Top Four Seeds Locked

Miami, Georgia, Utah, and Notre Dame occupy the top four spots in a projected College Football Playoff bracket derived from the AP Top 25 released Sunday.

Ohio State fell to Southern California, which pushed the Buckeyes out of the automatic seeding tier. Indiana climbed two spots after an overtime win over Minnesota, but the movement kept the top four seeds intact. Miami holds the No. 1 seed, followed by Georgia at No. 2, Utah at No. 3, and Notre Dame at No. 4. These four teams receive byes in the first round of the 12-team tournament.

The bracket structure allocates five spots to the highest-ranked conference champions from the Power Four conferences and one Group of Six champion. The remaining seven spots go to the next-highest-ranked at-large teams. Notre Dame qualifies as an at-large entry if it remains in the top 12 of the CFP rankings on Dec. 6. The SEC would place four teams in the field, while the Big Ten sends three. The Big 12 contributes two teams, and the ACC and Pac-12 each provide one. Boise State enters as the top Group of Six representative from the Pac-12.

First-round matchups pair the lower seeds against the higher ones. No. 8 Kentucky hosts No. 9 Alabama, with the winner facing Miami. No. 5 UCLA hosts No. 12 Boise State, with the victor playing Notre Dame. No. 7 BYU hosts No. 10 Texas, and the winner advances to face Georgia. No. 6 Indiana hosts No. 11 Ohio State, with the survivor moving on to play Utah.

Mississippi, Texas Tech, and Wake Forest sit just outside the bracket. Mississippi is ranked No. 12 in the AP poll but is displaced by Boise State, the highest-ranked Group of Six team. The initial CFP rankings drop Tuesday night, with weekly updates continuing until the field is finalized on Dec. 6. First-round games are scheduled for Dec. 18 and 19. Quarterfinals take place on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1, followed by semifinals on Jan. 14 and 15. The championship game is set for Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.