Answering the dreams of many, the College Football Playoff has officially expanded from four teams to 12. Not only does that mean more postseason action for fans to enjoy, but the larger talent pool should ensure higher quality National Championships. Here is the breakdown of the new and improved format.
How the 12-Team College Football Playoff Will Actually Work
The new 12-team playoff includes the five highest-ranked conference champions, who will receive automatic bids, and the next seven highest-ranked programs. There is no limit on the number of participants from a single conference, and the top four teams will receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinals.
The original plan was a 6-6 model, with six conference champions and six at-large bids. However, after the Pac-12’s dissolution, the committee decided on a 5-7 format.
Washington State and Oregon State, the Pac-12’s last teams standing, only have one way to earn a postseason berth: an at-large bid. Although both programs have agreed to a football scheduling partnership with the Mountain West, they have not formally joined the league, meaning they can’t participate in the conference title match.
In terms of teams with similar records, the committee will consider championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head competition (if it occurred), and “comparative outcomes of common opponents” (without inventing margin of victory) to set the rankings.
Here’s what the 12-team expansion would’ve looked like during the 2023-2024 College Football Playoff:
- No. 12 Liberty at No. 5 Florida State
- No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia
- No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ohio State
- No. 9 Missouri at No. 8 Oregon
- Liberty-Florida State winner at No. 4 Alabama
- Ole Miss-Georgia winner at No. 3 Texas
- Penn State-Ohio State winner at No. 2 Washington
- Missouri-Oregon winner at No. 1 Michigan
KEEP READING: 2024 Strength of Schedule For All 134 FBS Teams
According to FanDuel, these teams have the highest betting odds to compete in the CFP this season:
- Ohio State, -650 (Big Ten champion)
- Georgia, -500 (SEC)
- Florida State, +160 (ACC)
- Utah, +280 (Big 12)
- Oregon, -250 (No. 5 seed)
- Texas, -230 (No. 6)
- Notre Dame, -170 (No. 7)
- Penn State, -145 (No. 8)
- Ole Miss, -125 (No. 9)
- Michigan, -105 (No. 10)
- Alabama, +120 (No. 11)
- Liberty, +550 (AAC, No. 12)
2024-2025 College Football Playoff Schedule
Beginning in the 2024 season, ESPN has turned the New Year’s Six bowl games into the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals. Additionally, the 2024-2025 National Championship Game will take place on Jan. 20, 2025, the latest the contest has been played in the CFP and BCS eras. Here is the complete schedule for the 2024-2025 College Football Playoff.
Note: All times listed are Eastern.
First Round
- Friday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. | ABC & ESPN
- Saturday, Dec. 21, Noon | TNT
- Saturday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m. | TNT
- Saturday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. | ABC & ESPN
Quarterfinal
- Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1 p.m. | ESPN
- Rose Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 5 p.m. | ESPN
- Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. | ESPN
Semifinal
- Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Friday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
CFP National Championship
- Monday, Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Atlanta, Ga.)
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