On a busy Sunday, December 8, the *College Football Playoff* bracket has been finalized, and the excitement is building as teams prepare for their quest for the championship. The brackets will include 12 teams, but before that, there are some notable quarterfinal matchups to be aware of.
In the recent games, several teams made strong case for their playoff positions. *Ohio State* took down *Tennessee* with a decisive victory, while *Texas* triumphed over *Clemson*. *Penn State* also handled *SMU* comfortably, and *Notre Dame* defeated *Indiana* to secure their playoff spot. These wins helped shape the final rankings leading into the playoffs.
The top seed in this year’s playoffs belongs to *Oregon*, with *Georgia*, *Boise State*, and *Arizona State* also earning byes in the first round. This year’s bracket is particularly interesting because it highlights how the seeding can differ from the top 25 rankings. The top four seeds are reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions, regardless of their overall ranking. For instance, *Boise State* is ranked ninth but grabbed a bye due to their status as a conference champion.
The quarterfinal games are set to take place at prestigious bowl locations rather than the teams’ campus sites. Scheduled for December 31 and January 1, these important matchups will be featured in the *Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl,* and *Sugar Bowl*. The winners of these games will advance to the semifinals on January 9 and January 10, where they will face off for a spot in the *national championship* on January 20 at *Mercedes-Benz Stadium* in Atlanta.
As teams prepare to square off, the energy and anticipation surrounding the College Football Playoff continue to grow. Fans, players, and coaches alike are all eager to see how the matchups play out and who will ultimately claim the coveted title.
