College Football Playoff bracket predictions and bowl picks

ByESPN Staff

Friday, December 20, 2024

Championship weekend delivered a blockbuster befitting of the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

In Atlanta, it took overtime, but Georgia, even after two regular-season losses, claimed the SEC by beating Texas and stealing an all-important first-round bye from the Longhorns, who will still host a quarterfinal against 12-seed Clemson.

Top-ranked Oregon and Penn State engaged in an offensive shootout in Indianapolis. But despite a late effort from the Nittany Lions, the Ducks proved once again why they are both still undefeated and ranked atop the college football world. Dan Lanning's 13-0 team doesn't just get a first-round bye -- they'll be playing in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

In the land of underdogs and surprises, Arizona State and Boise State made loud statements in their respective Big 12 and Mountain West championship games, earning improbable -- but well-deserved -- first-round byes. Who would have seen that coming four months ago? Not the Big 12 media, which predicted the Sun Devils to finish last in the conference.

And finally, in Charlotte, Dabo Swinney and Clemson (with an assist from Syracuse last week) resurrected their once-lost season and found themselves with another conference championship and a spot in the playoff by beating SMU on a last-second field goal. The Mustangs had to sweat it out overnight, but in the end, they -- not Alabama, not Ole Miss, not South Carolina and not Miami -- found themselves in the playoff field as well. Their reward? A trip to Happy Valley to face No. 6 Penn State.

After months of rankings, seedings and countless debates, we have a 12-team bracket that brings about plenty of enticing questions and intriguing possibilities.

Can Oregon run the table and go 16-0 and finally get the coveted national championship the program craves? Will Georgia once again show itself to be the sport's flagship program a year after missing out on the playoff? How far will the Cinderella runs of Boise State and Arizona State go? Is a sleeping giant such as Notre Dame, Ohio State or Tennessee better positioned for a run after not having to play in a conference championship? Or will the new format bring about more chaos and produce a double-digit-seed semifinalist, maybe even a familiar winner like Clemson?

Here are our full picks for the inaugural, 12-team College Football Playoff.