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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Michael Kadlick

College Football Playoff Final Bracket, Matchups for First 12-Team Format

The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff begins with the First Round on Friday, December 20. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After an epic Conference Championship weekend across the NCAA, the sixth and final edition of the 2024 CFP rankings, seedings, and matchups has been revealed— kicking off the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Across Friday and Saturday, Boise State (Mountain West), Oregon (Big 10), Arizona State (Big 12), Georgia (SEC), and Clemson (ACC) earned auto-bids into the dance as the five highest-ranked conference champions. The top four will earn a first-round bye.

Here's a look at the Top 25, as released by ESPN:

College Football Playoff Rankings: Live Updates on Dec. 8

1. Oregon (13–0)
2. Georgia (11–2)
3. Texas (11–2)
4. Penn State (11–2)
5. Notre Dame (11–1)
6. Ohio State (10–2)
7. Tennessee (10–2)
8. Indiana (11–1)
9. Boise State (12–1)
10. SMU (11–2)
11. Alabama (9–3)
12. Arizona State (11–2)
13. Miami (10-2)
14. Ole Miss (9–3)
15. South Carolina (9-3)
16. Clemson (10–3)
17. BYU (10–2)
18. Iowa State (10–3)
19. Missouri (9-3)
20. Illinois (9-3)
21. Syracuse (9–3)
22. Army (11-1)
23. Colorado (9–3)
24. UNLV (10-3)
25. Memphis (10-2)

College Football Playoff Seeding, Bracket: Live Updates on Dec. 8

Given that the top four seeds earn first-round byes, here's a look at how they were re-seeded for the playoff:

1. Oregon (13–0)
2. Georgia (11–2)
3. Boise State (12–1)
4. Arizona State (11–2)
5. Texas (11–2)
6. Penn State (11–2)
7. Notre Dame (11-1)
8. Ohio State (10–2)
9. Tennessee (10–2)
10. Indiana (11–1)
11. SMU (11-2)
12. Clemson (10–3)

College Football Playoff Matchups: Live Updates on Dec. 8

The First Round of the College Football Playoff will be hosted by the higher seed. Here's a look at the matchups:

  • No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas (winner moves on to play No. 4 Arizona State)
  • No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State (winner moves on to play No. 1 Oregon)
  • No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State (winner moves on to play No. 3 Boise State)
  • No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame (winner moves on to play No. 2 Georgia)

The First Round of the 2024 College Football Playoff will kickoff on Friday, Dec. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 22.


More of the Latest Around College Football: Live Updates on Dec. 8


This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Football Playoff Final Bracket, Matchups for First 12-Team Format.

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