No. 5 Texas is coming off a 38-24 win against No. 12 Clemson in the first round. No. 4 Arizona State had a bye.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

It would seem that home-field advantage in the opening round is indeed rather important. We now address the second major plot point as the quarterfinal round arrives, namely whether having a conference title and first-round bye is ultimately better.