The College Football Playoff selection committee enters its final two weeks of deliberation with a host of consequential decisions thrust on the 13 members.
(1) Who are the final at-large selections into the field?
(2) Which teams receive a first-round game at home?
(3) Which four conference champions receive a first-round bye?
The first two are causing plenty of angst. But it is the third stress point that, perhaps, offers the most intriguing debate. The five highest-ranked conference champions earn a bid into the 12-team field, and the top four champions are seeded Nos. 1-4 and receive a bye into the quarterfinals.