool picks spreads or totals, its lines are in. Until then it stays locked: the top four seeds' quarterfinals wait for the first-round winners. Each round opens as its matchups are decided, and PikSheet reminds you to pick them before they lock. Pick every open game, for every pick type, and save.
Spreads and totals come from the sportsbook. Each game's lines are set once, when it opens, and don't move after that, so everyone picks against the same number.
3. Picks lock
By round, every pick in a round locks when that round's first game kicks off. By game, each game locks at its own kickoff. You can change a pick until it locks, and once a game locks, everyone's picks on it show in the Field tab. A game you didn't pick before it locked scores nothing.
4. Games are graded
- Winner: the team that wins the game.
- Spread: the team that covers. OSU −7.5 needs Ohio State to win by 8 or more; MIA +7.5 wins if Miami wins or loses by 7 or fewer.
- Total: whether both teams' points combined finish over or under the line.
A spread or total that lands exactly on the line is a push, scored the way the commissioner chose. Every correct pick scores its round's points. One entry's picks on Miami's four games:
| Round | Picks | Final | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round ×1MIA at TA&M | MIAMIA +3Under 48.5 | MIA 10–3 | 33 of 3 |
| Quarterfinals ×2MIA at OSU | OSUMIA +7.5Under 39.5 | MIA 24–14 | 42 of 3 |
| Semifinals ×3MIA at MISS | MIAMISS +3Over 52.5 | MIA 31–27 | 62 of 3 |
| Championship ×4MIA at IU | IUMIA +7.5Under 47.5 | IU 27–21 | 82 of 3 |
9 of 12 picks correct scores 21 points. Backing Miami to cover in the title game paid ×4 even though Indiana won.
5. Tiebreaker
Entries level on points rank by correct picks, then by pushes. Only the Championship round has a tiebreaker: once the title game's matchup is set, predict its total points before kickoff. The closest prediction breaks a tie in the Championship round and overall, and an entry without one ranks behind every entry with one. Ties in earlier rounds share places.
6. Standings
Each round has its own standings, and every round's points add up overall. The most points after the title game wins.
Ready to run one? Start a pool and choose CFP Pick'em.