We can see a lot more about the College Football Playoff now.
At least we think we know who the 12 teams are. The committee will decide what they think on Tuesday night, which is the last night of rivalry week.
That is the whole point of bowl projections: we are making plans here, but…
In some particular order,Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, and Oregon. With those eight teams out of the 12 teams, it does not look like anything will happen on Championship Weekend.
That leaves four spots available.It could be interesting if Army beats Tulane badly in the AAC Championship, but… no.
Big 12 Champion: Arizona or Iowa State. Winner gets in, loser is out.
Mountain West Champion: Boise State or UNLV. Winner gets in, loser is out.
ACC Champion: Here’s where this gets tricky. If SMU wins, it’s likely the 3 seed, Clemson is gone, and Alabama slides into the 11 or 12 spot. If Clemson wins, it’s probably not one of the top four seeds, but it’s in.
In this case, Alabama and SMU, which had 11 wins and played for the conference title, are in the running for the last spot.
Re-seeding is not done. The winner from 8 to 9 plays the 1, the winner from 7 to 10 plays the 2, the winner from 6 to 11 plays the 3, and the winner from 5 to 12 plays the 4.
The games for 1 vs. 8–9 are 4 vs. 5–12, and 2 vs. 7–10 are 3 vs. 6–11.
CFP Projections: Week 15
College Football Playoff First Round
Friday, December 20
8:00, ABC/ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 9 Tennessee at 8 Penn State
Last Week: 9 Tennessee vs 8 Indiana
Saturday, December 21
12:00, TNT
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 10 Indiana at 7 Texas
Last Week: 10 Boise State vs 7 Penn State
4:00, TNT
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 12 Clemson at 5 Notre Dame
Last Week: 11 Texas vs 6 Notre Dame
8:00, ABC/ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 11 Alabama at 6 Ohio State
Last Week: 12 SMU vs 5 Oregon
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Tuesday, December 31
7:30, ESPN
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Last Season: Oregon 45, Liberty 6
Bowl Projection: 3 Arizona State vs 6 Ohio State
4 Last Week: 4 Arizona State vs 5 Oregon
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
1:00, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: Ole Miss 38, Penn State 25
Bowl Projection: 4 Boise State vs 5 Notre Dame
Last Week: 3 Miami vs 6 Notre Dame
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Rose Bowl
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
5:00, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Last Season: Michigan 27, Alabama 20 OT
Bowl Projection: 1 Oregon vs 9 Tennessee
Last Week: 1 Ohio State vs 9 Tennessee
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Allstate Sugar Bowl
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
8:45, ESPN
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Last Season: Washington 37, Texas 31
Bowl Projection: 2 Georgia vs 7 Texas
Last Week: 2 Georgia vs 7 Penn State
College Football Playoff Semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl
Thursday, January 9, 2025
7:30, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Last Season: Georgia 63, Florida State 3
Bowl Projection: 1 Oregon vs 5 Notre Dame
Last Week: 2 Georgia vs 6 Notre Dame
College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Friday, January 10, 2025
7:30, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Last Season: Missouri 14, Ohio State 3
Bowl Projection: 2 Georgia vs 6 Ohio State
Last Week: 1 Ohio State vs 5 Oregon
College Football Playoff National Championship
Monday, January 20, 2025
7:30, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: Michigan 34, Washington 13
Bowl Projection: 5 Notre Dame vs 6 Ohio State
Last Week: 1 Ohio State vs 6 Notre Dame
