Champion from each P5 and the highest ranked champion from the G5 are autos.

This year, the Orange Bowl is the only one impacted by the “additional auto select” provision (since Rose and Sugar are the semi final games). This Orange Bowl pits the ACC champ against a team from the SEC/Big10/Notre Dame. If one of those contracted teams is in the CFP, then the Orange Bowl takes the next highest ranked team from the contracted conference. As an example, if Clemson wins the ACC but is in the CFP, then the next highest ranked ACC team takes their spot. If Clemson and ND are in the CFP, then the 3rd place team goes to the ORange Bowl, etc. This year ND is part of the ACC, not the independent.

There isn’t flexibility in who gets selected. Start by identifying the auto bids, then the at large teams are the highest ranked teams left.

In BYU terms, as an example, if BYU is ranked #11, and there is only 1 at large left after all the autos and higher ranked at large teams are in, they CANNOT select a #12 ranked Wisconsin, they have to select BYU.

There is some flexibility about which team goes to which bowl, as they try to set up good matchups that generally keep teams as close to home as possible.