The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams this season, with Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State earning the top four seeds and first-round byes. The committee selected the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large teams, with only the top four conference champions eligible for a bye. The final top-25 rankings differed from the seedings, with SMU included despite a loss in the conference championship game. The playoff will begin with a first round between seeds 5-12 on Dec. 20-21, with home stadiums for the higher-seeded at-large team. The quarterfinals will be hosted at the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, with matchups set for Ohio State/Tennessee vs. Oregon, Indiana/Notre Dame vs. Georgia, SMU/Penn State vs. Boise State, and Clemson/Texas vs. Arizona State. Semifinals will be on Jan. 9-10 at the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, with the championship on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Key results leading to the bracket included Oregon winning the Big Ten, Georgia winning the SEC, Arizona State winning the Big 12, and Boise State winning the Mountain West championship games. The playoff format offers an expanded and exciting opportunity for more teams to compete for the national championship.
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Oregon claims top spot; Alabama misses cut
