From The Associated Press

The latest on the College Football Playoff’s 12-team reveal (all times Eastern):

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Oregon is the betting favorite

Top-seeded and undefeated Oregon is the betting favorite to win the CFP national championship, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Ducks are at +225, just ahead of Georgia (+350), Texas (+375) and Ohio State (+450).

The remaining odds: Penn State (+700), Notre Dame (+1200), Tennessee (+2500), SMU (+3500), Clemson (+4000), Arizona State (+4000), Indiana (+5000) and Boise State (+5000).

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CFP schedule

The College Football Playoff begins December 20th and ends January 20th. There will be 11 games played, all of which will be broadcast nationally. Here are the matchups:

First round games

Friday, December 20: Indiana at Notre Dame, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

Saturday, Dec. 21: SMU at Penn State, noon (TNT); Clemson at Texas, 4 p.m. (TNT); Tennessee at Ohio State, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

Quarterfinals

Dec. 31: SMU-Penn State winner vs. Boise State, Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Jan. 1: Clemson-Texas winner vs. Arizona State, Peach Bowl, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

Jan. 1: Tennessee-Ohio State winner vs. Oregon, Rose Bowl, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Jan. 1: Indiana-Notre Dame winner vs. Georgia, Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Semifinals

January 9: Orange Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

January 10: Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

National Championship

January 20: In Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

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Complete CFP rankings

No. 1 Oregon (13-0, reached playoff)

No. 2 Georgia (11-2, reached playoff)

No. 3 Texas (11-2, reached playoff)

No. 4 Penn State (11-2, reached playoff)

No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1, reached playoff)

No. 6 Ohio State (10-2, reached playoff)

No. 7 Tennessee (10-2, reached playoff)

No. 8 Indiana (11-1, reached playoff)

No. 9 Boise State (12-1, reached playoff)

No. 10 SMU (11-2, reached playoff)

No. 11 Alabama (9-3)

No. 12 Arizona State (11-2, reached playoff)

No. 13 Miami (10-2)

No. 14 Mississippi (9-3)

No. 15 South Carolina (9-3)

No. 16 Clemson (10-3, reached playoff)

No. 17 BYU (10-2)

No. 18 Iowa State (10-3)

No. 19 Missouri (9-3)

No. 20 Illinois (9-3)

No. 21 Syracuse (9-3)

No. 22 Army (11-1)

No. 23 Colorado (9-3)

No. 24 UNLV (10-3)

No. 25 Memphis (10-2)

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The last meeting between Indiana and Notre Dame was in 1991

The Indiana and Notre Dame campuses are 200 miles apart in the Hoosier State, but the teams have not met since 1991 and before that in 1958.

Rick Mirer and Jerome Bettis led the seventh-ranked Irish to a 49-27 victory on a 32-degree September afternoon in South Bend in September 1991.

Temperatures will be significantly cooler when the teams meet at Notre Dame Stadium on December 20th or 21st.

The winner plays Georgia. The Bulldogs have played Notre Dame three times, all high-stakes games, and have never faced Indiana.

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Playoff field

#1 Oregon

No. 2 Georgia

No. 3 Boise State

No. 4 Arizona State

No. 5 Texas

No. 6 Penn State

No. 7 Notre Dame

No. 8 Ohio State

No. 9 Tennessee

No. 10 Indiana

No. 11 SMU

No. 12 Clemson

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The 1st team from Alabama is out, the 2nd team from Miami is out

Alabama and Miami are both eliminated from the College Football Playoff, despite both finishing higher than 16th-ranked Clemson.

The ACC champion Tigers entered as the fifth-seeded conference champion.

Miami led the nation in offense this year and Alabama played a very tough SEC schedule but suffered a particularly bad loss to Oklahoma late in the year.

The Tide was seeking a ninth trip to the CFP. Miami has yet to play in the CFP.

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How close is it between Alabama and SMU? Very.

If the AP Top 25 is any sign, choosing between Alabama and SMU will be a brutal task for the committee.

The gap between Alabama and SMU in the AP Top 25: one point.

Alabama received 838 points from 62 voters in the AP poll. SMU has 837.

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If the AP Top 25 made the decision, it would be good for ‘Bama, bad for SMU

The final AP Top 25 of the regular season is here. No wonder: Oregon is No. 1.

The rest of the top 12: No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Boise State, No. 9 Indiana, No. 10 Arizona State, No. 11 Alabama and No. 12 SMU. ACC champion Clemson is No. 13.

So…what would that mean?

If the committee ranks the top 12 the same way the AP voters did this morning, these would be the matchups (remember, the four highest-seeded conference champions get the top four seeds and the fifth-highest-seeded conference champion – No .13 Clemson – makes the field.)

– No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Notre Dame. The winner gets No. 4 Arizona State. – No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Texas. The winner will receive No. 3 Boise State. – No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Penn State. The winner will receive No. 2 Georgia. – No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State. The winner receives No. 1 Oregon. The first team eliminated in this scenario: SMU.

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How to watch: ESPN’s all-day coverage of the CFP picks

ESPN’s selection show begins at 12 p.m. The duration is four hours, and that’s not even close to the total coverage.

Here’s the big headline: Within the first 30 minutes of this show starting, you’ll know who made it into the 12-team field. Within the first hour you will find out the complete CFP Top 25.

There will be a two-hour pre-screening show starting at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 and ESPNU, and then a three-hour post-show show from 4 to 7 p.m., split between ESPN and ESPN2.

There will also be two-hour shows on SEC Network (beginning at 6:00 p.m.) and ACC Network (beginning at 8:00 p.m.) discussing everything related to the playoffs and bowls in these conferences. And on ESPN there is another two and a half hour show starting at 8:30 p.m. in which all the decisions of the day are discussed.

And if all that wasn’t enough, ESPN is scheduling digital shows at 1 p.m. (pick reaction) and 3 p.m. (championship image) on its college football YouTube channel and Facebook page.

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When are the playoff games?

The College Football Playoff begins December 20th and ends January 20th. There will be 11 games played, all of which will be broadcast nationally.

This is how it works:

First round games

-Friday, December 20: Game at 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

-Saturday, December 21st: Games at 12:00 p.m. (TNT), 4:00 p.m. (TNT) and 8:00 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

Quarterfinals

-Dec. 31: Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

-Jan. 1: Peach Bowl, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

-Jan. 1: Rose Bowl, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

-Jan. 1: Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Semifinals

-Jan. 9: Orange Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

-Jan. 10: Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

National Championship

-Jan. 8: In Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

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How does CFP seeding work?

It’s a 12-team field for the College Football Playoff. This does not mean that the twelve best teams in the final standings will enter the field on Sunday. In fact, that probably won’t happen.

The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the field, and the next seven highest-ranked teams also get in. That means if one or more of the highest-ranked conference champions are ranked lower than No. 12, some of the teams in the top 12 will be eliminated from the tournament.

This year, the winner of the Big 12 is expected to fall outside the top 12, so the No. 12 team – Miami in the last ranking – would be eliminated from the tournament.

Another nuance: The four highest-ranked conference champions will have the top four seeds. That means Boise State (which almost certainly won’t make the top four) will be seeded no lower than No. 4. And Notre Dame, because it doesn’t participate in a conference, can’t be seeded higher than No. 5.

Seeds 1, 2, 3 and 4 receive a bye in the first round. Seeds 5-12 play first round games with 5-8 hosts. There is no reseeding; The bracket will be determined on Sunday afternoon. The number 1 seed plays against the winner of 8 vs 9, the number 2 seed plays against the winner of 7 vs 10, the number 3 seed plays against the winner of 6 vs 11 and the number 4 seed Player plays against the winner of 7 vs. 10 5 vs. 12 winner.

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Who is on the CFP selection committee?

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee consists of 13 members. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will preside.

The other committee members:

-Chris Ault, former Nevada coach

-Chet Gladchuk, Navy athletic director

-Jim Grobe, former Wake Forest coach

-Randall McDaniel, former Arizona State player

-Gary Pinkel, former Missouri and Toledo coach

-Mack Rhoades, athletic director at Baylor

-Mike Riley, former coach at Nebraska and Oregon State

-David Sayler, athletic director at Miami of Ohio

-Will Shields, former Nebraska player

-Kelly Whiteside, former sportswriter at USA Today, Newsday and Sports Illustrated

-Carla Williams, athletic director at Virginia

-Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas athletic director

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Originally published: December 8, 2024 at 9:40 am EST