For the first time, the College Football Playoff will feature 12 teams instead of four. This gives more FBS teams an opportunity to compete for a national championship in the postseason.
Every game in the first round of the CFP was won decisively by the higher-seeded teams. Will the quarterfinal games be as predictable?
Boise State sure doesn’t want that to be the case, as Penn State is favored by 11 points in the Fiesta Bowl.
“I’m proud of our team and how they have earned every opportunity,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “They have earned the right to play in this amazing game. Boise State has been here before. It’s been a decade since we have been back here. And just proud of our team. Earned the right to get back here.”
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CFP Bracket Prediction
I predict Oregon, Notre Dame, Boise State, and Texas will be the final four teams in the College Football Playoff.
Fiesta Bowl: Penn State-Boise State Prediction
I predict Boise State will win and cover the 11-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 54.5 total points.
I think Penn State will be the next victim to lose to Boise State in a Fiesta Bowl. And not because the Nittany Lions won’t take Boise State seriously.
I believe the Broncos are that good and that they have everything it takes to pull off an upset like this.
First of all, the Broncos have the star power. Ashton Jeanty nearly won the Heisman Trophy, as he finished second in voting behind Colorado star Travis Hunter. Jeanty has 2,497 rushing yards this season through 13 games, which is 131 yards away from breaking the FBS single-season rushing yards record set by Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988.
And just because Jeanty plays in the Mountain West doesn’t mean he can’t be successful against some of the top-ranked teams in the country. He ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries at Oregon, the No. 1 team in the nation, earlier this year.
But not only that, Boise State is one of the best teams in the country with a few of the most important metrics in football.
The Broncos commit the sixth-fewest turnovers in the country with 0.6 per game. Quarterback Maddux Madsen is the only passer in the country with at least 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns passing with three or fewer interceptions. He’s young, and isn’t the best QB in the country in the FBS right now, but he doesn’t give the ball up all that much.
And Boise State is second in the nation with 51 sacks, and no Broncos player has more than 10. They can pressure opposing quarterbacks from anywhere.
This Penn State team is sound, but I don’t think the Nittany Lions will win this game in a blowout. And if Boise State can establish the run game and keep this thing close – watch out.
Peach Bowl: Texas-Arizona State Prediction
I predict Texas will win and cover the 12.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 51.5 total points.
Texas is technically the lower seed, but Arizona State was in that position because it won a conference championship in a weak Big 12 league compared to years past. Texas just barely lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship, but the Bulldogs are the only team that’s managed to beat the Longhorns this year.
Texas has otherwise won convincingly in its first season in the SEC. Before the conference championship, Texas had won five straight with four of those victories being by double digits.
I think Texas advances.
Rose Bowl: Ohio State-Oregon Prediction
I predict Oregon will win and cover the spread at +2.5. I also project the game will go Under 55.5 total points.
The Ducks are undefeated at 13-0 and won the Big Ten in their first season in the league. Oregon also already beat Ohio State once this season, granted it was by one point. But I’m also unconvinced of how great Ohio State is after losing to rival Michigan to end the regular season, although the Buckeyes did bounce back and beat Tennessee in the first round of the CFP.
I expect Heisman finalist quarterback Dillon Gabriel will make some crucial plays down the stretch and help Oregon win another close battle.
Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame-Georgia Prediction
I project Notre Dame will win and cover the spread at +1.5. I also project the game will go Under 45.5 total points.
Georgia lost star quarterback Carson Beck due to injury, and while the Bulldogs still did win the SEC Championship after he went down, I don’t think Georgia will be the same team without him.
Meanwhile, I like the way Notre Dame is playing. After that upset loss to Northern Illinois early in the season, the Fighting Irish haven’t lost once. In fact, their last eight victories have been decided by double digits, including against a solid Indiana squad in the first round of the CFP.
I think Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard will play an efficient game against a stout Georgia defense and help the Fighting Irish move on to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
2025 CFP Playoff National Championship Predictions
I predict Texas will win the College Football Playoff national championship.
Right now, I think the Longhorns, no matter who’s at quarterback, is the best squad in college football. From my perspective, Texas is the most complete team and is the most prepared to make it through a daunting CFP bracket.
New 12 Team College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff is featuring 12 teams for the first time this season.
The five highest-ranked conference champions in the FBS – decided by the CFP Selection Committee – made up the field, as well as the seven highest-ranked teams that didn’t win a conference title.
The four conference title winners ranked the highest earned a bye, while the remaining squads competed in the first round.
Re-seeding will not occur, nor were alterations made to avoid rematches from the regular season or contests between teams in the same conference.
2024-2025 College Football Playoff Schedule
The first round of the CFP was played on Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21. The CFP quarterfinals will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1. The CFP semifinals will occur on Thursday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 10.
Texas, the winner of the 5/12 matchup, will play No. 4-seeded Arizona State in the quarterfinals. Ohio State, which won the 8/9 contest, will go against top-seeded Oregon. Penn State, the victor in the 6/11 contest, will next face No. 3 Boise State. And Notre Dame, which was triumphant in the 7/10 bout, will compete against No. 2-seeded Georgia.
The winners of the Oregon-Ohio State and Texas-Arizona State games will square off in the semifinals, and the winners of Boise State-Penn State and Notre Dame-Georgia will also play in the semifinals.
The victor of those two contests will see each other in the national championship.
