College Football Playoff Bowl Projections: Final CFP Bracket Predictions

Originally posted on College Football News | Last updated Dec 8, 2024 2:36 AM ET

Here we go.

The conference championships were horrible up until the final few minutes of the ACC and Big Ten title games, and that mattered - we think.

Had Penn State been blown out by Oregon, and/or if SMU didn't mount a late comeback in a thriller, this all might have been different. So here's our final call for the College Football Playoff after the 2024 regular season.

- We're GUESSING the CFP won't mess with the the middle of the pack. The call is that Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina will all be pushed out - it's too murky, even though Bama beat Georgia and South Carolina, and South Carolina JUST beat Clemson, and Clemson JUST beat SMU.

- We're also guessing that the committee chair Warde Manuel is sticking to what he said after the last round of rankings. There won't be any "penalizing" of teams that played in conference championships. However, that means the conference champs will be rewarded huge, so ...

- Boise State, Arizona State, and Clemson fly up the rankings. However, the pecking order of Texas and Penn State stays the same up high, as does Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, SMU, and Indiana. The assumption is that the Broncos, Sun Devils, and Tigers all move ahead of SMU.

- We're not counting out Alabama at all. There's a chance the committee finds a way to put it in and keep SMU out, but here we go. Let's see what this is in on noon Sunday.

There's no reseeding. The 8-9 winner plays the 1, 7-10 winner plays the 2, 6-11 winner plays the 3, and the 5-12 winner plays the 4.

1 vs 8-9 plays the 4 vs 5-12, and 2 vs 7-10 plays 3 vs 6-11.

CFP Final Bracket Projections

College Football Playoff First Round

Friday, December 20
8:00, ABC/ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 9 Tennessee at 8 Ohio State
Last Week: 9 Tennessee vs 8 Penn State

College Football Playoff First Round

Saturday, December 21
12:00, TNT
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 11 SMU at 6 Penn State
Last Week: 10 Indiana vs 7 Ohio State

4:00, TNT
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 12 Indiana at 5 Texas
Last Week: 12 Clemson vs 5 Texas

8:00, ABC/ESPN
Home site of higher seed
Bowl Projection: 10 Clemson at 7 Notre Dame
Last Week: 11 Alabama vs 6 Notre Dame

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Tuesday, December 31
7:30, ESPN
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Last Season: Oregon 45, Liberty 6
Bowl Projection: 3 Boise State vs 6 Penn State
4 Last Week: 3 Arizona State vs 6 Notre Dame

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Wednesday, January 1, 2025
1:00, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: Ole Miss 38, Penn State 25
Bowl Projection: 4 Arizona State vs 5 Texas
Last Week: 4 Arizona State vs 5 Texas

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Rose Bowl

Wednesday, January 1, 2025
5:00, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Last Season: Michigan 27, Alabama 20 OT
Bowl Projection: 1 Oregon vs 8 Ohio State
Last Week: 1 Oregon vs 8 Penn State

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Allstate Sugar Bowl

Wednesday, January 1, 2025
8:45, ESPN
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Last Season: Washington 37, Texas 31
Bowl Projection: 6 Penn State vs 7 Notre Dame
Last Week: 2 Georgia vs 7 Ohio State

College Football Playoff Semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl

Thursday, January 9, 2025
7:30, ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Last Season: Georgia 63, Florida State 3
Bowl Projection: 6 Penn State vs 7 Notre Dame
Last Week: 1 Oregon vs 5 Texas

College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl

Friday, January 10, 2025
7:30, ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Last Season: Missouri 14, Ohio State 3
Bowl Projection: 5 Texas vs 8 Ohio State
Last Week: 6 Notre Dame vs 7 Ohio State

College Football Playoff National Championship

Monday, January 20, 2025
7:30, ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Last Season: Michigan 34, Washington 13
Bowl Projection: 7 Notre Dame vs 8 Ohio State
Last Week: 5 Notre Dame vs 6 Ohio State

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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