LOOK: Full 12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Announced
The first edition of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs is just weeks away but on Sunday, the field was announced and the bracket was officially set.
Tennessee was named the 9-seed and will be on the road at 8-seed Ohio State. The official bracket is listed below with updated information on each program.
2024 CFP Bracket
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas | Dec 21, 4 ET
Winner Gets: No. 4 Arizona State
Texas came up just short in the SEC title game, falling to Georgia 22-19 in overtime. The Longhorns are poised to host a first round game after finishing the season with four ranked wins (at the time of the game) in their first season in the conference. Quarterback Quinn Ewers has registered 24 touchdowns on 2,307 yards while running back Quintrevion Wisner has totaled 812 yards with three scores. The Longhorns sport the No. 1 defensive efficiency ranking in the country.
Clemson stole a bid to the College Football Playoff field with a dramatic 34-31 win at the buzzer over SMU to win the ACC Championship Game. Despite having three regular season loses and needing the conference title to knock off their first ranked opponent, the Tigers are playoff bound. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has thrown for 3,041 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding seven rushing touchdowns on the ground. Phil Mafah is a 1,000-yard rusher in the backfield and Antonio Williams has caught 10 touchdowns. Clemson’s strength of schedule is No. 52 in the country.
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State | Dec 21, 12 pm ET
Winner Gets: No. 3 Boise State
Penn State put up a good offensive fight but came up short 45-37 to Oregon in the Big 10 title game. Still, the Nittany Lions are in good shape and will host a playoff game in Happy Valley. Penn State’s lone ranked win came over Illinois in September before suffering losses to ranked Ohio State and Oregon later on. The Nittany Lions own the No. 36 strength of schedule rankings in the country and are led by quarterback Drew Allar who has tossed for 10 touchdowns (5 interceptions) on 2,668 passing yards. Penn State ranks No. 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings.
In its first season in ACC play, SMU lost the title game at the buzzer 34-31 as Clemson kicked a field goal to win it. Still, the Mustangs remain in the field after two ranked wins in the regular season and one loss to BYU. SMU’s strength of schedule is No. 75 and its defensive efficiency rating is 11th in the county. Kevin Jennings has thrown for 2,746 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running back Brashard Smith has garnered 1,157 yards on the ground with 14 touchdowns.
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame | Dec 20, 8 pm ET
Winner Gets: No. 2 Georgia
Despite owning the worst loss (Northern Illinois) of any team in the College Football Playoff conversation, Notre Dame has rattled off 10-straight wins – four total over ranked opponents – to peak at the right time. The Fighting Irish are an independent and can’t compete for a conference title. Thus, the program was ineligible for secure a first-round BYE. Notre Dame boasts the No. 2 defensive efficiency rating (88.3) and No. 10 offensive efficiency rating (78.5) in the country and are ranked No. 2 according to ESPN’s FPI. Quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown for 2,092 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also accounted for 721 yards rushing and 14 more scores on the ground.
Indiana earned an at-large slot in the College Football Playoffs this year after suffering just one loss in the regular season, a 38-15 defeat on the road at Ohio State. Despite having a strength of schedule just over No. 100 prior to the Ohio State contest, the Hoosiers handled business in style with the No. 2 offensive efficiency rating (85.2) and the No. 20 defensive efficiency rating (72.3) in the country. Indiana finished No. 10 in ESPN’s FPI ranking. Indiana finished tied for second in the Big 10.
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No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State | Dec 21, 8 pm ET
Winner Gets: No. 1 Oregon
Ohio State is back in the playoffs after suffering only two losses on the year – a one-point shortcoming on the road at Oregon and a three-point disappointment at home to Michigan. The Buckeyes claimed two wins over teams who finished in the top-10 (at Penn State and Indiana) and held two separate five-game winning-streaks in 2024. Ohio State’s 1-2 punch in the backfield is lethal with Quinshon Judkins (805 yards, 8 TD) and TreVeyon Henderson (751 yards, 6 TD) while quarterback Will Howard has compiled 2,860 yards through the air with 27 touchdowns and with interceptions. The Buckeyes finished fourth in the Big 10 this season.
Tennessee is set to compete for the first time in the College Football Playoffs after suffering just two losses – both on the road – at Arkansas and Georgia. The Vols knocked off Alabama at home on the Third Saturday in October and ranked ninth in FB in both rushing and defending the run. Junior tailback Dylan Sampson, despite being a Doak walker Award Finalist snub,was named the USA Today SEC Player of the Year this week after totaling 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Volunteers’ defense held 10 of their 12 opponents under 20 points this season and allowed just 167 points on the year, the fewest in program history in 25 years. The Vols finished tied for second in the SEC.
The Top-4 Seeds who get BYEs
No. 1 seed Oregon (13-0) in Rose Bowl (Jan 1, 5 pm ET)
Oregon enters the College Football Playoffs as the only undefeated team in the field as the Ducks secured the Big 10 championship and a first round BYE with a 45-37 win over Penn State on Saturday. Oregon sports the No. 3 (offense) and No. 12 (defense) best efficiency ratings in the country and sports the No. 60 strength of schedule. The Ducks own ranked wins over Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrown for 3,275 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year while running back Jordan James has rushed for 1,166 yards with 13 touchdowns.
No. 2 seed Georgia (11-2) in All-State Sugar Bowl (Jan 1, 8:45 pm ET)
Georgia punched its ticket and solidified a first round BYE in the College Football Playoffs after outlasting Texas 22-19 (shorthanded) to win the Southeastern Conference Championship. Starting quarterback Carson Beck didn’t play the second half with injury and the Bulldogs relied on backup Gunnar Stockton to lead them to victory. The health of both of those quarterbacks is in question entering the playoffs. Georgia owns ranked wins over Clemson, Texas, Tennessee and Texas again while owning the third-toughest strength of schedule. Beck has accounted for 3,429 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while the 1-2 punch of Nate Frazier (587 yards, 8 TD) and Trevor Etienne (477 yards, 7 TDs) have provided a solid run game.
No. 3 seed: Boise State (12-1) in VRBO Fiesta Bowl (Dec 31, 7:30 pm ET)
Boise State secured the No. 4 seed and a first round BYE after finishing as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion. The Broncos claimed the Mountain West Championship 21-7 over UNLV on Friday night behind a 209-yard rushing effort from star Ashton Jeanty. The junior has rushed for 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns on the season as Boise State has won 11-straight since the Week 2 hiccup on the road at Oregon, 37-34.
No. 4 seed Arizona State (11-2) in Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (Jan 1, 1 pm ET)
Arizona State punched its ticket to the College Football Playoffs with a 45-19 rout of Iowa State to win the Big 12 title on Saturday. The two losses for the Sun Devils were on the road at Texas Tech and Cincinnati and the program has won six-straight entering the playoffs. It’s a two-man show on the offensive end for the Sun Devils with running back Cam Skattebo (1398 yards, 17 TD) and receiver Jordyn Tyson (75 rec, 1101 yards, 10 TD) while quarterback Sam Leavitt manages the game well. The Sun Devis rank No. 72 in strength of schedule.
