The College Football Playoff teams and rankings were announced on Dec. 8, and this year’s line up hosts many new contenders for the coveted trophy. Seven of the teams who were in the competition last year, like the notable programs of Michigan, Texas, and Washington, did not make it this year.
There are many storylines to follow going into the playoffs, but here is a quick snapshot of some major threads to follow.
Securing the one seed in the playoffs, the Oregon Ducks take a first round bye and will play in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day against the winner of the eight seed, Ohio State vs. the nine seed Tennessee game.
“I’m ecstatic that our team gets to be a part of such a historic game,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said in a press conference. “I know our players are looking forward to [getting] out on the field.”
Oregon went undefeated and became the Big 10 Conference champions. After beginning their season in late August, the Ducks will get their first break, a two week break, since their bye week in September before their next match up.
The other three teams that will have an early bye and make it to the second round are the four seed Arizona State, the three seed Boise State, and the two seed Georgia. One team, the six ranked, Penn State, will be playing the eleven seed, Southern Methodist University in the first round at their home field, Beaver Stadium.
“Having a home game is huge [not only] for home field advantage, but also for Happy Valley, our community,” Penn State’s head coach James Franklin said in a press conference. “It should be a win-win.”
Penn State, another Big 10 Conference team, is the six seed for the playoffs. The team has one week left before their match up against SMU.
“[Our off week] will be a combination of obviously rest and recovery, [but also] studying SMU and studying ourselves,” Franklin said.
The Big 10 Conference takes up one third of the teams in the playoff bracket, and Ohio State will be playing on their home field and taking on Tennessee on Dec. 21.
“I’m excited for our players, but I’m [also] excited for our fans to get back together,” Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day said in a pregame interview. “I think getting everyone back together is exciting.”
While many teams are excited about making the playoffs, some powerhouse schools will contend for the title this season. Despite being ranked eleventh by the selection committee, Alabama did not secure the last spot in the playoff bracket. The committee decided to take SMU over Alabama because of the Mustangs’ record against their strength of schedule.
“The process doesn’t end up how you think it will go,” Alabama’s head coach Kalen Deboer said in a press conference. “We [have] one more game together, so we are going to make the most of it.”
Alabama will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan on New Year’s Eve.
The college football playoffs will be full of exciting match-ups, and give many fans the chance to watch their teams compete during the holidays. Be sure to catch the first game of the playoffs starting on Dec. 20 on ABC and ESPN.
