It has been two years since Clemson was in the College Football Playoff conversation. It’s been even longer since the Tigers were in the CFP.
The last time Clemson made it to the CFP was in 2020, when they went in as the No. 2 overall seed. However, thanks to last Saturday’s win at Florida State, the Tigers are a legitimate CFP contender in 2024.
We are almost halfway through the 2024 season and the Tigers are 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while also being ranked No. 10 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
With games at Wake Forest this Saturday, home vs. Virginia (Oct. 19), a bye week (Oct. 26) and home vs. Louisville (Nov. 2), Clemson will have opportunities to move up in the AP Poll and impress the CFP Committee before the first CFP Ranking is released on Nov. 5.
What’s the path for Clemson?
We will have more on that on Tuesday night when my colleague Jason Priester breaks all of that down. My job tonight is to kind of get you prepped for what the 12-team CFP might look like and what the rules are.
The first CFP rankings for the 2024–2025 season will be released on Nov. 5. The rankings will be released weekly until the final reveal on Dec. 8.
The CFP selection committee’s rankings will determine the CFP teams and bowl matchups. The first 12-team College Football Playoff will be set on Dec. 8.
The 12-team CFP will have five automatic qualifiers. Those five teams will come from the five highest-ranked conference champions. The likely scenario is the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and the highest ranked Group of 5 Champion.
Of those five conference champions, the four-highest ranked ones will receive a bye into the quarterfinals. The seven-highest ranked teams will round out the top 12. There are no limits on how many teams a conference can have in the CFP.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded Nos. 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Note that the fifth highest ranked conference champion receives an automatic bid, but it does not mean it will be the fifth seed in the CFP seeding.
Seeds 5-12 will play each other in the first round. The higher-seeded teams will play host in their first-round games. Here’s a breakdown of the first-round matchups:
- No. 5 vs. No. 12
- No. 6 vs. No. 11
- No. 7 vs. No. 10
- No. 8 vs. No. 9
New Year’s Six bowl games will be introduced in the quarterfinal round. The semifinals will be played in bowls on a rotating basis while the national championship host site is determined through bids by prospective host sites.
The 2024 College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl games are:
- Quarterfinals: Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl
- Semifinals: Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl
- National Championship: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
What would the CFP matchups look like if the CFP began this weekend?
Going off the latest Associated Press Rankings, these would be the 12-teams participating (Note, the AP Poll is not used in the CFP rankings).
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Miami
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Ole Miss.
- Clemson
- Iowa State
- Boise State
The conference champions (using the AP Poll as reference):
ACC: Miami
Big Ten: Ohio State
Big 12: Iowa State
SEC: Texas
Highest Group of 5 Champion: Boise State
Based off the AP Ranking and possible conference champions, here is what the CFP seedings might look like:
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Iowa State
- Oregon
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Ole Miss
- Clemson
- Boise State
In this scenario, Texas, Ohio State, Miami and Iowa State would have automatic byes to the quarterfinals. Boise State would play a first-round playoff game on the road.
Possible CFP Matchups:
For Dec. 20-21 CFP Games on home fields
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Oregon
No. 11 Clemson at No. 6 Penn State
No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Georgia
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Alabama
2024-25 College Football Playoff schedule, dates, TV channel, sites
All times Eastern
- First round (Dec. 20-21)
- Friday, Dec. 20: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
- Saturday, Dec. 21: 12 p.m. | TNT Sports
- Saturday, Dec. 21: 4 p.m. | TNT Sports
- Saturday, Dec. 21: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
- Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)
- Fiesta Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 | ESPN
- Peach Bowl: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN
- Rose Bowl: 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN
- Sugar Bowl: 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ESPN
- Semifinals (Jan. 9-10)
- Orange Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 | ESPN
- Cotton Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 | ESPN
- CFP National Championship
- 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 | ESPN
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
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