UPDATED with quarterfinal results: The College Football Playoff bracket was finalized December 8, setting the stage for the first year of a 12-team postseason that will crown a national champion January 20 in Atlanta.
After an intense final week of the regular season that saw No. 1 Oregon solidify its top ranking with a victory over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game, and losses by then-No. 2 Texas and then No. 8 SMU in their respective title games, the playoffs kicked off with first round games December 20-21 across ABC/ESPN and TNT/Max.
SMU’s loss against Clemson in the ACC title game resulted in the most debatable scenario of the bracket, as the CFP selection committee had perennial title contender Alabama (as well as the University of Miami) looking on the outside entering the weekend.
Three teams from the West — Oregon, Arizona State and Boise State, conference champs all — received first-round byes, as did Georgia after knocking off Texas in the SEC title game. They will play first-round winners in quarterfinal games December 31-January 1, with the semifinals January 9-10. All games after the first round will be played on ABC or ESPN.
Watch on Deadline
The title game is 7:30 p.m. ET on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, airing on ESPN.
Here is the CFP TV schedule with results:
First Round
Friday, December 20
No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17
Saturday, December 21
No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, December 31
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
Wednesday, January 1
Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (2 OT)
Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
*Thursday, January 2
Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10
*Postponed from January 1
Semifinals
Thursday, January 9
Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Announcing team TBA
Friday, January 10
Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Announcing team TBA
CFP National Championship
Monday, January 20
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Announcing team: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath