Overview
- James Madison hosts Troy in the Sun Belt final tonight, with the Dukes a heavy favorite and positioned to press a CFP case if they win and Duke upsets Virginia.
- The Tulane–North Texas winner in the American Athletic Conference is widely expected to claim one of the five guaranteed spots for the highest‑ranked conference champions.
- The ACC title game between Virginia and 7-5 Duke could leave the league without a CFP representative if Duke wins, a scenario that strengthens the path for multiple Group-of-Five teams.
- Saturday’s Big Ten Championship between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana is expected to determine the No. 1 seed under the straight‑seeding format.
- In the Big 12, BYU likely needs to beat Texas Tech to make the field, while the Red Raiders are viewed as likely in regardless, with the result shaping seeding.