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The College Football Playoff Semifinals Are Set

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 8:04 PM ET

It took one day longer than originally anticipated, but we know the teams in college football's Final Four.

The four quarterfinal matchups were held over the last three days, and we now have the last teams left in the quest for the championship.

Penn State defeated Boise State and Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty in the Fiesta Bowl, and Texas outlasted Arizona State through overtime in the Peach Bowl.

Ohio State blew out top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and Notre Dame earned a signature win for head coach Marcus Freeman over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

The stage is now set for the two semifinal games, taking the Playoff back to its original form.

CFP semis are set.

Notre Dame-Penn State.
Ohio State-Texas.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) January 3, 2025

Next Thursday, Notre Dame will face Penn State in the Orange Bowl in Florida, at the home of the Miami Dolphins. The Irish open as a 1.5-point favorite over the Nittany Lions after their big win over Georgia, per ESPN BET.

Texas will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl next Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Despite Texas likely having a home-field advantage, the Buckeyes will enter as six-point favorites according to ESPN BET.

The two winners will meet on January 20 in the national championship game, set to be played in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns looks on during the second quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Notre Dame and Penn State are each seeking their first national championships in decades. The Irish last won in 1988, and Penn State last claimed a national championship in 1986.

The wait for Texas and Ohio State has been a lot shorter, with Ohio State winning in the first-ever College Football Playoff at the end of the 2014 season. Texas won its last national championship in a game some regard as the greatest of all time, defeating an iconic USC team in the Rose Bowl back in 2006.

Fans have wanted to see more parity in college football, and this new playoff system has provided us with four teams that haven't won a championship in over a decade.

We'll see which two teams emerge from the semifinal and play for the national title, and we'll find out which team wins the most difficult College Football Playoff of all time.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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