CFP Adopts Straight Seeding; Rankings Tuesday

The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its first top-25 rankings Tuesday at 8 p.m., starting six weekly reveals that will determine seeding for the second-year, 12-team playoff; the bracket will be unveiled Dec. 7, first-round campus games played Dec. 19–20, and the title game scheduled for Jan. 19 in Miami. The CFP management change implements straight seeding with byes for the top four teams in the final rankings rather than automatically awarding byes to conference champions. Because the expanded format guarantees berths to five conference champions, straight seeding could allow lower-ranked conference champions to displace teams the committee ranks 11th–12th, complicating the at-large picture. Debate for the initial No. 1 centers on defending champion Ohio State, unbeaten Indiana and unbeaten Texas A&M, and early mock brackets already list teams such as Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia, BYU and Oregon among the top seeds. The 12-member panel says it will weigh resumes, signature wins and strength of schedule as marquee late-season matchups will heavily influence the final field.