Let the debates begin.
The very first 12 team ever College Football Playoff The bracket was unveiled Sunday after an incredible slate conference championship game and one of the most interesting regular seasons in recent memory.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Kenyon Sadiq #18 of the Oregon Ducks reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the 2024 Big Ten Football Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 7, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
The College Football Playoff field expanded from four teammates to twelve ahead of the 2024 season. The success of the playoff format, which began in 2024, made the expansion possible.
The Oregon ducksThe Georgia Bulldogs, Boise State Broncos and Arizona State Sun Devils were seeded Nos. 1 through 4 and received first-round byes in the quarterfinals.
The Ducks won the Big Ten Championship in their first season in the conference. The Bulldogs topped the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship. The Broncos, whose Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty, won the Mountain West Championship over the UNLV Rebels. The Sun Devils topped the Iowa State Cyclones for the Big 12 Championship.
The Clemson Tigers, who upset the SMU Mustangs for the ACC Championship, were given the No. 12 seed.
(L-R) SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney speak before the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 7, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The first round was scheduled to pit Clemson against No. 5 Texas, with the winner playing Arizona State. Penn State received the No. 6 seed in the bracket and will play No. 11 SMU. The winner will play Boise State.
Notre Dame received the No. 7 seed and will play No. 10 Indiana. The winner plays against Georgia. Ohio State got the No. 8 seed and will play No. 9 Tennessee. The winner plays against Oregon.
The first round matchups will be played on the higher seed’s home court. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played at a neutral venue and in a traditional bowl game.
This is how the schedule will go:
- No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Indiana (Dec. 20, 8 p.m. ET)
- No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 SMU (Dec. 21, noon ET)
- No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson (December 21, 4:00 PM ET)
- No. No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Tennessee (December 21, 8:00 PM ET)
- No. 3 Boise State vs. Penn State/SMU (December 31, 7:30 PM ET)
- No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson (January 1, 1:00 PM ET)
- No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee (January 1, 5:00 PM ET)
- No. 2Georgia vs. Notre Dame/Indiana (January 1, 8:45 PM ET)
Alabama was left out of the group with three defeats, even when the selection committee chose them as one of the last teams in the Playoff last week. Miami, which finished 10-2, was also on the outside looking in.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrates his touchdown run against Auburn during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The national championship will be played on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports reporting on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
