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  • Three key questions will be answered when College Football Playoff bracket’s released

    Three key questions will be answered when College Football Playoff bracket’s released

    We’ve had March Madness. Now there is December Drama.

    On Sunday afternoon, there will be a college football bracket: 12 teams in the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff.

    After a decade of four schools getting chosen, the sport adopted expansion to give more programs a shot. It created additional interest in the regular season and the feeling that the championship truly is up for grabs.

    Shortly after noon, the pairings will be announced. The top four seeds will be given to the highest ranked conference champions instead of the four highest ranked teams, which could create chaos down the road.

    The Post prepares you for the festivities:

    Who is No. 1?

    This is an easy one. Undefeated Oregon entered the Big Ten championship game the heavy favorite and locked up the top spot with a 45-37 victory over third-ranked Penn State.

    Landing the No. 1 seed, however, isn’t a huge advantage, aside from receiving a bye.

    Oregon will face the No. 8/No. 9 winner, which actually will likely be a tougher quarterfinal opponent than the fifth seed will face if it gets that far, since the four highest seeds are conference champions.

    This is something that has to be addressed in the future.

    Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel celebrates after his team’s 45-37 Big Ten title win over Penn State on Dec. 7, 2024. Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

    Imagine if the second-place seed in the SEC or Big 12 received a worse seed than the AAC or Atlantic 10 winner in the NCAA Tournament on the hardwood?

    Is Alabama in?

    The Crimson Tide were thought to be done after that no-show performance at six-win Oklahoma a few weeks ago.

    But everything has gone right since. Alabama manhandled Auburn in the Iron Bowl while Miami, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all dropped games that moved Kalen DeBoer’s three-loss team up.

    Entering the day, most experts felt Alabama was safe because it was ranked 11th by the committee. Since No. 8 SMU dropped the ACC championship game to No. 17 Clemson, there is a scenario the Mustangs could knock the Crimson Tide out.

    Quarterback Jalen Milroe’s Alabama squad has a solid chance to gain at at-large bid into the 12-team College Football Playoff, The Post’s Zach Braziller says. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

    SMU has one fewer loss but not nearly the quality of Alabama’s win at home over Georgia, which looks even better now that the Bulldogs won the powerhouse SEC. And the committee has been bumping down teams off of losses by several spots.

    It’s hard to see Alabama being left out. Miami, ranked 12th, doesn’t seem like it has a realistic shot, since it really is ranked 13th, as No. 15 Arizona State received the automatic as the Big 12 champion.

    What does the opening round look like?

    Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC) and No. 10 Boise State (highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion) get three of the byes.

    Then, it comes down to Arizona State or Clemson for the fourth one. We give Arizona State the slight edge because it has one fewer loss.

    Notre Dame, led by quarterback Riley Leonard, likely will be the No. 5 seed in the 12-team College Football playoff, The Post’s Zach Braziller predicts. AP

    One-loss Notre Dame receives the top at-large and the fifth seed, drawing Clemson in an intriguing opening-round matchup.

    I don’t see the committee punishing Texas too much for its conference championship game loss.

    Texas drops down to No. 6, where it will face No. 11 Alabama. While Penn State played well against Oregon, it lost head-to-head to Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes the advantage.

    Ohio State is the seventh seed as a result and meets No. 10 Indiana, while Penn State falls to No. 8 and takes on ninth-seeded Tennessee.

    There are a few potential blockbusters in there, highlighted by the Texas-Alabama showdown.

    All four contests will be played on campus, with the quarterfinals being moved to bowl sites. That’s another aspect of this new system that is appealing.

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  • College Football Playoff expert picks: Alabama or SMU in last spot? Notre Dame, Texas or Penn State at No. 5?

    College Football Playoff expert picks: Alabama or SMU in last spot? Notre Dame, Texas or Penn State at No. 5?

    The SMU versus Alabama debate for the final at-large bid in the 2025 College Football Playoff has understandably stolen the spotlight entering Selection Sunday. There is also significant consternation about how the first few teams outside the top four conference champions will be decided. Ultimately, how the committee interprets those league title game results will have ripple effects throughout the field. 

    Let’s start with the debate over the final at-large bid.

    Alabama held that spot in last Tuesday’s penultimate CFP Rankings, and it looked in good shape to maintain that slot after CFP chairman Warde Manuel said the rankings were locked for teams not playing conference championship weekend.

    However, there was a doomsday scenario: Clemson pulling off an upset over SMU in the ACC Championship Game with the Mustangs playing well enough to warrant a spot in the field.

    Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, that’s exactly what happened Saturday night. Clemson freshman kicker Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard walk-off game-winning field goal not only propelled the Tigers into the field as an automatic qualifier but gave SMU a more-than-reasonable chance to receive an at-large bid.

    SMU (11-2) has fewer losses than Alabama (9-3) but exists in a similar space as Miami (FL) in that it lacks resume-boosting wins. The Mustangs are 0-2 against top 25 opponents, while Alabama has a 3-1 record against teams, including a win over newly crowned SEC champion Georgia. Furthermore, Alabama’s strength of schedule (18th) is considerably better than that of SMU (75th) as the Tide’s opponents had a combined record of 82-50 while the Mustangs’ were 83-75. 

    The SMU case? Well, it went undefeated during ACC regular-season play (8-0), and its two losses are nowhere near as bad as Alabama’s 21-point defeat to 6-6 Oklahoma (in which Bama scored 3 points) or its road loss to 6-6 Vanderbilt. SMU’s wins against Louisville and Pittsburgh were notable at the time, too. 

    If Alabama ranked a spot above Miami in the penultimate CFP Rankings, one could surmise it deserves to hold the same spot when compared head-to-head against SMU given the argument is identical. And that may be exactly what happens!

    However, SMU finished as a Power Four conference runner-up in a tightly-contested ACC title game it lost 34-31. If the CFP Selection Committee completely dropped SMU out of the field, it would set a dangerous precedent for conference championship games, which are generally major money makers for leagues. It would essentially incentivize teams to not seek out those opportunities so as not to lose and potentially fall all the way out of the playoff field.

    Alabama got the benefit of the doubt last season as it received the final spot over undefeated Florida State in a decision that still roils the ACC. This time around, the ACC has a better chance of bouncing an SEC team out for the last at-large bid. 

    How will the top three at-large bids shake out?

    The committee doesn’t simply have to decide what to do with ACC championship loser SMU. It also needs to figure out where to put one-loss Notre Dame, SEC runner-up Texas and Big Ten runner-up Penn State. The Fighting Irish were No. 4 in the penultimate CFP Rankings, while the Longhorns were No. 2 (slated for a first-round bye with an SEC win) and the Nittany Lions placed No. 3 as the second Big Ten team behind No. 1 Oregon.

    Texas (11-2) lost to Georgia, 24-19, in the first SEC title game to reach overtime, a contest the Longhorns easily could have won. Penn State (11-2) fell to the Ducks in a one-score 45-37 loss. And then you have Notre Dame (11-1), which did not play Saturday but in theory could slide up if Texas and Penn State both move down.

    Texas’ only two losses are to Georgia, giving it the best defeats of the group; however, Penn State’s two losses (Ohio State, Oregon) are in the same neighborhood. Notre Dame has by far the worst loss to Northern Illinois (7-5), a seventh-place MAC team. That it came at home, too, making it the worst loss of any CFP contender. 

    The ‘Horns are 0-2 against top 25 opponents, a major knock on their resume. The Nittany Lions hold a singular top 25 win (No. 19 Illinois), while the Irish only possesses one top 25 win over AAC champion Army West Point (No. 24). Army’s win Friday night over Tulane only strengthens ND’s argument. 

    Just like with Alabama and SMU, it will be interesting to see whether the committee chooses to penalize teams that competed in league title games, especially ones that were extremely close. Notre Dame has been steadily moving up the rankings in recent weeks, and there’s an argument it should jump Texas and Penn State. It almost certainly would in a normal week. 

    However, in this scenario, it feels more likely that the committee will keep Texas and Penn State ahead of Notre Dame. That’s not an insignificant decision, either, given how the field is shaping up.

    If Notre Dame ends up as the No. 7 seed, that sets up a possible quarterfinal against No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. If Notre Dame instead receives the No. 5 or No. 6 seed, it would likely play Boise State or Arizona State in a quarterfinal.

    The tougher question will be how the committee weighs Texas versus Penn State. The resumes are fairly similar, and both lost marquee conference championship games by single scores. Texas was ranked higher than Penn State entering Saturday night, which might end up being the slight edge that puts the ‘Horns in the No. 5 seed.

    Keep on reading for expert picks on slots No. 5-7 in the College Football Playoff field along with which team our CBS Sports college football writers believe will receive the final at-large bid. You can also check out a complete slate of 2024-25 bowl projections from bowls expert Jerry Palm.

    College Football Playoff projection

    The top two seeds of the CFP are all but a formality after Oregon remained undefeated by beating Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game and Georgia knocked off Texas for the second time this season to win the SEC Championship Game. Boise State (Mountain West) and Arizona State (Big 12) will be the other conference champions who receive byes given Clemson (ACC) has three losses.

    While there is an argument that the Sun Devils should be the No. 3 seed above the Broncos, ASU was ranked five spots lower in the penultimate CFP Rankings. As such, bowls experts Jerry Palm and Brad Crawford both agree the top four seeds — each receiving first-round byes — will shake out as follows:

    1. Oregon (13-0)
    2. Georgia (11-2)
    3. Boise State (12-1)
    4. Arizona State (11-2)

    College Football Playoff expert picks

    Here’s how our college football staff would vote in the key spots — choosing teams Nos. 5-7 and the last at-large bid in the field — if they were members of the CFP Selection Committee.



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  • 2024 College Football Playoff guide: What to know about the new 12-team format, at-large bids

    2024 College Football Playoff guide: What to know about the new 12-team format, at-large bids

    The 12-team College Football Playoff era has officially begun, and with it, a host of details with which fans will need to familiarize themselves. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the sport’s new postseason. Feel free to bookmark and reference as December draws near.

    Why the new postseason?

    For most of its century-plus existence, college football had a “mythical national champion.” The sport’s season champion was determined after teams played in bowl games by various polls and rankings, which, of course, led to significant debate. In 1998, college football introduced the often-controversial Bowl Championship Series, or BCS, which utilized a mix of rankings and computer methodology to ensure that its No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams met in a bowl game.

    In 2012, leaders of the BCS approved the College Football Playoff, which launched in 2014 as a four-team postseason knockout tournament. Because debate and controversy are at the soul of college football, it was decided that the four-team field would be chosen by a 13-person selection committee, comprised of various conference commissioners and athletic directors. And because only four teams would make the postseason, one major Power 5 conference would get left out.

    The CFP upheld the prestige of the bowl games around New Year’s Eve and Day and added the Peach and Cotton bowls to the slate to comprise the New Year’s Six, as they are still called. For several years the postseason carried on, until talks in earnest about expansion picked up in the last three years. After many discussions about possible iterations, a 12-team postseason tournament was approved in September 2022.

    How will the teams be selected for the 12-team field?

    That 13-person selection committee, as it did in the four-team era, will rank its top-25 teams weekly, beginning Nov. 5 and culminating on Dec. 8. The panel consists of current athletic directors and school administrators, and former coaches and players, all of whom are supposed to evaluate the teams based on schedule strength, head-to-head results and their own subjective opinions. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is the new chairman.

    The big difference in the new format is that the committee’s five highest-ranked conference champions receive guaranteed berths. While not set in writing, it’s presumed they will go to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, as well as the highest-ranked champion from the Group of 5 leagues (AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt).

    The other seven bids go to the highest-ranked teams that did not win their conference.

    How will those 12 teams be slotted into the bracket?

    The four highest-ranked champions will receive the top four seeds, regardless of where they fall in the rankings. If, say, the ACC champion is 10-3 and ranked No. 11 by the committee, and is ranked higher than a No. 14-ranked Group of 5 champion, it would not drop below the No. 4 seed. Conversely, if an SEC team is 12-1 and ranked No. 3 but lost in the conference title game, the highest it could be seeded is No. 5.

    Seeds 1-4 will be incredibly important because those teams have a first-round bye.

    What about Notre Dame and other independents?

    Independents cannot earn a higher seed than No. 5, and therefore cannot receive a bye.

    How do Washington State and Oregon State make the Playoff?

    “The Pac-2” are not eligible for a conference championship. The Cougars and the Beavers must finish the season ranked high enough for an at-large berth.

    When and where will the first round be?

    The conference championships this season will be played across Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. The first round will be held two weekends later, with one game on Friday, Dec. 20 (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), and three on Saturday, Dec. 21 (Noon and 4 p.m., ET on TNT, 8 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN).

    This will be the only round with games played at campus stadiums. With the top-four seeds on byes, the No. 5 seed will host the No. 12 seed, No. 6 hosts No. 11, No. 7 hosts No. 10 and No. 8 hosts No. 9.

    Will these be more like a regular home game or an NCAA tournament venue?

    Definitely the former. CFP executive director Richard Clark said visiting teams will only receive around 3,500 tickets. “We want it to feel like a home game,” he said. “You (the higher seed) earned that opportunity.”

    Given the quick turnaround between Selection Sunday and the first games, the CFP has already booked hotel blocks for the visiting team near FBS schools with a realistic shot of hosting and will release rooms as teams fall out of contention.

    Will the bracket be reseeded after the first round, like in the NFL?

    No. The No. 1 seed will play the 8-9 winner, the No. 2 seed will play the 7-10 winner, the No. 3 seed will play the 6-11 winner and the No. 4 seed will play the 5-12 winner.

    It’s very likely the No. 5 seed, the best of all the at-large teams, will be a higher-ranked team than the No. 4 seed, itself either the lowest-ranked Power 4 champion or the Group of 5 champion.

    When and where will the quarterfinals be played?

    The four quarterfinal games and both semifinals will be played at current New Year’s Six bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach). As in the four-team era, the bowls will rotate hosting the semifinal matchups.

    This year, the Fiesta (Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET), Peach (Jan. 1, 1 p.m.), Rose (Jan. 1, 5 p.m.) and Sugar (Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET) are the four quarterfinal hosts.

    CFP Bowl Games

    Bowl Date Location Round

    Fiesta

    Dec. 31

    Glendale, Ariz.

    Quarterfinals

    Peach

    Jan. 1

    Atlanta

    Quarterfinals

    Rose

    Jan. 1

    Pasadena, Calif.

    Quarterfinals

    Sugar

    Jan. 1

    New Orleans

    Quarterfinals

    Orange

    Jan. 9

    Miami, Fla.

    Semifinals

    Cotton

    Jan. 10

    Arlington, Texas

    Semifinals

    How do they decide which teams play in which bowls?  

    Whenever possible, the teams will be assigned to their conference’s traditional bowl partner. If the SEC or Big 12 champion is the No. 1 seed, it will go to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, the Big Ten champion to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The others will be slotted based on geographic proximity.

    For example, if the No. 3 seed is closer to Atlanta than Glendale, Ariz., it will be placed at the Peach Bowl, and then the No. 4 seed heads to the Fiesta.

    Will the teams still experience a traditional bowl week?

    Sadly, the days of teams spending a week in L.A. before the Rose Bowl, eating Lawry’s Beef and gallivanting at Disneyland, may be over. They’ll arrive at the quarterfinal sites on Dec. 29, practice on the 30th, hold a walk-through on the 31st and play the games on Jan. 1. The semifinal stays will be one day shorter than that.

    When are the semifinals?

    The semifinals are Jan. 9 (Orange) and Jan. 10 (Cotton), both on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. With the NFL’s six-game Wild Card round that weekend, the CFP had little choice but to play on a Thursday and Friday night.

    Is there any chance they’ll eventually move the quarterfinals and semifinals to campuses?

    Not likely in the near future. Earlier this year, ESPN and the CFP agreed to a six-year, $7.8 billion extension that runs through the 2031-32 season. While the long-form contract has not yet been finalized, it’s expected to include the same six bowls.

    “We are committed to our bowl partners,” said Clark. “They’re as much a part of college football as anything.”

    One possible wrinkle after the current contract ends in 2026: The Rose Bowl has asked to be left out of the semifinal rotation going forward in favor of keeping its traditional New Year’s Day time slot. If granted, it would host a quarterfinal every year.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    College Football Playoff 2024 projections: What will Sunday’s final bracket look like?

    When is the national championship game?

    The title game will be played on a Monday night, as it has since 2006 — only it’s now two weeks later. This year’s national championship is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will be played on Jan. 20, 2025 (7:30 p.m., ESPN). Next year’s is on Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Locations beyond that have not been announced.

    How do they divide up the money?

    This year and next fall under the CFP’s original 12-year deal with ESPN. In 2023-24, the distribution was $82.2 million for each of the Power 5 conferences, a combined $103 million split among the Group of 5 leagues, $3.9 million to Notre Dame and $940,000 to the other independents.

    With the demise and fallout of the Pac-12, the CFP adjusted the formula so that each conference’s per-school average remains roughly the same.

    Will the tournament expand to 14 teams next?

    The possibility of an expanded bracket came up earlier this year when the commissioners met to discuss whether to sign off on the ESPN extension. Specifically, Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti was advocating for more teams. Those discussions have been “tabled” until after this year’s Playoff.

    “After we see how this season goes, we’ll look at a lot of different things,” said Clark. “The 14-team Playoff is just an option, but we just have to see how the 12 goes.”

    In other words, you may need another primer in two years’ time.

    (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)

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  • College Football Playoff System Also Includes Financial Incentives

    College Football Playoff System Also Includes Financial Incentives

    The College Football Playoff committee’s much-anticipated final reveal will be televised live Sunday, when the teams selected for the inaugural 12-team tournament field will be announced.

    Champions from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern conferences receive automatic berths into the playoff, as will the top-ranked school from the Group of Five.

    The four top-ranked league champions receive a bye into the quarterfinal round, while the lowest-ranked champion will join seven at-large teams to play four first-round games to be held Dec. 20-21.

    The prestige of inclusion in the 12-team field is hardly the only perk. Money is also at stake. The CFP’s financial distribution model rewards conferences for not only how many teams they place in the field but also how far they advance.

    CFP REVENUE DISTRIBUTION

    Per terms of the agreement for playoff participants:

    *A conference will receive $4 million for each team that makes the College Football Playoff and for each team that advances to the quarterfinals.

    *A conference will receive $6 million for each team that advances to the semifinals and each team that advances to the national championship game.

    *A conference whose team makes the field will receive $3 million to cover expenses for each team in each round.

    *Separately, each conference will receive $300,000 for each school whose team meets the NCAA academic progress rate (ARP) for participation in a postseason game. Each independent institution will also receive $300,000 when its football team meets that standard.

    A BYE IS VALUABLE

    It is not difficult to understand why coaches and officials from the Big 12 and the ACC attempted to make a strong case for their conferences after the most recent CFP rankings were announce Tuesday. No. 8 SMU was the only ACC team ranked in the top 12, and none of the Big 12 teams was ranked that high. Arizona State topped out at No. 15.

    The champion of one of those conferences is almost certain to be the No. 5 seed, which would keep the league from maxing out on its potential revenue. The first four CFP seeds will net $8 million for their leagues by virtue of the first-round bye — $4 million for making the field and another $4 million for (automatically) advancing to the quarterfinals.

    No. 10 Boise State won its second straight Mountain West championship with a 21-7 victory over No. 20 UNLV on Friday night, and it seems impossible that the Broncos could drop out of the top 12 in favor of a two-loss Big 12 champion or a two- or three-loss ACC winner.

    Arizona State and No. 16 Iowa State (both 10-2) will play for the Big 12 title and SMU (11-1) will play No. 17 Clemson (9-3) for ACC title.

    Saturday’s championship card also includes No. 2 Texas (11-1) against No. 5 Georgia (10-2) in a rematch for the SEC title and No. 1 Oregon (12-0) meeting No. 3 Penn State (11-1) in the Big Ten title game. An an independent, No. 4 Notre Dame (11-1) is not eligible for top five seed per CFP rules.

    THE 2023-24 PAYOUTS

    Based on calculations from the 2023-24 season, the CFP said the following distributions were made in the spring of 2024:

    *For conferences that had contracts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose, or Sugar bowls, the base amount combined with the full academic performance pool was approximately $79.41 million for each conference.

    *The five conferences that did not have contracts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose or Sugar bowls received approximately $102.77 million in in base and APR pools.

    *Notre Dame received a payment of $3.89 million by meeting the APR standard. the other six independents shared $1.89 million.

    IF LATEST CFP RANKINGS HOLD

    The Big Ten and the SEC stand to be the big winners if nothing changes Sunday from the most recent CFP rankings Dec. 3.

    Four Big Ten schools — Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State — and four SEC schools — Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama — were ranked in the top 11. Alabama landed at No. 11, one spot behind Boise State and one ahead of ACC Miami, which in that instance would be the first team out.

    For that, Big Ten and SEC teams would earn at least $20 million for their conferences in the first two rounds — $16 million for the four teams in the field and another $4 million for the conference champion because it automatically advances.

    That would leave first-round money of $4 million for each Notre Dame, Boise State, the Big 12 champ and the ACC champ. The Mountain West would be the biggest unexpected winner, inasmuch as it could make $8 million if Boise State gets the No. 4 seed and the bye.

    The quarterfinals are Dec. 31-Jan. 1, the semifinals are Jan. 9-10 and and the championship game is Jan. 20 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

    Hypothetically, if an SEC team and a Big Ten team meet in the final game, each conference would earn another $12 million apiece — $6 million for reaching the semifinals, another $6 million for making the title game.

    If one conference has both finalists, the windfall would $24 million.

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  • College Football Playoff overtime rules: How does it work, number of overtimes, possessions, ties

    College Football Playoff overtime rules: How does it work, number of overtimes, possessions, ties

    It’s that time of year: the postseason – when evenly-matched teams face each other more often than not, meaning a higher chance at overtime. So what are the college football overtime rules? Are they different for the College Football Playoff? What’s the record for number of overtimes in a single game?

    Here’s everything you need to know about how college football overtime works.

    What are the rules for overtime in college football?

    A college football game goes to overtime when the game is tied at the end of regulation (after four quarters of play), and the team that scores the most points in overtime wins the game.

    Each team’s captains go to the 50-yard line for the overtime coin toss. The winning team of the coin toss can decide whether they play offense or defense or which end of the field will be used for both possessions of that overtime period. The losing team gets to decide the remaining option.

    This isn’t a modified sudden-death system like the NFL; instead, each team gets a possession in each overtime period until one outscores the other.

    Through the first two overtime periods, teams will start on the 25-yard line (unless relocated by a penalty). The team on offense can choose to start its possession with the football anywhere on or between the hash marks. Each team’s possession continues until it scores (touchdown or field goal) or fails to make a first down. Starting in second overtime, teams are required to try for a 2-point conversion instead of an extra point after a touchdown. Starting in third overtime, teams run alternating 2-point plays, instead of starting another drive.

    Each team will receive one timeout for every overtime period. Timeouts not used during regulation do not rollover to overtime and unused timeouts from previous overtime periods do not rollover to the next. Timeouts used between overtime periods are charged to the following period.

    What happens after two overtimes in college football?

    Starting in second overtime, teams are required to try for a 2-point conversion instead of an extra point after a touchdown. Starting in third overtime, teams run alternating 2-point plays, instead of starting another drive.

    How many overtimes can there be in NCAA college football?

    There is no limit to overtimes in college football.

    Are there ties in college football?

    Since there is no limit to overtimes in college football, there are no ties.

    Prior to the introduction of overtime in 1995, games often ended in ties, but overtime makes it so a winner must be determined.

    How many timeouts do you get in college football overtime?

    Each team will receive one timeout for every overtime period. Timeouts not used during regulation do not rollover to overtime and unused timeouts from previous overtime periods do not rollover to the next. Timeouts used between overtime periods are charged to the following period.

    Are overtime rules the same for the regular season, bowl games, and the College Football Playoff?

    Yes, overtime rules are the same for all college football games.

    What are the longest overtime games in college football history?

    The first and only game to ever reach nine overtimes happened on October 23, 2021, when Illinois and Penn State went back and forth until the Illini scored a two-point conversion in the ninth OT to upset the No. 7 Nittany Lions.

    Most recently, No. 7 Georgia and Georgia Tech delivered an eight-overtime game on November 29, with some dubbing the 2024 edition “Clean, Old Fashioned Eight.” The Yellow Jackets led the Bulldogs 17-0 at halftime, but the Bulldogs rebounded in the second half, tying the game at 27-27 to force OT. In the eighth OT, Georgia was successful in its 2-point attempt after stopping Georgia Tech on their attempt, ultimately winning the game, 44-42.



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  • How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work, and why seeding is so confusing

    How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work, and why seeding is so confusing

    College football has tripled the size of its Playoff field and, with that one move, it exponentially increased the angst and arguments related to the teams that should make it.

    On Sunday, the selection committee will unveil the first official 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. We’ll see four teams earn first-round byes, four other teams designated as first-round hosts and four teams simply happy to have snuck into the field at all.

    The expanded CFP means more teams, more games and also more confusion. The rules regarding seeding and scheduling are new and significantly more complicated than they were in the past. So, we’re here to help simplify it all.

    Maryland v Penn State

    The final College Football Playoff rankings of the year will be released at the conclusion of conference championship weekend.

    Ranking vs. seeding

    The most important difference with the new system as opposed to the four-team CFP era is that one team’s seed might not be the same as its ranking. The field is still chosen and ranked by a 13-member selection committee that meets weekly over the final six weeks of the season, using the criteria that has previously been established. But in the four-team era, the Playoff field was simply made up of the top four teams in the final rankings. Now, it’s more complicated, because the top four seeds in the final bracket are required to be conference champions.

    The five conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee receive automatic berths to the CFP. The final seven spots go to the highest-ranked at-large teams. There is no cap on the number of spots one conference can receive.

    Because there are now just four power conferences (the Big Ten, the SEC, the ACC and the Big 12), having five AQ spots for conference champions guarantees one spot for the Group of Five every year. It’s possible that one of the five highest-ranked champions could be ranked outside of the committee’s top 12. If that happens, the champion slides in as the No. 12 seed in the final bracket.

    But because the top four seeds have to be champions of four different leagues, it’s certainly possible that we’ll see the SEC runner-up and the Big Ten runner-up ranked ahead of the champions of the ACC and the Big 12. That’s where it gets confusing, as Penn State could be ranked No. 3 if it loses to Oregon in the Big Ten championship game … but seeded sixth (because it’d be bumped down a few seed lines to make space for the presumed ACC champion as the No. 3 seed and either the Big 12 champion or Mountain West champion as the No. 4 seed.

    This weekend, the committee will first rank its top 25 teams first, then it will plug the automatic qualifiers (conference champions) into the bracket as well as the at-large teams. The committee won’t modify its rankings to avoid rematches between teams that played during the regular season. And there’s no re-seeding after the full bracket is set.

    Power rankings: Highest postseason stakes

    Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the teams that have the most on the line entering the postseason, including Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Alabama and USC.

    Top four seeds

    The top four conference champions will receive first-round byes. Seeds 5-8 will host first-round games on campus (or at sites nearby that they’ve designated to be their home fields for the games). No. 5 will host No. 12, No. 6 will host No. 11, and so on. The four first-round games this year will take place on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. One game will be played on Friday, and three games will be played on Saturday.

    Because the top four seeds will all be conference champions, the bracket is expected to look a little weird — and it’s not going to be truly balanced because seeds 1-4 won’t actually be the four highest ranked teams of the 12 in the field. It’s quite possible that the No. 5 seed is the best spot in the bracket, because that team will get to host a first-round game against the No. 12 seed and, if it wins, then play the No. 4 seed. That path could mean two games against the two weakest conference champions for a spot in the national semifinals.

    Conference championship game upsets can also drastically change the makeup of the bracket. For example, looking at upsets in 2022, 11-2 Clemson, ranked seventh in the final CFP rankings, would have actually been the No. 3 seed under this model. And 10-3 Utah, ranked eighth, would have been the No. 4 seed. Both teams would get a bye, while TCU (ranked third but not a conference champion), Ohio State (ranked fourth but not a conference champion) and Alabama (ranked fifth but not a conference champion) would all be hosting first-round games. Again, the most confusing part is the fact that ranking does not necessarily equal seeding.

    Notre Dame’s path to the Playoff

    Notre Dame, of course, does not play in a conference. The Fighting Irish are ineligible to receive a top four seed (and subsequent bye), because those are required to go to conference champions. But this is a tradeoff that Notre Dame is more than happy to make to maintain its independence while still ensuring access to the national championship.

    The Irish are off during conference championship weekend anyway, so they essentially get a preemptive bye, plus they still get to host games in South Bend, Ind., if they’re in the 5-8 seed range. Then-Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick was part of the four-person working group that came up with this format in the first place, so of course it’s more than palatable for the Irish.

    Based on the committee’s penultimate set of rankings this week, Notre Dame is all but assuredly going to be hosting a first-round game later this month.

    Later rounds, games and sites

    Quarterfinals will be played at bowl sites and will take place around New Year’s Eve/Day. The Rose Bowl, which loves its designated time slot on Jan. 1 and its subsequent sunsets, is scheduled to host a quarterfinal on Jan. 1 for this season and next. It has asked the CFP if it can be removed from the semifinal rotation and remain as a quarterfinal host on New Year’s Day moving forward.

    This year, the first quarterfinal will be played at the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, followed by games at the Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

    Semifinal games will be played roughly a week to week-and-a-half after the quarters. The semifinals this year will be played on Thursday, Jan. 9 (at the Orange Bowl) and Friday, Jan. 10 (at the Cotton Bowl). The national championship game will be the latest it has ever been played — on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. The trophy will be handed out at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

    But before the sport crowns a champion, there’s a lot at stake for individual conferences. According to the CFP, the 12 teams that make the field earn their conferences $4 million each. Conferences then bring in another $4 million per team that reaches the quarterfinals. Each semifinalist earns $6 million more for its league, and the two finalists earn another $6 million apiece. That’s one of the key reasons behind the politicking we’ve seen from the various commissioners over the past week or so. Obviously, they want their best teams to have a chance to play for a national title. But they also want to bring in revenue to help support all of the teams in their conference moving forward.



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  • Conference championship preview: College Football Playoff spots at stake

    Conference championship preview: College Football Playoff spots at stake

    We’re down to the stretch drive in the battle to book spots in the first NCAA football 12-team playoff bracket.

    Nine conference championship games on Friday and Saturday will be the final chances for teams to earn conference-champion berths or make a case to the committee — which already has been heavily criticized by some teams on the wrong side of the bubble — for an at-large spot ahead of Sunday’s bracket reveal.

    Four of the games figure to have no impact on the College Football Playoff field — Conference USA, Mid-American, American Athletic and Sun Belt finalists are destined for other bowl games — while the other five likely will affect seeding and berths.

    Here’s a look at what’s ahead this weekend when it comes to conference championships and the CFP field.

    CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

    Conference USA championship
    Western Kentucky (8-4) at Jacksonville State (8-4), 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

    Mountain West championship
    No. 20 UNLV (10-2) at No. 10 Boise State (11-1), 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

    American Athletic championship
    Tulane (9-3) at No. 24 Army (10-1), 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

    Big 12 championship
    No. 16 Iowa State (10-2) vs. No. 15 Arizona State (10-2), noon ET / 9 a.m. PT at Arlington, Texas

    Mid-American Conference championship
    Ohio (9-3) vs. Miami (Ohio, 8-4), noon ET / 9 a.m. PT at Detroit

    Southeastern Conference championship
    No. 5 Georgia (10-2) vs. No. 2 Texas (11-1), 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT at Atlanta

    Sun Belt Championship
    Marshall (9-3) at Louisiana (10-2), 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

    Big Ten championship
    No. 1 Oregon (12-0) vs. No. 3 Penn State (11-1), 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT at Indianapolis

    Atlantic Coast Conference championship
    No. 17 Clemson (9-3) vs. No. 8 SMU (11-1), 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

    *1: Oregon (12-0)
    *2: Texas (11-1)
    3: Penn State (11-1)
    4: Notre Dame (11-1)
    5: Georgia (10-2)
    6: Ohio State (10-2)
    7: Tennessee (10-2)
    *8: SMU (11-1)
    9: Indiana (11-1)
    *10: Boise State (11-1)
    11: Alabama (9-3)
    12: Miami (10-2)
    13: Ole Miss (9-3)
    14: South Carolina (9-3)
    +15: Arizona State (10-2)
    16: Iowa State (10-2)
    17: Clemson (9-3)
    18: BYU (10-2)
    19: Missouri (9-3)
    20: UNLV (10-2)

    * The top four conference champions (highest-ranked teams currently are given that designation) earn the top four seeds and first-round byes

    + The fifth-best conference champion also earns a spot in the field, leaving seven at-large spots. The cut-off currently is after No. 11 Alabama.

    Seeds 5-8 host first-round games against seeds 9-12, Dec. 20-21. The top four seeds await the winners for neutral-site quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

    The final two rounds are also at neutral sites.

    The playoff doesn’t start until Dec. 20, but it unofficially begins this weekend.

    The Mountain West championship and Big 12 championship are seen as win-and-in, lose-and-out games — and perhaps the Atlantic Coast Conference is a third.

    No. 10 Boise State has a chance to earn a top-four seed — and a first-round bye — with a win over No. 20 UNLV on its unique blue field thanks to the Big 12 experiencing a down year in the rankings.

    Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty, battling for the Heisman Trophy with Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, will be able to make one final case for the top individual prize under a national spotlight with Friday night lights.

    The Mountain West finalists both have key Canadian players. Boise State sophomore safety Ty Benefield of Vancouver is his team’s leading tackler, while Rebels senior defensive back Jett Elad of Mississauga, Ont., is third on his team in tackles. Both were named honourable mention all-Mountain West players

    The Big 12 finalists, No. 16 Iowa State and No. 15 Arizona State, also are battling for a CFP spot — potentially the 12th and final seed. Iowa State hasn’t won a league title since 1912, while Arizona State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 in this year’s media poll.

    Clemson’s CFP hopes were on life support after a non-conference loss to South Carolina last week, but a Syracuse upset over Miami gave the Tigers the right to play SMU in Saturday’s ACC final for what has become an automatic berth.

    While SMU is ranked eighth, committee chair Warde Manuel said Tuesday that there is a chance No. 11 Alabama (9-3) could jump ahead of SMU if the Mustangs (11-1) lose.

    In a hotly debated decision, Alabama was placed ahead of No. 12 Miami (10-2) in the penultimate rankings on Tuesday, essentially pushing the Hurricanes out of contention.

    Canadian QB Kurtis Rourke and the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) figure to be in as one of the last at-large teams.

    It’s Oregon if the top-ranked Ducks stay undefeated with a win over Penn State in the Big Ten final.

    If Oregon slips up, No. 2 Texas (11-1) figures to get that honour with a victory over Georgia in the SEC final.

    If both teams lose, perhaps it’s No. 3 Penn State (11-1) on top.

    Ohio State’s stunning home loss to arch-rival Michigan last week prevented what would have been a 1-2 showdown between the Buckeyes and Oregon in the Big Ten final.

    The No. 6 Buckeyes (10-2) are safe to be in the CFP bracket, but they won’t get a bye.

    After four consecutive losses to Michigan — with the latest marred by a post-game brawl after the Wolverines tried to plant its flag at midfield — questions about Ohio State coach Ryan Day’s job security are growing louder. Anything less than a big run in the playoffs could lead to a coaching change.

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  • Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings, bracket for conference championship week

    Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings, bracket for conference championship week

    The fifth College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 will be announced tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 30, and things are bound to change after seven ranked teams lost last weekend. Before the CFP committee unveils the next rankings, I predict where the top 25 teams will land, along with the bracket.

    Note that these are my predictions and mine alone. I look at head-to-head results, schedule strength, games against ranked teams and more to help rank the teams how I think the CFP committee will do so. You can read the CFP committee’s official protocols here.

    2024 College Football Playoff rankings predictions: Fifth Top 25 projections

    These predictions are as of Sunday, Dec. 1. 

    1. Oregon (12-0) LW: 1 — Oregon will be ranked No. 1 as long as it’s undefeated.
    2. Texas (11-1) LW: 3 — Texas won its long-awaited rivalry game with Texas A&M, adding a quality win to its resume as it moves up to No. 2
    3. Penn State (11-1) LW: 4 — Penn State moves up in this week’s rankings after Ohio State’s loss.
    4. Notre Dame (11-1) LW: 5 — Notre Dame escaped USC and will likely host a game in the first round of the playoff, potentially rising to the No. 5 seed when it’s all said and done.
    5. Georgia (10-2) LW: 7 — A win is a win in the committee’s eyes this week. Georgia moves up thanks to winning its close game in a week where Miami and Ohio State lost.
    6. Tennessee (10-2) LW: 8 — Tennessee assured its spot in the playoff with a win over Vanderbilt. The Volunteers will be in a great position to host a playoff game.
    7. Ohio State (10-2) LW: 2 — Ohio State will still be in the playoffs even with its second loss because of wins over Penn State and Indiana. Those wins keep the Buckeyes over a pair of one-loss teams.
    8. SMU (11-1) LW: 9 — SMU defeated Cal to enter the ACC championship with just one loss.
    9. Indiana (11-1) LW: 10 — Indiana stays behind SMU after a win over a one-win Purdue team.
    10. Boise State (11-1) LW: 11 — Boise State handled business against Oregon State and will rise into the top 10.
    11. South Carolina (9-3) LW: 15 — The order of the rankings from No. 12-14 will be the cause for plenty of debate. South Carolina beat a Clemson team ranked No. 12 last week, while other three-loss SEC teams beat unranked opponents. However, teams like Alabama and Ole Miss defeated the Gamecocks head-to-head. True as that may be, the committee already showed that head-to-head isn’t the end-all factor when the Tide, Rebels, Bulldogs and Vols were all in the top 10 a few weeks ago. The Clemson win pushes the Gamecocks into the playoffs.
    12. Alabama (9-3) LW: 13 — Alabama will be the first team out this week at No. 12 since it’s ranked higher than any Big 12 team. The Tide will need one team to falter to help it make the playoff.
    13. Ole Miss (9-3) LW: 14 — Ole Miss will be ranked 14th by the committee and require conference championship game blowouts to make the playoff.
    14. Miami (FL) (10-2) LW: 6 — Miami lost its second game of the season to Syracuse. The Hurricanes have fewer losses than teams ranked above it, but Miami hasn’t defeated a currently ranked team. The loss to Syracuse knocked Miami from the ACC championship game and the playoff picture.
    15. Arizona State (10-2) LW: 16 — Arizona State dominated Arizona with a spot in the Big 12 championship game on the line. The Sun Devils are just one more win away from a playoff spot.
    16. Iowa State (10-2) LW: 18 — Iowa State won Farmeggedon, holding off Kansas State. The Cyclones can clinch a playoff spot with a win next week.
    17. BYU (10-2) LW: 19 — BYU finishes the regular season with 10 wins but is out of the playoff picture since it won’t play in the Big 12 title game.
    18. Clemson (9-3) LW: 12 — Clemson’s hopes of making the playoff as an at-large team died with a loss to South Carolina, but its hopes of making the playoff revived when Miami’s loss sent it to the ACC Championship Game. Nonetheless, expect Clemson to land outside the top 15 this week.
    19. Missouri (9-3) LW: 21 — Missouri rallied past Arkansas and will move inside the top 20 this week.
    20. UNLV (10-2) LW: 22 — UNLV took down Nevada and will enter the top 20 ahead of a CFP elimination game in the Mountain West title game.
    21. Syracuse (9-3) LW: NR — At 9-3 with a win over a then-top-10 team, Syracuse will enter the rankings this week.
    22. Illinois (9-3) LW: 23 — Illinois defeated Northwestern and will remain ranked this week.
    23. Colorado (9-3) LW: 25 — Colorado moves up after a 52-0 win on Black Friday. Unfortunately, the Buffaloes saw their playoff hopes disappear last week in a loss.
    24. Texas A&M (8-4) LW: 20 — Texas A&M lost to Texas, but the committee will keep the Aggies ranked since Texas is a top-two team.
    25. Army (10-1) LW: NR — I have no idea who the committee will rank in the final spot, but I’ll go with Army since the Black Knights are 10-1 and bounced back from their first loss with a win.

    CFP🏆: College Football Playoff rankings release schedule

    What the bracket could look like

    bracket

    First Teams Out: No. 12 Alabama, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 Miami

    Notable College Football Playoff rankings questions

    How far does Ohio State fall?

    Ohio State lost to an unranked Michigan, but it still has wins over two top-10 teams. The playoff committee already had a pair of two-loss teams ranked above one-loss teams last week. Could a third two-loss team in Ohio State continue the trend?

    LAST WEEK’S RECAP: Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State, Georgia wins in 8OT, more from Rivalry Week

    Where are the three-loss SEC teams in comparison to Miami?

    Miami is the other top-10 team to suffer its second loss this week. However, the Hurricanes don’t have nearly the quality wins of a team like Ohio State. Miami likely will fall below a one-loss Boise State team putting it out of the top 10. The next teams outside of the top 10 are all three-loss teams based on last week’s rankings. When comparing resumes, how much the committee will weigh a third loss will determine where Miami lands compared to South Carolina, Alabama and Ole Miss.

    Resume comparison
    Team Rec. LW Rank LW Result Current Ranked Wins Losses
    Miami (FL) 10-2 No. 6 L Syracuse None
    Best win: Louisville
    or Duke    		 Georgia Tech (28-23)
    Syracuse (42-38)
    Alabama 9-3 No. 13 W Auburn Georgia (41-34)
    South Carolina (27-25)
    Missouri (34-0)    		 Vanderbilt (40-35)
    Tennessee (24-17)
    Oklahoma (24-3)
    Ole Miss 9-3 No. 14 W Mississippi State Georgia (28-10)
    South Carolina (27-3)    		 Kentucky (20-17)
    LSU (29-26)
    Florida (24-17)
    South Carolina 9-3 No. 15 W No. 12 Clemson Texas A&M (44-20)
    Missouri (34-30)
    Clemson (17-14)    		 LSU (36-33)
    Ole Miss (27-3)
    Alabama (27-25)

    Is a win over Clemson enough to move South Carolina past teams it lost to?

    South Carolina lost to LSU in a controversial 36-33 finish, lost to Ole Miss in a 27-3 rout and lost to Alabama 27-25 in a close one. That’s two losses to two teams ranked right in front of the Gamecocks. However, South Carolina was the only team to beat a ranked team this week. Will that be enough to make the Gamecocks the last team in?

    Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State, Syracuse upsets No. 6 Miami, more from Rivalry Week

    Recapping Rivalry Week’s college football action that saw No. 7 Georgia escape Georgia Tech in 8OT, Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State and Syracuse remove No. 6 Miami from the ACC title game.

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    2024-25 FCS National Championship Game: Date, time, TV channel, history

    Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024-25 FCS Championship Game.

    READ MORE

    Lafayette-Lehigh football: Memorable moments, all-time history

    It’s been more than 135 years since the first Lafayette vs. Lehigh football game. Here are key moments from their rivalry and an all-time history of the series.

    READ MORE



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  • How Tennessee fans can buy College Football Playoff tickets



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  • Photos from the playoff football game between Sunray and Post

    Sunray’s Erick Calsadillas wears a cross on his tape before the the Region I-2A Division I semifinal football game against Post, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Patriot Stadium in Woodrow.

    Sunray’s Erick Calsadillas wears a cross on his tape before the the Region I-2A Division I semifinal football game against Post, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Patriot Stadium in Woodrow.

    Annie Rice/For The Avalanche-Journal

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