After what should be a brutal run of bowl games – if you’re not ready for all the transfers, opt-outs and coaching changes, beware of the mess this will all be – the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day run of College Football Playoff Quarterfinals will be …
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh. Not sure.
Yes, the teams will be full-throttle with a playoff win on the line, but this is where a 3-seed Boise State and 4-seed Arizona State have to step up and shine against a superpower monster of some sort.
Before all this gets going, and before doing the deep dive research, here’s the off-the-cuff first thought on each of the four College Football Playoff quarterfinals and what we think they’ll be.
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
3 Boise State vs 6 Penn State or 11 SMU
Tuesday, December 31
7:30, ESPN
Early Call: 3 Boise State vs 6 Penn State
No Research Instant Analysis: Boise State will beat Penn State, score on the first drive, and go up 10-0 after Penn State turns the ball over and scores a field goal. That is the end of the game. Yes, Boise State did hang out with Oregon. Oregon was not quite up to speed at that time, a million years ago.
The Penn State will not get you excited. It does not matter because after the first drive, the D turns off Mr. Jeanty.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Penn State 34, Boise State 16
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
4 Arizona State vs 5 Texas or 12 Clemson
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
1:00, ESPN
Early Call: 4 Arizona State vs 5 Texas
No Research Instant Analysis: Texas will roll past Clemson to be here, and it’ll be in for a dog fight against the tough, pounding Arizona State team … for 20 minutes.
Texas will show why the ACC wasn’t all that great in the first round win, and then it’ll show what the Big 12 wasn’t all that great in the quarterfinals. Get ready for Big 12 Champion signs being held up across the stadium as the Longhorns clamp down hard on Cam Skattebo after the first quarter.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Texas 37, Arizona State 17
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Rose Bowl
1 Oregon vs 8 Ohio State or 9 Tennessee
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
5:00, ESPN
Without any research, this is the 2024–2025 College Football National Championship, taking place in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. Everything is going as planned.
In the first round, Ohio State will beat Tennessee. Then, the defense will make up for the loss in Eugene earlier in the season. This time, the Ducks will not be stronger than the Buckeyes, but Dillon Gabriel will be quick enough to make up for the lack of a Duck ground and keep things moving.
Will Howard will mess up late, but the Ohio State defense will save him with an all-time great red zone stand.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Ohio State 27, Oregon 24
College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Allstate Sugar Bowl
2 Georgia vs 7 Notre Dame or 10 Indiana
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
8:45, ESPN
Early Call: 2 Georgia vs 7 Notre Dame
Nobody will think twice about the fact that Georgia can not do much without Carson Beck at quarterback (no research needed). Georgia was not really honest with him, so it does not matter.
What people forget about Notre Dame is how badly this team is hurt. Some spots do not have any depth because the team has been able to get by with a talented starting 22 and, let us be honest, a light schedule.
Here’s where Playoff Georgia comes in. We saw it in the second half against Texas, and it will go into overdrive here as the rest of the team steps up to make up for the quarterback woes.
First Thought Bowl Prediction
Georgia 26, Notre Dame 24
