Overview
- Alabama debuted at No. 4, which under the new format would deliver a first-round bye and a New Year’s Six quarterfinal slot if selections were today.
- ESPN’s initial 12-team projection tabbed Memphis as the leading Group-of-Five representative in the bracket.
- Iowa and Pittsburgh appeared in the AP Top 25 but were omitted from the committee’s list, while Tennessee landed at No. 25 and Cincinnati was left out.
- Alabama’s projected path had the Tide awaiting the winner of No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 12 Memphis, reflecting the current straight-seeded bracket modeling.
- Coverage identified key remaining tests for the leaders, including Ohio State’s trip to Michigan, Texas A&M’s dates with Missouri and Texas, and Alabama’s games against Oklahoma and Auburn.