College Football Playoff Q & A: Breaking it all down ahead of Sunday's big reveal

Let the debates begin.

The final College Football Playoff rankings and the 12-team playoff bracket will be revealed on Sunday starting at noon on ESPN, and there are plenty of questions to be answered.

CFP selection committee chair and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel talked with ESPN’s Rece Davis on Tuesday night about what the committee will be looking for with conference championship games this weekend.

“We have high regard, as I’ve said before, for those who are playing in those conference championships, and we will closely evaluate those games to rank the top 25 on Sunday,” Manuel said.

Manuel added that the committee “won’t adjust” the teams not playing this weekend “because they don’t have another data point, obviously.”

How are the 12 teams selected?

The five highest-ranked conference champions from the ACC, American, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt and SEC will receive automatic bids. The remainder of the field will be the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded Nos. 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Teams seeded 5-12 will play first-round games with the higher seed as the host (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7, No. 9 at No. 8).

What is the schedule for the CFP?

First-round games will be played on Dec. 20-21 at the higher seed. The quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The Fiesta Bowl will host a quarterfinal on Dec. 31 and the Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls will host quarterfinals on Jan. 1. The semifinals will be played on Jan. 9-10. The Orange Bowl will host one semifinal on Jan. 9 and the Cotton Bowl will host the other semifinal on Jan. 10. The CFP national title game will be on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Will the Big Ten get four teams in the playoff?

Yes. No. 1 Oregon plays No. 3 Penn State for the Big Ten title on Saturday night in Indianapolis. The Ducks and Nittany Lions are in the playoff regardless of the outcome. If Oregon wins, the Ducks will remain No. 1 as the only unbeaten team remaining. If Oregon loses, the Ducks could end up as high as No. 5. With a win, Penn State is likely the No. 2 seed and potentially No. 1, depending on what Texas does. With a loss, Penn State will likely host a first-round game. Ohio State (10-2) is No. 6 and Indiana (11-1) is No. 9. Both teams will make the playoff.

Will the SEC get four teams in the 12-team field?

As of now, yes. No. 2 Texas plays No. 5 Georgia for the SEC title on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. Both teams will be in the playoff. Texas remains No. 2 if it beats the Bulldogs and could jump to No. 1 if Oregon loses. If Georgia wins, the Bulldogs are likely the No. 2 seed. If Georgia loses, the Bulldogs will likely host a first-round game, despite having three losses. Tennessee is No. 7 and will make the playoff. Alabama (9-3) is No. 11, and its fate could come down to the winner of the ACC title game.

After beating Auburn in the Iron Bowl last Saturday, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was asked why his team should be in the playoff with three losses.

“Everyone’s aware of our schedule,” he said. “I don’t know the exact stats, but I know we beat four top-25 teams throughout the year. I don’t how many . . . if anyone’s done that.”

The Crimson Tide have wins over Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and LSU, but losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Still, the selection committee is valuing Alabama’s schedule and quality wins over Miami’s 10-2 record. The Hurricanes fell six spots No. 12 after last Saturday’s loss at Syracuse and would be the first team out of the playoff since the fifth conference champion would jump the Hurricanes.

Mississippi (9-3) is No. 13 and South Carolina (9-3) is No. 14. Both teams appear out of the playoff.

Is the ACC a one-bid conference?

It’s trending that way. SMU is ranked No. 8 and plays No. 17 Clemson for the ACC title on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. The ACC champion will get one of the five automatic bids. If the Mustangs win and Oregon and Texas win, SMU is the No. 3 seed. A loss could put SMU in danger of missing the playoff since the committee might be deciding between the Mustangs and Alabama for the final spot. If Clemson loses, the Tigers are eliminated from the playoff. Then there’s Miami. Based on Manuel’s comments, it seems highly unlikely that Miami will jump Alabama in the final rankings.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal, appearing on The Joe Rose Show on WQAM in Miami on Tuesday, asked the selection committee to look at the records.

“We’ve won 10 games this year and not many teams have,” Cristobal said. “And in our losses, those losses came down to one possession. That’s a very different resume than the 9-3 teams.”

What about the Big 12 and Mountain West?

Arizona State is ranked No. 15 and plays No. 16 Iowa State for the Big 12 title on Saturday afternoon in Arlington, Texas. The winner is in the playoff as one of the five automatic qualifiers and the loser is out. Depending on the Mountain West title game outcome, the winner could be as high as the No. 4 seed or as low as No. 12.

Boise State is No. 10 and appears to be in a good position to make the playoff as the No. 4 seed — if it beats No. 20 UNLV for the Mountain West title on Friday night at home. If Boise State loses, UNLV would get one of the five automatic bids as a conference champion. A Boise State loss would likely eliminate the Broncos from the playoff. The Mountain West champion would be the lone Group of Five team in the playoff.

Where does Notre Dame end up?

Notre Dame (11-1) is currently No. 4. The Irish are an FBS independent and won’t get one of the top four seeds or one of the five automatic bids, but they will make the playoff with a seed possibly as high as No. 5.