The first votes will not be taken for two weeks, when members of the College Football Playoff selection committee convene in Grapevine, Texas, to set their initial set of rankings for a Nov. 1 release.
But the "Who's in?" conversations about this year's four-team playoff bracket have been unfolding for weeks among fans, college football analysts and radio talk-show hosts.
As things stand, No. 6 Texas A&M (6-0) and No. 11 Baylor (5-0) carry the primary playoff banners for teams from the Lone Star State after No. 13 Houston (5-1) tumbled out of the top 10 in the Associated Press poll following last week's 46-40 loss to Navy. But it's only midseason and most meaningful games in Power 5 conferences have yet to be played.
Based on the results we have seen, it's tempting to group the front-runners into two four-team groups. The First Four includes No. 1 Alabama (5-0), No. 3 Clemson (6-0), No. 5 Washington (6-0) and the winner of the regular-season showdown between No. 2 Ohio State (5-0) and No. 4 Michigan (6-0) on Nov. 26 in Columbus, Ohio.
The Next Four includes A&M, No. 7 Louisville (4-1), the Ohio State-Michigan loser and a wild-card team that could turn into the Big 12 champion or a runner-up team from a Power 5 league.
Other teams will rise and wane in the coming weeks as playoff contenders collide on the field. Key matchups before the first meeting of the selection committee include A&M-Alabama (Oct. 22), Ohio State at No. 8 Wisconsin (Saturday) and Alabama at No. 9 Tennessee (Saturday).
