Overview
- The committee’s initial top four were Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Alabama, which would secure first-round byes under the 12-team format.
- Memphis and Virginia currently project into the 12-team field via conference-champion guarantees, with Memphis not appearing in the committee’s top 25.
- Analysts noted the rankings diverged from the AP poll in ways seen as favorable to the Big Ten, including Iowa’s inclusion boosting strength-of-schedule cases.
- Notre Dame debuted at No. 10 despite a 6-2 record, a placement chair Mack Rhoades defended by citing narrow losses and recent form.
- The reveal immediately altered storylines, turning BYU–Texas Tech into a top-10 showdown for College GameDay and tightening paths for fringe teams such as Tennessee and Cincinnati.