Preseason rankings place Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, and Indiana among the top contenders for the 12-team College Football Playoff, where the top four seeds earn first-round byes and the final four advance to semifinals in the Orange and Sugar Bowls. The Big Ten and SEC supply most of the projected field due to roster depth, returning quarterbacks, and schedule strength, while ACC and Big 12 champions like Miami and Texas Tech also factor into at-large or automatic bids. Early camp developments, transfer portal additions, and injury reports will shape early odds movement, with conference championship outcomes and head-to-head results in November determining which programs secure the semifinal berths.