SEC Dominates Projected College Football Playoff Field, Two Big 12 Teams Included
The Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday indicates three of the top four seeds in the expanded College Football Playoff would hail from the Southeastern Conference.
Three of the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff would be from the Southeastern Conference, and two Big 12 teams would be in the bracket, according to The Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday.
Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Mississippi are projected as the top four seeds. Indiana, Miami, Ohio State, and Alabama would host first-round games.
The playoff field will consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions from the Power Four and one from the Group of Six. The remaining seven spots will be filled by the next highest-ranked teams, with Notre Dame securing an at-large bid if ranked among the top 12 in the CFP's final rankings.
Based on the AP rankings, the SEC would have five teams in the field, the Big 12 and Big Ten would each have two, and the Atlantic Coast Conference would have one. Notre Dame would participate as an independent, and Boise State would represent the Pac-12 as the top Group of Six champion.
The projected opening round matchups based on the AP rankings are:
No. 9 seed BYU at No. 8 Alabama. The winner would face No. 1 Texas. No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 Indiana. The winner would face No. 4 Mississippi. No. 10 seed LSU at No. 7 Ohio State. The winner would face No. 2 Georgia. No. 11 seed Texas Tech at No. 6 Miami. The winner would face No. 3 Notre Dame.
The first three teams outside the projected bracket are Southern California, Penn State, and Tennessee. USC is ranked 12th by the AP but would be edged out by Boise State, which is not ranked in the AP Top 25 but is the highest-polling Group of Six team.
First-round games are scheduled for December 18 and 19. Quarterfinal games will take place on December 30 and January 1. The semifinals are set for January 14 and 15, with the championship game on January 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The AP will continue to publish brackets based on its weekly Top 25 poll until the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its initial rankings on November 3.