The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set. The undefeated Oregon Ducks claimed the top seed, while the SMU Mustangs edged the Alabama Crimson Tide to sneak into the field for the last spot. The Group of 5 automatic bid went to the Boise State Broncos, who also got a first-round bye as one of the highest-ranked conference champions. The Georgia Bulldogs (SEC) and Arizona State Sun Devils (Big 12) claimed the other two byes after winning their title games Saturday.
The monthlong march to the national championship game begins Dec. 20 with the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish hosting the No. 10 seed Indiana Hoosiers. Three more first-round games will be played at campus sites on Dec. 21. The quarterfinals will be contested on Dec. 31 (Fiesta Bowl) and Jan. 1 (Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls). The semifinals held by the Orange and Cotton Bowls on Jan. 9 and 10, respectively, before Atlanta hosts the title game on Jan. 20.
Sports Illustrated college football writers Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer make their bracket predictions, plus the full CFP schedule with game times and TV information.
The stage is set. pic.twitter.com/n3HXN20Sl1
Pat Forde
Bryan Fischer
No. 5 Texas over No. 12 Clemson
No. 5 Texas over No. 12 Clemson
No. 9 Tennessee over No. 8 Ohio State
No. 8 Ohio State over No. 9 Tennessee
No. 6 Penn State over No. 11 SMU
No. 6 Penn State over No. 11 SMU
No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 10 Indiana
No. 10 Indiana over No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, 8 p.m. ET Dec. 20 (ABC/ESPN)
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, noon ET Dec. 21 (TNT/Max)
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, 4 p.m. ET Dec. 21 (TNT/Max)
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET Dec. 21 (ABC/ESPN)
Pat Forde
Bryan Fischer
Peach Bowl
No. 4 Arizona State over No. 5 Texas
No. 5 Texas over No. 4 Arizona State
Rose Bowl
No. 1 Oregon over No. 9 Tennessee
No. 1 Oregon over No. 8 Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Penn State over No. 3 Boise State
No. 6 Penn State over No. 3 Boise State
Sugar Bowl
No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 2 Georgia
No. 2 Georgia over No. 10 Indiana
Fiesta Bowl: At State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., 7:30 p.m. ET Dec. 31 (ESPN)
Peach Bowl: At Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
Rose Bowl: At Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: At Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, 8:45 p.m. ET Jan. 1 (ESPN)
Pat Forde
Bryan Fischer
Orange Bowl
No. 1 Oregon No. 4 over Arizona State
No. 1 Oregon over No. 5 Texas
Cotton Bowl
No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 6 Penn State
No. 2 Georgia over No. 6 Penn State
Orange Bowl: At Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla., 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 9 (ESPN)
Cotton Bowl: At AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET Jan. 10 (ESPN)
Pat Forde
Bryan Fischer
No. 1 Oregon over No. 7 Notre Dame
No. 1 Oregon over No. 2 Georgia
Bryan Fischer is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college sports. He joined the SI staff in 2024 after spending nearly two decades at outlets such as FOX Sports, NBC Sports and CBS Sports. A member of the Football Writers Association of America's All-America Selection Committee and a Heisman Trophy voter, Fischer has won awards for investigative journalism from the Associated Press Sports Editors and FWAA.
Follow bryandfischer
Pat Forde is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who covers college football and college basketball as well as the Olympics and horse racing. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. Forde has won 28 Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest awards, has been published three times in the Best American Sports Writing book series, and was nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. A past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and member of the Football Writers Association of America, he lives in Louisville with his wife. They have three children, all of whom were collegiate swimmers.
Follow ByPatForde
© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
