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After 15 weeks of exciting action and shocking upsets, the College Football Playoff (CFP) is almost upon us. And this year the anticipation is even greater because for the first time, instead of four teams, twelve teams will compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

On Sunday, a 13-member committee will release its final rankings and determine the field for this year’s playoffs. Ahead of the first event of its kind, here’s everything you need to know.

Previously, the CFP only ran two rounds with four teams involved, but this year is the first season with an expanded field, allowing more teams to compete for a national championship.

In this new format, the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will occupy the twelve spots in the bracket. There is no limit to how many teams in a conference can qualify – and it looks like the Big Ten and SEC will dominate the field.

The final CFP rankings do not necessarily reflect the seeds of the 12 teams in the tournament. The top four conference champions receive a first-round bye to the quarterfinal round. If a team is ranked in the top four but is not a conference champion, it will be seeded fifth and play in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks.

Once the seedings are determined, teams can look forward to a first-round game on December 20th or 21st at the home stadiums of the highest seeds.

The four top-seeded conference champions — likely Boise State, Georgia, Oregon and Arizona State, all of which won their conference championship games this weekend — will be the top four seeds and will each receive a first-round bye.

Boise State secured its spot in the playoffs by winning the Mountain West Conference title for the second straight year on Friday, defeating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 behind another standout performance from running back Ashton Jeanty. The junior will likely be in New York next week as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, college football’s best player.

He’s already posted one of the best single-season rushing performances ever, adding 209 yards on Friday, raising his season total to 2,497, which is within touching distance of the all-time FBS record.

Even though Boise State doesn’t participate in one of the traditional football conferences – the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences – it will likely be ranked ahead of ACC champion Clemson and thus earn a bye secure in the first round.

Georgia beat Texas in overtime in a classic SEC championship game, likely earning a first-round bye and relegating the Longhorns to a home game in two weeks.

Oregon did what was expected and defeated Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game, continuing its undefeated season.

The unlikely team to receive a first-round bye is the Arizona State University Sun Devils, who were widely expected to finish last in their first season in the Big 12 but instead won the conference championship and possibly to be placed ahead of Clemson, which won the ACC championship game but has three losses.

While the top four seeds receive a bye in the first round, the numbers 5 through 8 receive home games in the first round. Heading into this weekend’s conference games, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and SMU occupied those spots.

With their win, the Bulldogs will have a break next weekend and Texas will likely play Austin in the first round.

Penn State’s loss to Oregon means the Nittany Lions will play at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley. Penn State finished third in the penultimate CFP rankings, but is unlikely to fall out of the top eight in the rankings after a high-scoring game against the Ducks in Indianapolis.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 4 in the CFP’s penultimate rankings but will not receive a first-round bye because it is not a member of a conference. As an independent club, Notre Dame is not eligible for a first-round bye. The Irish will most likely be in the top eight and host a game at historic Notre Dame Stadium.

Ohio State and Tennessee finished the regular season as No. 6 and No. 7 seeds, respectively, and it will be a difficult decision for the committee to determine which team gets a home game in the first round.

Ultimately, this is the most difficult question for the committee to answer and will certainly be a hot topic for fans and speakers alike in the coming weeks before playoff games begin.

The fate of some teams will be decided until the end. Alabama was ranked No. 11 in the committee’s rankings Tuesday and moved ahead of Miami into the playoff spots after the Hurricanes’ shocking loss to Syracuse on Nov. 30.

This result ended any hopes that No. 12 Miami, No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 14 South Carolina might have had of making the playoffs. However, Alabama still has a chance to reach the GFP.

SMU will also be watching with bated breath. After a devastating loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship, the Mustangs are hoping their appearance in a conference championship game will propel them into the postseason.

Indiana University will also be watching closely. The Hoosiers finished the season with just one loss and were ranked No. 9 in the second-to-last CFP rankings. But Indiana is struggling with a weaker schedule and less historical standing than many of the bluebloods that could be left out. The Hoosiers believe they have done enough to secure a playoff spot, but tensions will be high in Bloomington.

As mentioned above, Georgia’s win over Texas means they can rest up and wait to play in the semifinals on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. The Longhorns now have to play in the first round.

Arizona State’s win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game sent the Cyclones home for the season. Since the game began with three losses at At&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, they needed a win over the Sun Devils to advance to the final 12.

The result that shook the field the most was Clemson University’s thrilling victory over SMU in the ACC Championship game. The Tigers secured a spot in the 12-man field with a walk-off field goal as time expired, having just surrendered a 17-point lead to the Mustangs. But a crucial kickoff return put Clemson in position and a 56-yard field goal put them in the postseason.

The result means SMU – which finished the regular season at No. 8 in the CFP rankings – now hopes it won’t be penalized for playing in and losing its conference championship game while a team like Alabama sits at home and watches. The upcoming decision over whether to penalize a team for losing its conference championship game represents the first major test for the selection committee in the 12-team format.

Of all the stars on the field in the playoffs, one notable one will be missing. Colorado’s Travis Hunter, whose exceptional skills on both ends made him the front-runner for this year’s Heisman Trophy, will miss the playoffs as his team did not make it to the Big 12 Championship game.

Colorado was the No. 23 team in the CFP rankings with a record of 9-3 in Tuesday’s rankings, well away from a possible CFP spot. The Buffaloes were in the running for a playoff spot, but ultimately missed their chance.

Hunter is also expected to be in New York with Jeanty and the two-way star is the leading candidate for the Heisman, a potential feather in the cap of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who is in his second season leading the Colorado program. Sanders was a star on defense and offense during his playing career.