College Football Playoff bracket, schedule, scores, dates, teams, kickoff times for semifinal bowl games

Getty Images

The first College Football Playoff semifinal round of the 12-team era is set. The Cotton Bowl will host (8) Ohio State and (5) Texas, while (6) Penn State and (7) Notre Dame will travel to the Orange Bowl with a spot in the national championship game on the line. All four teams with a first-round bye lost in the quarterfinal. 

Ohio State made the biggest statement in the quarterfinals by beating top-seeded Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes avenged a 32-31 regular-season loss to the Ducks in the process, while freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith stamped his spot as arguably the top remaining player in the playoff field with seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns against a very good Oregon defense. 

Penn State was locked in a battle — for a while, at least — when it took on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl before pulling away late in a 31-14 win. Texas seemed like it had its Peach Bowl showdown against Arizona State in the bag with a 24-8 lead early in the fourth quarter, but it crumbled down the stretch in regulation. Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo passed, ran, caught and willed his team to a rally as Arizona State forced overtime with the score knotted at 24-24. 

It took Texas two overtimes, and an interception on Arizona State’s last possession, to secure a 39-31 win. Notre Dame eased its way past Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, stamping its first semifinal appearance since 2020 with a 23-10 victory. 

Here’s a rundown of scores from the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff and a look at all of the future matchups. All times Eastern

2024-25 College…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-bracket-schedule-scores-dates-teams-kickoff-times-for-semifinal-bowl-games/

Author : Tom Fornelli

Publish date : 2025-01-03 01:08:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.