In Atlanta, excitement is building as the College Football Playoff bracket has been finalized, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating national championship matchup. Ohio State emerged victorious against Texas, earning their place in the final game against Notre Dame, who secured their spot by defeating Penn State. The championship game is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 20, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The official announcement of the 12-team College Football Playoff field was made on December 8, along with the final top 25 rankings. It’s important to note that the playoff seeding does not always align with the final rankings; instead, the top four highest-ranked conference champions received the top four seeds and first-round byes, regardless of their rankings.
Among the notable highlights of the playoff field, Boise State gained a bye into the quarterfinals despite being ranked ninth, thanks to their strong performance in the Mountain West Conference. They are the third-highest-ranked conference champion. Meanwhile, Arizona State, ranked 12th, earned the final first-round bye as the fourth-highest ranked conference champion, ahead of the ACC champion Clemson, showing the competitive landscape of the playoff system.
The quarterfinal games, scheduled for December 31 and January 1, will be hosted at iconic venues: the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl. The winners of these games will advance to the semifinals held at either the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl on January 9 and January 10.
With the championship game approaching, all eyes will be on Ohio State and Notre Dame to see who will claim the title of national champion.
