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Final expected bracket for 12-team playoffs

Vaseline November 13, 2024

The College Football Playoff and the newfangled 12-team format are almost here. Until then, the football gods have given us weekly snapshots of rankings and projections.

Every Tuesday, the CFP rankings are restructured to show the previous weekend’s results. ESPN’s College Football Playoff rankings show aired following the conclusion of the men’s basketball game between Michigan State and Kansas.

Here’s how the top 25 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings rank before Week 12:

* – projected first-round bye

Oregon (10-0)*
Ohio State (8-1)
Texas (8-1)*
Penn State (8-1)
Indiana (10-0)
BYU (9-0)*
Tennessee (8-1)
Notre Dame (8-1)
Miami (9-1)*
Alabama (7-2)
Ole Miss (8-2)
Georgia (7-2)
Boise State (8-1) – Would earn No. 12 seed as fifth-highest ranked conference champion
SMU (8-1)
Texas A&M (7-2)
Kansas State (7-2)
Colorado (7-2)
Washington State (8-1)
Louisville (6-3)
Clemson (7-2)
South Carolina (6-3)
LSU (6-3)
Missouri (7-2)
Army (9-0)
Tulaan (8-2)

First round:

No. No. 12 Boise State vs. No. 5 Ohio State
No. No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 Penn State
No. No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Indiana
Notre Dame No. 9 at No. 8 Tennessee

Quarter finals:

No. 4 Miami vs. (No. 12 Boise State vs. No. 5 Ohio State)
No. 3 BYU vs. (No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 Penn State)
No. 2 Georgia vs. (No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Indiana)
No. 1 Oregon vs. (No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 Tennessee)

Always Oriental.

First round:

Game 1: Friday, December 20 at 8:00 PM | ABC, ESPN
Game 2: Saturday, December 21 at 12 noon | TNT Sports
Game 3: Saturday, December 21 at 4:00 PM | TNT Sports
Game 4: Saturday, December 21 at 8:00 PM | ABC, ESPN

Playoff quarter-final round:

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, December 31 at 7:30 PM | ESPN
Chick-fil-a peach bowl: Wednesday January 1 at 1:00 PM | ESPN
Rose bowl: Wednesday January 1 at 5:00 PM | ESPN
Allstate sugar bowl: Wednesday January 1 at 8:45 PM | ESPN

Playoff semi-final round:

Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday January 9 at 7:30 PM | ESPN
Goodyear cotton shell: Friday January 10 at 7:30 PM | ESPN

National Championship:

National Championship: Monday January 20 at 7:30 PM | ESPN

Date: Tuesday, November 12
Time: approximately 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Current: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

Tuesday November 12: 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM ET (approximate start time)
Tuesday November 19: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
Tuesday November 26: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
Tuesday December 3: 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET
Sunday December 8: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET (Selection Sunday)

USA TODAY

* – conference champion

Oregon*
Texas*
BYU*
Miami*
State of Ohio
Tennessee
Penn State
Indiana
Notre Dame
Alabama
Georgia
State of Boise*

Sports illustrated

Oregon
State of Ohio
Texas
Penn State
Tennessee
Indiana
BYU
Notre Dame
Alabama
Ole ma’am
Miami
Georgia

The Athletics

Oregon
State of Ohio
Penn State
Texas
Indiana
Tennessee
BYU
Notre Dame
Alabama
Ole ma’am
Georgia
Miami

ESPN

Oregon
State of Ohio
Texas
Penn State
Tennessee
Indiana
BYU
Notre Dame
Alabama
Georgia
Miami
Boise State

The tournament’s top four seeds are awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions. Each of them also earns a first-round bye.

The fifth-highest ranked conference champion is also guaranteed a spot in the CFP, but is not guaranteed the No. 5 seed. Seeds 5-12 will be determined based on the final rankings of the selection committees. If the fifth-highest ranked conference champion is outside the top 12, it will earn the No. 12 seed in the playoffs.

Oregon -W vs. Maryland, 38-19
State of Ohio – W vs. Purdue, 45-0
Georgia – L @ Ole Miss, 10/28
Miami -L@Georgia Tech, 28-23
Texas – W vs. Florida, 49-17
Penn State -W vs. Washington, 35-6
Tennessee – W vs. Mississippi State, 33-14
Indiana – W vs. Michigan, 20-15
BYU -W@Utah, 22-21
Notre Dame – W vs. Florida State, 52-3
Alabama -W@LSU, 42-13
Boise State – W vs. Nevada, 28-21
SMU – BYE
Texas A&M – BYE
LSU – L vs. Alabama, 42-13
Ole ma’am – W vs. Georgia, 28-10
The state of Iowa – L vs. Kansas, 45-36
Pitt – L vs. Virginia, 24-19
State of Kansas – BYE
Colorado -W@Texas Tech, 41-27
Washington State – W vs. Utah State, 49-28
Louisville – BYE
Clemson -W@Virginia Tech, 24-14
Missouri – W vs. Oklahoma, 30-23
Army – W @ North Texas, 14-3

2014: No. 4 Ohio State final. No. 2 Oregon, 42-20
2015: No. 2 Alabama final No. 1 Clemson, 45-40
2016: No. 2 Clemson beats. No. 1 Alabama, 35-31
2017: No. 4 Alabama final No. 3 Georgia, 26-23 (OT)
2018: No. 2 Clemson beats. No. 1 Alabama, 44-16
2019: No. 1 LSU final No. 3 Clemson, 42-25
2020: No. 1 Alabama defeats. No. 3 Ohio State, 52-24
2021: No. 3 Georgia final No. 1 Alabama, 33-18
2022: No. 1 Georgia final No. 3 TCU, 65-7
2023: No. 1 Michigan final No. 2 Washington, 34-13

Each of the four quarter-finals and both semi-finals will be played during the current New Year’s Six Bowls. These bowls include the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach Bowls. As was the case with the four-team playoffs, these bowls will alternate between hosting the semifinals and quarterfinals each year.

In 2024, the quarterfinal bowl games will be the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The semifinal bowl games are the Cotton and Orange Bowls.

The 8:30 PM ET start time for tonight’s CFP Rankings show was only an approximation. In reality, the show was scheduled to begin after the conclusion of the men’s basketball game between Michigan State and Kansas. The teams participate in the State Farm Champions Classic.

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