In Atlanta, it took overtime, but Georgia, still after two regular-season losses, beat Texas and stole a key first-round bye from the Longhorns, still 12-seed Clemson. will host the quarter finals against
Top-ranked Oregon and Penn State are engaged in an offensive shootout in Indianapolis. But despite a late effort from the Nittany Lions, the Ducks proved once again why they are still both undefeated and on top of the college football world. Dan Lanning’s 13-0 team didn’t just get a first-round bye — it will play in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
In the land of underdogs and surprises, Arizona State and Boise State made loud statements in their respective Big 12 and Mountain West championship games, earning undeserved — but well-deserved — first-round byes. Who would have seen that coming four months ago? Not the Big 12 media, which predicted the Sun Devils to finish last in the conference.
And finally, in Charlotte, Debo Swinney and Clemson (with help from Syracuse last week) revived their once-lost season and found themselves with another conference championship and a last-second upset of SMU in the playoffs. Defeated on a field goal. The Mustangs had to sweat overnight, but in the end, they — no Alabama, no Ole Miss, no South Carolina and no Miami — found themselves even in the playoff field. Their reward? A trip to Happy Valley to face No. 6 Penn State.
After months of rankings, seeding and countless debates, we have a 12-team bracket that brings plenty of tantalizing questions and exciting possibilities.
Can Oregon run the table and go 16-0 and finally get the national championship this program craves? Will Georgia once again show itself to be the sport’s flagship program a year after missing the playoffs? How far will Boise State and Arizona State’s Cinderella run go? Are sleeping giants like Notre Dame, Ohio State or Tennessee better positioned to make a run at the conference championship after not playing for it? Or will the new format cause more chaos and produce a double-digit semifinalist, perhaps even a familiar winner like Clemson?
Here are our complete picks for the inaugural, 12-team College Football Playoff.
Andrea Adelson
First round
Texas 28, Clemson 14
Ohio State 27, Tennessee 24
Penn State 24, SMU 23
Notre Dame 38, Indiana 17
Quarter Finals
Texas 33, Arizona State 30
Oregon 35, Ohio State 31
Penn State 38, Boise State 35
Notre Dame 23, Georgia 20
The semi-finals
Texas 31, Oregon 30
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24
National title game
Texas 31, Notre Dame 27
Kyle Bonagura.
First round
Texas 31, Clemson 21
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 24
Penn State 31, SMU 17
Indiana 31, Notre Dame 24
Quarter Finals
Oregon 35, Ohio State 28
Arizona State 31, Texas 28
Penn State 38, Boise State 24
Georgia 42, Indiana 38
The semi-finals
Oregon 42, Arizona State 31
Georgia 28, Penn State 24
National title game
Oregon 31, Georgia 24
Bill Connelly
First round
Texas 35, Clemson 16
Ohio State 17, Tennessee 10
Penn State 31, SMU 20
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 23
Quarter Finals
Oregon 28, Ohio State 21
Texas 31, Arizona State 17
Penn State 24, Boise State 20
Notre Dame 20, Georgia 16
The semi-finals
Oregon 35, Texas 31
Notre Dame 23, Penn State 21
National title game
Oregon 28, Notre Dame 27
David Hale
First round
Texas 45, Clemson 27
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 27
SMU 30, Penn State 28
Notre Dame 42, Indiana 10
Quarter Finals
Texas 34, Arizona State 21
Ohio State 32, Oregon 31
SMU 36, Boise State 33
Notre Dame 21, Georgia 20
The semi-finals
Ohio State 27, Texas 24
Notre Dame 35, SMU 28
National title game
Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 24
Eli Lederman
First round
Texas 41, Clemson 31
Ohio State 24, Tennessee 20
Penn State 31, SMU 28
Notre Dame 34, Indiana 17
Quarter Finals
Texas 30, Arizona State 13
Oregon 35, Ohio State 34
Boise State 28, Penn State 20
Notre Dame 24, Georgia 16
The semi-finals
Oregon 24, Texas 20
Notre Dame 27, Boise State 17
National title game
Oregon 27, Notre Dame 24
Chris Lowe
First round
Texas 31, Clemson 14
Ohio State 27, Tennessee 24
Penn State 35, SMU 21
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 20
Quarter Finals
Texas 34, Arizona State 24
Ohio State 30, Oregon 28
Boise State 28, Penn State 27
Georgia 24, Notre Dame 21
The semi-finals
Ohio State 31, Texas 30
Georgia 34, Boise State 21
National title game
Georgia 28, Ohio State 23
Max Olson
First round
Texas 31, Clemson 20
Ohio State 17, Tennessee 14
Penn State 41, SMU 35
Indiana 24, Notre Dame 21
Quarter Finals
Texas 27, Arizona State 17
Oregon 35, Ohio State 13
Penn State 31, Boise State 21
Georgia 27, Indiana 10
The semi-finals
Oregon 37, Texas 31
Georgia 20, Penn State 17
National title game
Oregon 34, Georgia 27
Adam Rittenberg
First round
Texas 24, Clemson 16
Ohio State 26, Tennessee 19
Penn State 34, SMU 23
Notre Dame 31, Indiana 21
Quarter Finals
Texas 33, Arizona State 20
Oregon 38, Ohio State 35
Penn State 35, Boise State 31
Notre Dame 19, Georgia 17
The semi-finals
Oregon 31, Texas 21
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 26
National title game
Oregon 38, Notre Dame 27
Mark Schlabach
First round
Texas 24, Clemson 20
Ohio State 28, Tennessee 17
Penn State 34, SMU 24
Notre Dame 35, Indiana 21
Quarter Finals
Arizona State 24, Texas 21
Oregon 38, Ohio State 31
Penn State 27, Boise State 24
Georgia 24, Notre Dame 21
The semi-finals
Oregon 38, Arizona State 27
Georgia 27, Penn State 21
National title game
Oregon 24, Georgia 20
Jack Trotter
First round
Texas 24, Clemson 12
Tennessee 21, Ohio State 20
Penn State 27, SMU 19
Notre Dame 31, Indiana 23
Quarter Finals
Arizona State 27, Texas 23
Oregon 35, Tennessee 28
Boise State 28, Penn State 27
Notre Dame 16, Georgia 14
The semi-finals
Oregon 44, Arizona State 38
Notre Dame 20, Boise State 14
National title game
Oregon 30, Notre Dame 27
Paolo Ugetti
First round
Texas 27, Clemson 14
Tennessee 27, Ohio State 24
Penn State 34, SMU 20
Notre Dame 28, Indiana 17
Quarter Finals
Arizona State 27, Texas 24
Oregon 34, Tennessee 21
Penn State 31, Boise State 27
Notre Dame 21, Georgia 17
The semi-finals
Oregon 38, Arizona State 27
Notre Dame 24, Penn State 20
National title game
Oregon 31, Notre Dame 20
Dave Wilson
First round
Texas 27, Clemson 17
Tennessee 34, Ohio State 31
Penn State 37, SMU 30
Notre Dame 24, Indiana 21
Quarter Finals
Texas 34, Arizona State 27
Oregon 30, Tennessee 24
Penn State 41, Boise State 24
Georgia 38, Notre Dame 27
The semi-finals
Oregon 31, Texas 17
Georgia 28, Penn State 21
National title game
Oregon 28, Georgia 20