After an exciting 15-week college football season filled with unforgettable moments and unexpected upsets, the highly anticipated College Football Playoffs is about to begin. With 12 teams still in the running for the coveted national title, the enthusiasm is palpable.
In the first round college football playoffs, teams seeds No. 5 through No. 12 will participate in playoff matches. The action begins with a Friday night showdown between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana. Saturday will be a day filled with three games. The winners of these clashes will have the right to challenge one of the top four seeds in the quarter-finals.
The top four teams from the quarterfinals will advance to the crucial semifinals, which will take place at either the Orange Bowl on January 9 or the Cotton Bowl on January 10. The results of these clashes will determine the two teams that will fight for the College. National Football Championship Playoffs on January 20 in Atlanta.
Here’s the full College Football Playoff bracket and information on how to follow your team’s journey to the national title.
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When will the first round of the College Football Playoff take place?
All times Eastern
FRIDAY DEC 20
SATURDAY DEC 21
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Game 2: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 SMU, noon (TNT)
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Game 3: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson, 4 p.m. (TNT)
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Game 4: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
The four quarterfinal matches will be played on New Year’s weekend at the site of four bowl games, with one match on December 31 and three on January 1.
TUESDAY DEC 31
WEDNESDAY JAN. 1
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Bowl of peaches: Winner No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
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Rose bowl: Winner No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
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Sugar: Winner No. 2 Georgia vs. Notre Dame/Indiana, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)
When are the College Football Playoff semifinals?
The semi-final matches will be played on January 9 and 10 at the site of two bowl matches.
THURSDAY JAN. 9
FRIDAY JAN. 10
When is the College Football Playoff National Championship?
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at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
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Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
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This article was originally published on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff bracket: Playoff schedule and TV
