College Football Playoff shakeups: Here’s what GA fans need to know ahead of bowl season
Recent changes to the already confusing college playoff system are forcing fans to do more math than they’ve grown accustomed to doing in order to track favorite teams, adding stress to an already eventful season.
Devotion to teams run generations long and life pretty much stops on a fall Saturday in the South, but the new College Football Playoff (CFP) is turning us all into amateur statisticians.
As much as we love our football, the new system will take a little getting used to. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming playoff games.
How does it work?
Starting in 2024, the (CFP) is expanding from four to 12 teams, according to the new rules established by the NCAA.
12 teams will be selected to the Playoff field, with the five highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic bids
The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded 1-4 and each will receive a first-round bye
Teams seeded 5-12 will play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team
What does “seeding” mean?
In the context of the CFP, “seeding” refers to the ranking and placement of teams within the playoff bracket, says ESPN.
Seeds remain unchanged throughout the playoff.
There will be no re-seeding after any round of the CFP.
If a team is not ranked among the top 12, it will be seeded at No. 12.
The remaining seven teams, the next highest-ranked teams after the five conference champions, will be seeded five through 12.
What impact do the changes have?
While it may seem needlessly confusing to make changes after all this time, the expansion gives more teams a shot at the title. Like it or not, this means potentially including champs from smaller conferences.
It can also mean higher stakes games, although this season has been particularly vexing for many fans. This could result in longer season for some teams, with the potential of playing up to 17 games in a single season, inducing far more anxiety and heart-conditions than ever before.
What is the selection process?
The CFP Selection Committee will continue to rank the top 25 teams weekly, using criteria such as conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparison of results against common opponents.
The brackets
‘Tis the season for (a lot more) college football. Here’s the bracket schedule:
First Round (Dec. 20-21, 2024) with games played on the home fields of the higher-ranked teams. (#12 at #5, #11 at #6, #10 at #7, #9 at #8)
Quarterfinals (Dec. 31, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025) will be played at six rotating New Year’s bowl games. The winners will advance to face top 4 seeds
Semifinals (January 9-10, 2025) are hosted by two of the New Year’s six bowls
National Championship (January 20, 2025) will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta for 2025
Key points to remember
- No automatic bids for specific conferences
- Independent teams (like Notre Dame) can’t receive first-round byes
- The bracket won’t be reseeded after each round
- Rematches and same-conference matchups are possible
Although this guide is far from comprehensive, and compiled by a fan, not a college football expert, this might help you get a little more oriented as you watch your team advance (or not) in the upcoming weeks.
