Oregon Leads as First Seed in Historic 12-Team College Football Playoff

The inaugural expanded playoff format features Oregon as the lone undefeated team, with a challenging path to the national championship.

Oregon, the only undefeated team in the FBS, enters the playoff as the No. 1 seed after a dominant season in its first year in the Big Ten.
The expanded 12-team playoff introduces new dynamics, including first-round byes for the top four seeds: Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Penn State.
The playoff field includes traditional powerhouses like Georgia, Texas, and Notre Dame, alongside underdogs such as SMU, Indiana, and Arizona State.
Controversy surrounds the seeding process, with Oregon facing a tougher potential path than lower-seeded teams like Penn State, sparking calls for adjustments in future brackets.
SMU edged out Alabama for the final playoff spot, marking a significant moment for non-traditional powers in the new playoff era.