Utah and Notre Dame joined Miami and Georgia as top-four seeds if the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was based on The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday and Kentucky would host a first-round game.
There was a shuffle in the top four after Ohio State lost at Southern California and Indiana slipped two spots in the AP poll after beating Minnesota in overtime.
Miami remained the No. 1 seed and was followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah and No. 4 Notre Dame. The top four seeds receive first-round byes.
The five highest-ranked conference champions — from the Power Four and one from the Group of Six — will qualify for the CFP. The other seven spots will be filled by the next-highest-ranked teams. One of those at-large teams will be Notre Dame if the Fighting Irish are among the top 12 in the CFP’s final rankings Dec. 6.
The Southeastern Conference would have four teams on the bracket and be followed by the Big Ten (three), Big 12 (two) and the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 (one each). Notre Dame would be in as an independent and Boise State would represent the Pac-12 as the top Group of Six champion.
Based on the AP rankings, the CFP would open like this:
— No. 9 seed Alabama at No. 8 Kentucky. Winner vs. No. 1 Miami.
— No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 seed UCLA. Winner vs. No. 4 Notre Dame.
— No. 10 seed Texas at No. 7 BYU. Winner vs. No. 2 Georgia.
— No. 11 seed Ohio State at No. 6 Indiana. Winner vs. No. 3 Utah.
The first three teams outside the bracket: Mississippi, Texas Tech and Wake Forest. The Rebels are ranked No. 12 by the AP but would get bumped by Boise State, the highest-ranked Group of Six team.
The initial CFP rankings will be released Tuesday night and continue weekly until the bracket is set Dec. 6. First-round games are Dec. 18 and 19, quarterfinals Dec. 30 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 14 and 15 and the championship game is Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
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