Overview
- Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech earned the top four seeds and first-round byes in the finalized 12-team bracket.
- Automatic berths went to conference champions Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, Tulane and James Madison, with JMU becoming the first Sun Belt team to make the playoff.
- Alabama and Miami received at-large bids over Notre Dame, with Alabama becoming the first three-loss team selected to the CFP.
- First-round games on Dec. 19–20: No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon; No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss; No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M; No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma.
- Committee chair Hunter Yurachek said members rewatched Miami’s Week 1 win over Notre Dame; quarterfinals are Dec. 31–Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8–9, and the title game is Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.