Though Ohio State was in the selection committee’s top 16 reveal, the Buckeyes could drop out after their tough loss to the Hoosiers. When weighing Ohio State’s resume against a top-notch SEC team such as Alabama, the Crimson Tide have stronger wins, a stronger resume, and look more like a team worthy of that final No. 4 seed.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2019. They replaced UCLA after the Bruins suffered their first loss of the season against USC. Texas was another candidate to move to the top spot after overcoming a slow start and knocking off LSU on Sunday.