The College Football Playoff (CFP) has officially expanded to a 12-team format, and the initial bracket has been released. The new format, which was approved by the CFP Board of Managers in September, features six conference champions and six at-large teams. The top four seeds receive a first-round bye, while the remaining eight teams compete in the first round.
Oregon, the Pac-12 champion, earned the top seed in the bracket, followed closely by Georgia, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) champion. The Ducks and Bulldogs will receive a first-round bye, along with third-seeded Michigan and fourth-seeded TCU.
Boise State, the Mountain West Conference champion, and Arizona State, an at-large team from the Pac-12, headline the first round of the playoff. The Broncos and Sun Devils will face off in the first round, with the winner advancing to face the top-seeded Ducks in the quarterfinals.
The expanded format has generated significant excitement among college football fans, who will now have more teams competing in the playoff. The new format also provides more opportunities for teams from outside the Power Five conferences to compete for a national championship.
The 12-team format is a significant departure from the previous four-team format, which had been in place since the CFP’s inception in 2014. The new format was designed to provide more teams with a chance to compete for a national championship, while also maintaining the integrity of the regular season.
The initial bracket is as follows:
1. Oregon (Pac-12 champion)
2. Georgia (SEC champion)
3. Michigan (Big Ten champion)
4. TCU (Big 12 champion)
5. Boise State (Mountain West champion)
6. Arizona State (Pac-12 at-large)
7. Clemson (ACC champion)
8. Alabama (SEC at-large)
9. USC (Pac-12 at-large)
10. Penn State (Big Ten at-large)
11. Notre Dame (Independent at-large)
12. Utah (Pac-12 at-large)
The first round of the playoff will feature the following matchups:
* (5) Boise State vs. (12) Utah
* (6) Arizona State vs. (11) Notre Dame
* (7) Clemson vs. (10) Penn State
* (8) Alabama vs. (9) USC
The winners of the first-round games will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the top four seeds. The quarterfinals will be played on December 31, with the semifinals following on January 1. The national championship game will be played on January 8.
The expanded format has generated significant excitement among college football fans, who will now have more teams competing in the playoff. The new format also provides more opportunities for teams from outside the Power Five conferences to compete for a national championship.
