Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry select sleeper teams in the Big Ten this year, diving into Penn State and Washington heading into 2026.
Last year was the first for the expanded 12-team playoff, and the top four seeds with first-round byes — Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State — all lost in the quarterfinals. This year’s top seeds — Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech — want to prove last year was a fluke.
Alabama’s defense is filled with comeback and redemption stories.
