In 2014, the founding of the College Football Playoff sent shockwaves across the nation. For the first time in the history of the game, the four best teams in football were able to compete against each other for a spot in the national title. Ten years later, the College Football Playoff Committee is looking for more change through the creation of a 12-team playoff.
Under the 12-team playoff format that begins this fall, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye, while teams seeded five through 12 will play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team. (The team ranked #5 will host #12; team #6 will meet team #11; team #7 will play team #10; and team #8 will meet #9.) The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the New Year’s Six bowl games, the national championship game will continue to be at a neutral site. No conference will qualify automatically and there will be no limit on the number of participants from a conference.
The Group of Five Has a Spot
In years past, a group of five team such as Tulane or Liberty had undefeated seasons, but only got to celebrate a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl instead of a spot in the playoff. The 12th spot in the playoff will be given to the sixth highest-ranked conference winner.
The Matchups and Dates
In the first round, seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through 12 at their home stadiums, bringing the College Football Playoff to college towns across the nation. After these games, eight teams will remain and play at New Year’s Six Bowl sites for the quarter and semi final rounds, with the championship game remaining at a neutral site.
First Round (On-Campus)
Friday, December 20, 2024: One Game (evening)
Saturday, December 21, 2024: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon and evening)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, December 31, 2024: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
Wednesday, January 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)
Semifinals
Thursday, January 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
Friday, January 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
CFP National Championship
Monday, January 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Exact kickoff times for each game will be announced later.
If the Expansion was implemented Last Year
Here’s what the first round would have looked like last year, along with the automatic byes…..
(12) Liberty @ (5) Florida State
(11) Ole Miss @ (6) Georgia
(10) Penn State @ (7) Ohio State
(9) Missouri @ (8) Oregon
Byes (1-4): Michigan, Washington, Texas, Alabama
What This Means for the Bulldogs
The Bulldog Nation knows more than anyone what it feels like to be left out. Aside from the national title seasons, fans have often been left with uncertainty after a loss in the SEC Championship, not knowing if the Bulldogs will be given a coveted spot in the four-team bracket. We have seen Coach Smart sit in front of a podium arguing that his team is among the top four, but ultimately is ruled otherwise by the Committee on Selection Sunday. With this expanded playoff, it seems as if Georgia will not have too much to worry about, as Smart’s teams have been inside the top ten every year since 2017. As long as the Bulldogs maintain a strong record in the toughest conference in the land, Georgia fans will be seeing their team in the playoffs for years to come.