Overview
- The first round is locked for Dec. 19–20: No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday, then No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon on Saturday.
- Alabama is a slight road favorite at Oklahoma (around -1 to -1.5), while Texas A&M is -3.5 vs. Miami, Ole Miss is -17.5 vs. Tulane, and Oregon is -21.5 vs. James Madison, per major sportsbooks.
- Futures markets list Ohio State as title favorite (about +190) ahead of Indiana (+320) and Georgia (+600), with long-shot prices on Tulane and James Madison reported as high as 750/1.
- Analysts highlight Alabama–Oklahoma as the most upset-prone matchup; some picks back Oklahoma at home plus the points and identify Oregon as a value futures play around +900.
- Staff changes are a subplot for lower seeds, with Ole Miss transitioning to Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin’s exit and reports that Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and James Madison’s Bob Chesney will depart after the CFP.