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Conference champions go 0-for-5 in first 12-team College Football Playoff
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Conference champions did not have a good time in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. With Georgia falling to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday, conference champions went 0-5 in the CFP.
Four of the 5 conference champions had a first-round bye, with Clemson being the lone exception. The Tigers lost their opening-round game against Texas, while the 4 other conference champions lost in their quarterfinal matchups. Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame are the final 4 teams remaining, and none of those 4 received a bye or won their conference.
Even more surprising than all the champions losing is how they lost. Clemson, Oregon, Boise State, and Georgia each lost by 10-plus points. Arizona State lost by 8 in what was the only competitive game of the bunch. As Brett McMurphy noted, perhaps rewarding teams with almost a month off between games isn’t the best strategy going forward.
The final 4 teams are the No. 5 seed (Texas), No. 6 seed (Penn State), No. 7 seed (Notre Dame), and the No. 8 seed (Ohio State). For reference, in 2023 and 2024, the final years of the 4-team Playoff, the No. 1 seed won the National Championship. In fact, 4 of the final 5 Playoffs resulted in the No. 1 seed winning the whole thing.
With the top dogs out of the way, the semifinal games could go either way. Penn State and Notre Dame will kick off from the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 while Texas and Ohio State will kick off from the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
