The College Football Playoff is changing again. The top four ranked conference champions received byes into the second round of the first edition of the CFP. Moving forward, a straight seeding model will be adopted, which will provide the four highest ranked teams a first-round bye regardless of conference championships.

The 2025 version of the CFP would’ve looked drastically different using this model. Last year, Penn State and Texas were ranked in the Top 4 but played in first round games because the Big 12 champion – Arizona State – and the Mountain West champion – Boise State – were given byes. Under the new rules both Penn State and Texas would’ve received byes. 

This new rule change should allow for more parity in the early rounds of the bracket. First round matchups under the new seeding structure would’ve been Boise State at Indiana with the winner playing Oregon, Clemson at Notre Dame with the winner playing Penn State, Arizona State at Ohio State with the winner playing Texas, and SMU at Tennessee with the winner playing Georgia.

A Texas team has reached the CFP in three consecutive years with TCU in 2022, Texas in 2023, and SMU and the Longhorns in 2024. The Lone Star State is poised for at least one representative again in 2025 with the Horns entering the season as one of the national championship favorites. Programs such as Texas A&M, SMU, and Big 12 contenders Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor hold playoff hopes entering the year. The top-ranked G5 team will still get an automatic bid. UTSA, Texas State, and North Texas figure to be the state’s top G5 programs this year.