College football bracket shifts
Georgia takes the top seed, while Indiana's bye week costs it a home advantage.
By Matthew Collins ·
The second College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday moved Georgia to the No. 1 spot. The change did not just alter the top of the standings. It restructured the entire 12-team bracket, affecting which teams host first-round games and which teams must travel.
Georgia, No. 2 Utah, Alabama, and UCLA hold the four byes. Alabama climbed to No. 3 after defeating LSU. UCLA moved into No. 4. These four teams do not play in the first round. Instead, they wait in the second round for the results of the first-round matchups.
Notre Dame and Texas share the lead among the first-round hosts. Notre Dame sits at No. 5, Texas at No. 6, Miami at No. 7, and Tennessee at No. 8. These teams will host the lower-seeded opponents in the opening round of the tournament.
Indiana suffered the largest drop among the top seeds. The reigning national champion did not play in Week 10. That lack of a recent result dropped Indiana five spots to the No. 9 seed. The team lost its first-round bye. It must now host a game to advance. A win would send Indiana to a road game at Neyland Stadium against Tennessee. A subsequent win would force a road trip to face Georgia.
Notre Dame gained the most ground in the rankings. The Fighting Irish defeated then-No. 1 Miami in Week 10. That victory moved Notre Dame from a projected 11-seed to the No. 5 spot. The team will now host 12-seed Boise State in the first round. A win positions Notre Dame to face UCLA in the second round.
The Big 12 Conference secured a stable position in the bracket. BYU holds the No. 10 seed. Texas Tech sits at No. 12, making it the first team outside the field. Wake Forest is No. 13. The Big 12 has never produced an at-large selection in the 12-team era. It remains the only Power Four conference without such a team.
