CFP BRACKET WATCH: NO. 1 TEXAS WOULD BE AMONG 4 FROM SEC IN 12-TEAM FIELD BASED ON PRESEASON POLL
Texas, Penn State, Ohio State and Clemson would be the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff based on The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll with Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon and Alabama hosting first-round games.
The first poll-based bracket includes four teams from the Southeastern Conference, three from the Big Ten, two from Atlantic Coast Conference, one from the Big 12, one from the Mountain West and one independent. Based on the preseason Top 25 rankings, the CFP would open like this:
— No. 9 seed LSU at No. 8 seed Alabama. Winner vs. No. 1 Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
— No. 12 seed Boise State at No. 5 seed Georgia. Winner vs. No. 4 Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
— No. 10 seed Miami at No. 7 seed Oregon. Winner vs. No. 2 Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
— No. 11 seed Arizona State at No. 6 seed Notre Dame. Winner vs. No. 3 Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl.
The first three teams outside the bracket: Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan. The Illini are ranked No. 12 by the AP but would get bumped by the fifth conference champion, which in this case would be Boise State, which is No. 25 in the poll.
The AP will publish brackets based on the weekly Top 25 until the CFP selection committee unveils its initial rankings in early November.
The five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically qualify for the CFP, but no longer will the four highest-ranked champions receive a first-round bye. The 12-team bracket is now seeded directly based on the CFP’s final rankings, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. There still could be the same sort of shuffling seen last season when CFP No. 16 Clemson was seeded 12th in the bracket after winning the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The four highest-ranked teams will be assigned to quarterfinals in ranking order and in consideration of current bowl relationships. For example, if the highest-ranked team is from the SEC, that team would be assigned to the Sugar Bowl. This year, quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. The No. 1 seed would receive preferential placement based on geography.
Teams ranked Nos. 5-12 by the CFP will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded school. First-round games are Dec. 19 and 20, quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8 and 9 and the championship game is Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
AP TOP 25: WITH A LOGJAM AT TOP OF POLL, A BUNCH OF EARLY MARQUEE MATCHUPS MAY HELP SORT THINGS OUT
The Associated Press Top 25 poll is out. Let the sorting out process begin.
Only two first-place votes and five points separate No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Penn State. Each of the top five teams, and six of the top seven, received at least one No. 1 vote.
Given the logjam, what an ideal year for there to be so many marquee games before the calendar turns to September. There are three top 10 matchups in Week 1 alone.
The most anticipated is Texas at third-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State on Aug. 30. The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch is the highest-ranked opener since 2017, when No. 1 Alabama knocked off No. 3 Florida State in Atlanta.
The other two showdowns: No. 9 LSU visits No. 4 Clemson on Aug. 30 and No. 6 Notre Dame is at No. 10 Miami the next day.
The outcomes of those games could — emphasis on could — start providing some clarity in a year when AP’s Top 25 voters were challenged more than usual to come up with a preseason pecking order.
“I think about five or six teams could claim No. 1,” said Sam McKewon, sports editor of the Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald and a veteran voter. “NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal have spread out the talent a little bit from the first seven or eight years of the CFP era. But I also think Penn State, my No. 1, and Texas, likely the most talented team, probably have something to prove in the eyes of some voters.”
Texas’ unknowns are how its reconstructed offensive line will come together in front of quarterback Arch Manning and how the receiving corps responds to losing four of the top six pass-catchers. Of course, there always are questions when a new quarterback takes over but, among the folks in burnt orange, there is much more excitement than anxiety over Manning.
Penn State is a trendy pick to win the national championship with third-year starting quarterback Drew Allar and star running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen returning to school and defensive coordinator extraordinaire Jim Knowles coming over from Ohio State. The Nittany Lions needed a serious upgrade at receiver, and they think they accomplished that.
Throw in Ohio State as a team with something to prove, too. The Buckeyes have perhaps the best defensive player in the nation in Caleb Downs and perhaps the top receiver in Jeremiah Smith. It all comes down to quarterback, and who that will be is still to be determined.
Don’t forget Dublin
Ireland will host its first Top 25 matchup when No. 22 Iowa State meets No. 17 Kansas State in Dublin on Aug. 23, and there are plenty of reasons to watch this season opener for the entire sport.
First, it’s a rivalry. Iowa State beat the Wildcats 29-21 in the 2024 “Farmageddon” game in Ames to lock up a spot in the Big 12 championship game. ISU’s Rocco Becht and K-State’s Avery Johnson make for a intriguing quarterback matchup. Both teams likely will be battling for spots in the conference title game again.
Illini under radar no longer
Illinois won’t sneak up on anybody, and that’s just how Bret Bielema likes it heading into his fifth season. The Illini are in the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2008, and their No. 12 ranking is their highest since they opened No. 7 in 2001.
Bielema talked of grand possibilities when he was hired, and he’s getting closer to delivering. The Illini won eight games in his second year and, after taking a step back in 2023, tied program records with 10 wins and four against Top 25 opponents.
Fifth-year quarterback Luke Altmyer is among 16 returning starters, and the schedule is manageable. As of now, the Illini play only two ranked teams — at No. 20 Indiana on Sept. 20 and at home against No. 3 Ohio State on Oct. 11.
Extra points
The most notable return to the preseason Top 25 is No. 16 SMU. The Mustangs hadn’t been ranked to begin a season since 1985 under Bobby Collins. … No. 13 South Carolina’s last preseason ranking was 2014 under Steve Spurrier. … No. 23 Texas Tech has a preseason ranking for the first time since 2008 under Mike Leach. It also is the Red Raiders’ first ranking since 2018, when they were in for one week in late September at No. 25. … No. 8 Alabama’s ranking is its lowest in the preseason since it was No. 24 in 2008, Nick Saban’s second season. … Only one team from a power conference has never appeared in the preseason Top 25: Vanderbilt.
BLUE-CHIP DE JAKE KREUL PICKS OKLAHOMA OVER SEC RIVALS
Blue-chip prospect Jake Kreul announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Tuesday, choosing the Sooners over some Southeastern Conference rivals.
Kreul, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound player from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 9 edge and the No. 53 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
“BOOMER SOONER,” he posted to X on Tuesday.
Ohio State was among the schools in pursuit of Kreul, who had narrowed his choices to Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss.
He is the 16th — and highest ranked — member of the Oklahoma 2026 class, which is ranked No. 29 in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite.
REPORT: OKLAHOMA QB JOHN MATEER DENIES SPORTS GAMBLING
Oklahoma starting quarterback John Mateer has denied betting on sports, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Screenshots allegedly taken of his Venmo account surfaced Monday and showed “sports gambling” in the memo field for two transactions on Nov. 20, 2022, during his freshman season at Washington State.
Both transactions reportedly were made to one of his teammates’ Venmo accounts.
The NCAA prohibits betting on any collegiate sports, with potential penalties ranging up to a loss of eligibility.
ESPN reported that Mateer has denied involvement in gambling to officials at Oklahoma, who are planning an investigation into the matter.
Mateer and the Sooners, ranked 18th in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll, are scheduled to start the season at home against Illinois State on Aug. 30.
Mateer transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this past offseason. The redshirt junior passed for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games for the Cougars in 2024.
The other quarterbacks on the Sooners’ depth chart are sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., Mercer transfer Whitt Newbauer and three-star freshman Jett Niu.
