College Football Playoff Picture 2024-25: Quarterfinals Bracket, 1st-Round Results

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals are set after the conclusion of first round games on Saturday.

The chalk held this week as heavy favorites Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State all won their matchups.

Now eight teams remain as the CFP moves to neutral sites. Conference champions Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State await Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas, respectively.

On paper, Texas and Penn State are heavy favorites, while Notre Dame-Georgia and Oregon-Ohio State look like closely contested matchups.

Here’s a look at the current bracket and the remaining CFP schedule alongside quick quarterfinal notes.

First Round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

National Championship Game

No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State

Penn State used a pair of pick-sixes and a strong running attack to crush SMU 38-10 on Saturday. Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas’ pick-sixes got PSU rolling for a 14-0 lead before the two-headed rushing attack of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton scored one touchdown apiece for a 28-0 halftime edge. PSU cruised from there for the win.

The formula of a strong running attack and a playmaking defense may not be as easy against Boise State.

For starters, the Broncos don’t make many mistakes. Running back and Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty, who had 2,613 total yards and 30 touchdowns, only had two lost fumbles on 366 touches. Quarterback Maddux Madsen threw just three interceptions. In addition, Boise State has done well against the run, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry and 112.5 yards per game on the ground.

It’s possible that the Broncos, who are two-score underdogs here, pull off the upset with a Jeanty-led run game sans turnovers, forcing Penn State to run uphill all night.

But on paper, this looks like a game where superstar tight end Tyler Warren, quarterback Drew Allar and the passing attack can eat. BSU is just 110th in Division I-FBS in passing yards allowed per game, and Allar can find Warren and his other weapons time and again here.

No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas

Texas rushed for 292 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 38-24 win over Clemson. Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two scores, and Quintrevion Wisner added 110 yards and two more touchdowns.

Arizona State has fared well against the run, allowing just 3.8 yards per carry and 117.5 rushing yards per game. The Sun Devils will need to keep that trend up against a formidable Longhorn attack that’s been tearing up defenses.

Of course, Arizona State has its own superstar running back in Cam Skattebo, a human pinball who’s amassed 2,074 total yards and 22 touchdowns this season. Skattebo has averaged 188.6 total yards while scoring 12 touchdowns over his last five games, all ASU wins.

If Skattebo can get going behind his stout offensive line, Arizona State can give Texas a game for sure. Head coach Kenny Dillingham has done a tremendous job with his team, which has shown a lot of heart and resolve en route to the Big 12 title.

The Longhorns, of course, have a tremendous amount of talent to deal with too, though. The near-SEC champions are two-touchdown favorites for a reason, but it’s hard to envision a runaway victory, especially given how well ASU has performed of late.

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State

This is a rematch of Oregon’s 32-31 home win on Oct. 13.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (341 passing yards, 32 rushing yards, two passing scores, one rushing touchdown) and Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard (326 passing yards, 13 rushing yards, two passing scores, one rushing touchdown) both went off.

The running games were humming, and the stars shone in this contest. If we get anything close to a repeat of this contest, this will be a phenomenal matchup.

Now the two teams meet again, this time on a neutral field at the Rose Bowl.

Oregon rolls into the game with a 13-0 record and the Big Ten title in hand. OSU shook off a disastrous 13-10 home loss to Michigan to end its regular season with an emphatic 42-17 win over Tennessee in the first round. The pass game, which sputtered against Michigan, spurred back to life as Howard threw for 311 yards and two scores, both to superstar Jeremiah Smith.

We’ll see how it fares against Oregon soon enough, but there should be plenty of fireworks in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

Notre Dame used a 98-yard Jeremiyah Love touchdown run coupled with a strong, playmaking defense to defeat Indiana 27-17. The game wasn’t as close as the score indicated with Indiana scoring two touchdowns in the final 1:27.

For the season, Notre Dame is third in fewest points per game allowed, so facing them will be a tough task for Georgia, which will turn to backup Gunner Stockton after starter Carson Beck suffered a UCL injury in the SEC Championship Game against Texas.

That being said, Georgia is battle-tested. The Bulldogs have wins over four wins over teams in the CFP field (Clemson, Tennessee and Texas twice). They’ve persevered through injuries to win ballgames, most notably when Stockton took over for Beck at halftime to help lead UGA to a 22-19 win.

Notre Dame has dealt with its own adversity as well after a Week 2 loss to unranked Northern Illinois at home, 16-14. But the Fighting Irish have rolled off 11 straight wins since then, capped by its most impressive victory thus far.

This game has the makings of a tough, defensive battle that won’t be decided until late. It also could be an instant classic between two top blue-blood programs. Right now, guessing the result seems like a coin flip, but it seems far more likely than not that fans are in for a great game.