Overview
- Indiana earned the top seed after beating Ohio State, with the Buckeyes, Georgia and Texas Tech also claiming first-round byes.
- Miami moved up in the final rankings to secure an at-large berth over Notre Dame, leaving the Irish as the first team out and ACC champion Duke excluded.
- Alabama made the bracket as an at-large despite three losses, remaining No. 9 after a 28-7 defeat to Georgia in the SEC title game.
- Group of Five champions Tulane (AAC) and James Madison (Sun Belt) received automatic bids, with JMU becoming the Sun Belt’s first CFP participant.
- The first round will be played on Dec. 19–20 at higher seeds: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon.