Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech officially claimed the first-round byes for this year’s College Football Playoff, but the real drama came as the committee determined the final at-large berths Sunday.
Despite neither team playing this weekend, Miami jumped Notre Dame to make the field with the committee finally honoring the head-to-head win by the Hurricanes over the Irish to start the season. They also opted to keep Alabama in the tournament, deciding not to punish the Crimson Tide for a 21-point loss in the SEC title game on Saturday.
Miami’s inclusion gives the ACC a member in the field, something that was in question after five-loss Duke won the conference title on Saturday. The Blue Devils were left out of the playoff, with Sun Belt champion James Madison getting the nod as the final conference title winner.
First-round matchups
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
The full bracket paves the way for some blockbuster quarterfinal matchups, including a possible rematch between Ole Miss and Georgia.