The college football rankings are out and for the first time they will have a 12-team format to the playoffs. As opposed to the previous 8-team format. During the season, the college football selection committee ranks the top 25 teams then makes a bracket based on their rankings. Using only the committee’s top 25 rankings which were released on Dec. 8, these were their choosing’s.  

The rankings of all 12 teams according to NCAA is No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Indiana, No. 9 Boise State, No. 10 Southern Methodist University, No. 11 Alabama and No. 12 Arizona State. 

The first four ranked teams get a bye week in the first round of playoffs. The playoff schedule starts with the bowl games the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl and Sugar Bowl, which kick off on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Boise State will play the winner of Penn State SMU in the Fiesta Bowl, Arizona State will play the winner of Texas vs. Clemson in the Peach Bowl, Oregon will play the winner of Ohio State vs. Tennessee in the Rose Bowl and Georgia will play the winner of Notre Dame and Indiana in the Sugar Bowl.  

The four quarterfinal winners will  meet in the semifinals in either the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl. The first place seed will face off against the fourth place seed and then the second place team versus the third place team in the semi-finals. The top two teams play in the national championship game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. In the Big Ten championship the Oregon Ducks faced off against Penn State with the Ducks coming out on top. Oregon will now go on to the semi final game in the Rose Bowl.  The 12 teams in the playoffs have worked tirelessly to compete for a spot in the college football playoffs.