12 team College Football Playoff The bracket was officially revealed Sunday as the season began to wind down as the bell rang in the battle for the national championship.
Conference Championship Weekend proved whether teams were in the playoffs. Clemson was surprised. SMU with a win in the ACC Championship, which kept Alabama out of the field. Georgia stunned Texas to win the SEC Championship, earning the Bulldogs a quarterfinal bye.
Boise State also bid farewell to Ashton Janette in the quarterfinals, coming off another Heisman Trophy-worthy performance.
So, with the meat of the season over, who were the winners and losers from the weekend this time around? Read below to find out.
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The winners
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to his team during the first half of the ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on December 7, 2024 in Charlotte, NC. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Clemson: After losing to South Carolina in the regular-season finale, the Tigers needed to beat SMU to make the College Football Playoff. After giving up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Clemson kicked a 56-yard field goal to win the ACC Championship. After all the talk of Dabo Swinney not making another CFP run in the near future, he now has his team playing for a national championship. Wild end to the season for Clemson, and they needed a monster FG to end it.
SMU: A close loss never felt so good for SMU as their epic comeback to the ACC title game made their case for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Now they get a matchup against a Penn State team with speed and a dream.
Oregon: What a Big Ten introduction for Oregon. In Year 1 in the conference, the Ducks had a dominant campaign, culminating in a convincing but competitive victory over conference mainstay Penn State.
Ashton Genty: Did Boise State’s comeback in the Broncos’ Mountain West Conference win Saturday night solidify the Heisman Trophy? The winner will be announced later this week, and either Janette or Colorado’s Travis Hunter are expected to be the frontrunners to win the prestigious award. Janette, though, had his sixth 200-yard rushing game on 32 carries for 209 with a touchdown in a 21-7 win over UNLV. Janette finished the regular season with 2,497 yards on 344 carries (7.3 per carry) in one of the most impressive seasons for a running back in college football history.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty runs away from the arms of UNLV defensive lineman Tito Martinson in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game on Dec. 6, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Connor)
Cam Scatibu: Never doubt Arizona State’s confidence back when it helped lead the Sun Devils to the Big 12 title on Saturday night. Skattebo had 170 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns in ASU’s loss to the Hurricanes, capping an impressive season for him. He had 1,398 rushing yards with 19 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, and the Sun Devils will have a national title to contend for as they get a bye as the No. 4 seed.
Timothée Chalamet: College football fans were not happy with ESPN’s decision to host Hollywood A-list actor Timothée Chalamet. Special guest picker on “College Game Day” for conference championship weekend. But the “Dune” actor left those same fans speechless with his seemingly expert analysis, leaving even his co-hosts in awe for the day. For what it’s worth, he was the only person to predict Ohio’s 38-3 rout of Miami-Ohio.
The losers
Alabama: The College Football Playoff committee decided that an overtime power win is enough to put SMU in the playoff against Alabama on Sunday. The Mustangs lost to Clemson in the final game of the ACC Championship Game, but the Crimson Tide’s losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma proved costly. Penn State is set to host the Mustangs in the first round.
Texas: Look, I know Quinn Ewers had over 350 yards against Georgia in the SEC title game, but both of those interceptions were atrocious. The biggest win of the regular season came against Texas A&M, and while their defense is good enough to help this team win the playoffs, the offense is also hit and miss. Even when Carson Beck was injured before halftime, the Longhorns couldn’t capitalize on an injured Dawgs team. It will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian adds more to Arch Manning when the playoffs begin.
Iowa State: Just when you thought Matt Campbell could lead this Iowa State team to the Big 12 title and get over the hump, he ran into Arizona State in the championship game. Not only that, the defense was abysmal, losing by 26 points in a game that ended in the third quarter. They had a shot at the playoffs but now will be bowling somewhere, probably in warmer weather, but obviously not for a national championship. A missed opportunity for the Cyclones.
UNLV: UNLV was a heavy underdog against Boise State in the Mountain West Championship. UNLV appeared to go through the motions of a Boise State blowout for much of the first half, then began to make the score a little more cosmetic when Boise State stepped on the gas.
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images/File)
Carson Beck’s draft stock: Would the Bulldogs have won the SEC Championship over Texas with the quarterback backing up in the second half? Back was hurt on the last play of the first half, which was supposed to be a Hail Mary, but he hurt his arm while trying to make a throw and immediately went down in pain. Then, his backup, Gunner Stockton, sent a jolt of life into the Bulldogs’ offense, which eventually sealed the victory by scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Beck was 7 of 13 for 56 yards, though he has time to rest to prepare for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, where Georgia is the No. 2 seed.
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Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and OutKick.com staff.