Germination problem...I killed them

I germinated 5 seeds using the normale paper towel method. Three of the seeds had decent sized white tails and two of them were just starting to pop.

This time around instead of starting them in cups of soil I decided to just use one gallon pots. I was thinking that I wouldn't really need to transplant out of them (growing diesel ryder).

Well I pretty much killed them all . As usual I just put them tail down into the soil (not too deep) and lightly covered them with more soil. One actually came up partially and doesn't look so good, the other 4 are doing nothing. I poked around at one pot and the seed looks like its rotten now. Too much water? I'm using a germinating heat pad under the pots to keep the soil warm.

Is this a sign of too much water or should I have just started them in cups and then moved them once they were doing well?

Patience is a virtue...

I think my soil was too wet when I put it into the pots and it made the seeds rot. Stupid mistake on my part. 5-5 seeds germinated too, such a waste.
On to round too. Grabbed to scotts top soil and a bag a perlite. I'm going to let it sit while these other seeds germ.