Overview
- Major outlets published competing preseason seed lists in late August, with the Associated Press releasing its projection on Aug. 24 and USA TODAY following on Aug. 25.
- The AP's preseason pick puts Notre Dame at No. 1 and reports that CFP executives adopted a procedural tweak described as guaranteeing Notre Dame a playoff berth if the team finishes inside the top 12, a claim presented by the publication as reported but not independently confirmed.
- USA TODAY's projection names Georgia as the No. 1 seed and forecasts heavy SEC representation, listing Georgia plus Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi among its projected 12 teams and assigning BYU and Navy specific conference slots in its forecast.
- The 12-team playoff format is entering its third season with campus games set to begin Dec. 18 and the title game scheduled for Jan. 25 in Las Vegas, facts that frame why seedings and access rules matter for teams and bowl matchups.
- Both outlets and other preseason coverage stress that early lists have low predictive power—less than half of preseason top-12 teams were chosen in the prior two expanded seasons—so the projections mainly highlight debates over selection transparency, conference access and how rule changes could shift who reaches the field.