Fresh off a dominant performance in the SEC Championship Game, Georgia (12-1) earned the No. 3 seed, failing to supplant OSU despite beating the only team that had defeated it earlier in the season. Big 12 champion Texas Tech (12-1) slotted No. 4. The top four seeds all receive first-round byes in Year 2 of the 12-team format.

Miami overtook Notre Dame for the final spot despite neither team playing this week. The final two spots went to conference champions: No. 11 Tulane (American) and No. 12 James Madison (Sun Belt). That leaves ACC champion Duke out of the field because it was unranked compared to Tulane and JMU.