College Football Playoff Bracket Finalized: What to Know, Schedule, Biggest Snubs

The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has been finalized after another exciting year of football. This season, we have seen a ton of parity in the sport, with there being no clear-cut favorite entering the Playoff.

How does the 12-team bracket work?

The 12 teams selected for the Playoff will all have made their case, with some getting in due to winning their respective conference. The teams ranked #1-4 will earn a bye week for the first round of the Playoff.

The other eight teams will battle things out in competitive bracket-style matchups. The higher-ranked teams will have the games played at their home field on campus, giving them an advantage for being the higher-ranked seed.

Teams can move the games to neutral sites if they prefer. However, the majority of teams will elect to have the game played on campus to give themselves an extra boost.

There is no re-seeding in the Playoff once the bracket has been finalized.

Once those first-round games have been played, the four quarterfinal matchups will be played at the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bow,l and Sugar Bowl. The winners will then move on to the semi-finals to either the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl.

Finally, the national championship game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This game will be played on Jan. 20.

Official 2024 College Football Playoff Ranking and Bracket Matchups:

1. Oregon (13-0, Big Ten Champion)

2. Georgia (11-2, SEC Champion)

3. Boise State (12-1, Mountain West Champion)

3. Arizona State (11-2, Big 12 Champion)

No. 12 Clemson @ No. 5 Texas (Winner plays No. 4 Arizona State)

No. 11 SMU @ No. 6 Penn State (Winner plays No. 3 Boise State)

No. 10 Indiana @ No. 7 Notre Dame (Winner plays No. 2 Georgia)

No. 9 Tennesee @ No. 8 Ohio State (Winner plays No. 1 Oregon)

When are the games to be played?

First round: Dec. 20-21 on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams

Quarterfinals: Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2025

Semifinals: Jan. 9-10, 20205

National Championship: Jan. 20, 2025

Biggest Snubs:

Alabama (9-3, SEC)

The Crimson Tide missed the first-ever expanded Playoff in what is a little shocking of a decision. While SMU deserved to make it, not having Alabama in just feels strange. But they were extremely up and down this season and will be watching from the sidelines.

Miami (10-2, ACC)

The Hurricanes dropped a few games late in the season that ultimately did them in. Miami looked like one of the best teams in the country all season but in the end, they couldn’t close on the grueling college football season. However, the Hurricanes should have been in the discussion.

South Carolina (9-3, SEC)

Some could make the case for the Gamecocks since they finished the year so strong. But a poor start to the season is what doomed them in the end. Additionally, a loss head-to-head against Alabama put the Crimson Tide over them in the discussion despite a good season.

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