In 2024, Arizona State was the lone team from the Big 12 to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

BYU tailback and Big 12 rushing leader LJ Martin is expected to play for the No. 8 Cougars on Saturday at No. 9 Texas Tech, sources told ESPN.

Where do the rest of the contenders stack up? What about the race among Group of Five teams? This decision on who would top the rankings came down to three of the four unbeatens remaining in the Bowl Subdivision — defending champion Ohio State and Indiana from the Big Ten and Texas A&M from the SEC — with each having a compelling case.

Ohio State claimed the No. 1 spot in the initial rankings released by the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday night, with Big Ten rival Indiana right behind at No. 2.

The season has also been marked by the growth of quarterback Arch Manning, who completed 25 of 33 passes in the win against Vandy for 328 yards and three touchdowns, marking back-to-back games with 3...