INDIANAPOLIS – The buzz surrounding the College Football Playoff (CFP) is electric as the new 12-team playoff format prepares to debut in the 2024-25 season. As the regular season progresses, the selection committee continues to rank the top 25 teams, shaping the postseason picture. The latest rankings were revealed on November 19, and fans are eager to see how the playoff bracket will look.
In this new format, the top four highest-ranked conference champions receive byes into the quarterfinals. This means they will not have to compete in the first round. Currently, the teams that would earn these coveted byes are marked in bold. Following the rankings, Boise State, having lost only to top-ranked Oregon, stands strong as the fourth-highest-ranked conference champion, securing a bye. Meanwhile, BYU, despite losing last week, is the fifth automatic qualifier (AQ) but fell behind Boise State in the standings.
Behind Boise State, Tennessee and SMU hold the 11th and 13th ranks respectively, and are just outside the playoff picture. BYU, ranking 14th, claims the final automatic slot, leaving those teams on the outside looking in for now. The next round of CFP rankings is expected to come out on November 26.
As for the first round of the playoffs, it is scheduled to be held on either December 20 or December 21 at the campuses of the participating teams. The excitement doesn’t stop there! The quarterfinals will take place at major bowl games on December 31 and January 1. The Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Sugar Bowl will be the sites for these matchups, with teams assigned based on their seed and bowl relationships.
Following the quarterfinals, the two winners from each game will face off in the semifinals on January 9 and 10 at the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl. The grand finale will take place on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the two remaining teams will battle for the national championship. As the season progresses, many fans are keenly watching how the rankings impact their teams’ paths to the playoff.
