COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — After a year of hypothesizing what a 12-team College Football Playoff could bring, the maiden voyage kicks off Friday.
The field gives us four first-round games at campus sites. Ohio State is among three Big Ten teams playing in this opening round and one of three Midwest schools hosting this weekend, creating uncomfortable environments for warm-weather city teams not used to December cold.
Here is what to know about each of the four first-round playoff games, how weather could affect each one and what path lies ahead for these eight teams.
2024-25 College Football Playoff bracket
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame
Friday, 8 p.m. Line: Notre Dame 7 1/2
The new playoff era will start in one of the iconic homes of college football — Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish play No. 10-seed Indiana in the first game between the teams since 1991.
Notre Dame enters riding a 10-game winning streak, the second-best in the country. Coach Marcus Freeman has the Irish’s offense pummeling opponents with no fewer than 28 points scored in each of their last 10 victories. Quarterback Riley Leonard has led the offense with 30 total touchdowns.
The Hoosiers are one of the Cinderella teams of the postseason after a historic season under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. Predicted to finish 17th in the 18-team Big Ten, Indiana went 11-1 behind former Ohio University quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who threw 27 touchdown passes.
These schools met almost annually in the early 1900s. Notre Dame leads the series 23-5-1, with Indiana beating the Irish just once in South Bend in 1899.
What’s next for the winner: The victor will travel to New Orleans to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Weather report: South Bend is forecasted to get a few flurries or snow showers Friday morning that will subside by game time. Both teams are accustomed to the cold with temperatures expected to be in the teens.
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State
Saturday, noon. Line: Penn State 8 1/2
Saturday’s tripleheader begins with a “White Out” in Happy Valley as Penn State hosts Southern Methodist in each team’s first College Football Playoff game.
Despite losing to Ohio State and Oregon, Penn State finds itself as the six seed, backed by the offensive trio of quarterback Drew Allar, running back Nicholas Singleton and tight end Tyler Warren, along with star defensive end Abdul Carter. A victory would be a feather in the cap of coach James Franklin, who seeks a signature win during a tenure that has seen so few.
One of the conference realignment changes has a school from Texas representing Atlantic Coast Conference. SMU is coming off losing the league championship game to Clemson. The program has a history of success also and of a recruiting scandal so large that the NCAA forbade it from fielding a team in the 1987 season, the one and only “death penalty” it’s ever issued. The Mustangs went 11-1 and sneaked into the playoff field ahead of Alabama. They are led by quarterback Kevin Jennings, who threw for 3,000 yards, and 1,200-yard rusher Brashard Smith.
This is the third time Penn State and SMU are facing each other. The previous two matchups were in the 1948 Cotton Bowl, which ended in a 13-13 tie, and a 1978 regular-season game that Penn State won 26-21.
What’s next for the winner: The winner will travel to Glendale, Arizona, to play in the New Year’s Eve Fiesta Bowl. Mountain West champion Boise State, led by running back and Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, will face its toughest test since playing Oregon in Week 2.
Weather report: Mostly cloudy skies are forecast for the day with highs in the mid-20s with little to no chance of rain or snow.
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas
Saturday, 4 p.m. Line: Texas -11
The only first-round game outside the Midwest is in Austin as five-seed Texas welcomes the lowest-seeded team in the field, ACC champion Clemson.
Texas won the Southeastern Conference title behind veteran quarterback Quinn Ewers, running roughshod through its schedule to get to the conference title game. A loss to Georgia in Atlanta created some doubt around the Longhorns, who have not beaten a current top-25 team this season.
Clemson, the only three-loss team in the field, was on the outside looking in after a loss to South Carolina, but thanks to a Syracuse win over Miami, the Tigers’ playoff hopes were revived. Coach Dabo Swinney enters with the most experience in the playoff era, and quarterback Cade Klubnik is one of the top passers in the country.
The Longhorns are heavy favorites thanks to its home-field advantage and the defensive flaws of Clemson. It will be the first time these two programs have met.
What’s next for the winner: Big 12 champion Arizona State will play Saturday’s winner at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Day.
Weather report: This will be the warmest playoff game with sunny skies and a high of 65 degrees. Temperatures are expected to cool, however, to the mid-50s by the end of the game.
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State
Saturday, 8 p.m. Line: Ohio State -7 1/2
The Buckeyes look to rebound after falling to Michigan 13-10 three weeks ago. Although the loss thwarted Ohio State’s five-game winning streak, it can kick-start a postseason winning streak behind one of the most talented rosters in the country. Coach Ryan Day looks toward quarterback Will Howard, receiver Jeremiah Smith and All-America safety Caleb Downs to break a decade-long steak of losses against SEC opponents.
This is Tennessee’s first rodeo in a playoff, and it enters a hostile environment. The Volunteers earned this spot with a 10-2 record with a key win over Alabama in October. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the offense could give the Buckeyes problems, but the area to watch is the trenches with highly touted defensive end James Pearce Jr. facing a weaker OSU offensive line.
Saturday marks the second time the Buckeyes have played the Vols, with the last game taking place 28 years ago. The 1996 Citrus Bowl ended in victory for Tennessee and featured future NFL stars such as Tennessee’s Peyton Manning and Ohio State’s Eddie George.
What’s next for the winner: The winner will play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Undefeated and top-seeded Oregon awaits, with kickoff scheduled for Jan. 1 at 5 p.m.
Weather report: Plenty of layers are required, with Storm Team 4 looking at partly sunny skies at Ohio Stadium and temperatures in the mid-20s and upper teens. Just make sure the outer layer is the right color during this “Scarlet the Shoe” game.
Playoff quarterfinal schedule
Tuesday, December 31
- 7:30 p.m. – No. 3 Boise State vs. Penn State/SMU (Fiesta Bowl)
Wednesday, January 1
- 1 p.m. – No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson (Peach Bowl)
- 5 p.m. – No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee (Rose Bowl)
- 8:45 p.m. – No. 2 Georgia vs. Notre Dame/Indiana (Sugar Bowl)