The College Football Playoffs will have a drastic new look this season when the postseason expands from four to 12 teams, opening the door for programs that have never come close to qualifying for the exclusive bracket.
Here is a look at our College Football Playoff predictions, including the entire field by seed and each of our picks from the quarterfinals on through the CFP final.
Every team: Georgia, Ohio State start at top of college football’s NCAA Re-Rank 1-134
CFB projections: Our picks for the College Football Playoffs
Adam Duvall, Dave Eminian and Wes Huett of the Journal Star made their picks for the 12 schools in the College Football Playoffs this season. Here is how we predict the playoffs will be seeded:
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1. Georgia (SEC champ; first-round bye)
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2. Ohio State (Big Ten champ; first-round bye)
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3. Utah (Big 12 champ; first-round bye)
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4. Florida State (ACC champ; first-round bye)
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5. Oregon
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6. Alabama
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7. Texas
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8. Clemson
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9. Ole Miss
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10. Notre Dame
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11. Penn State
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12. Boise State (Mountain West champ; highest-ranked Group of 5)
College Football Playoff predictor: Journal Star picks CFP national champ
Each reporter picked the full bracket and eventual national championship matchup, plus why each thinks the winning program will hoist the trophy on Jan. 20 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Adam Duvall: Oregon over Ohio State
What to know: Oregon makes a big statement in its inaugural Big Ten Conference season, keeping the national title within the B10. Behind Heisman Trophy finalist (and likely winner) Dillon Gabriel, coach Dan Lanning earned himself the program’s first national championship
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Quarterfinal picks: Clemson over Georgia; Oregon over Florida State; Alabama over Utah; Ohio State over Texas
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Semifinal picks: Oregon over Clemson; Ohio State over Alabama
Dave Eminian: Georgia over Ohio State
What to know: Georgia has perhaps the oldest team in the field, lost very little to the transfer portal, has several likely NFL Draft picks on the team. They are experienced and have high expectations after going 42-2 over the last three seasons. The Bulldogs project to have top-five offense and defense, and they are the best in the nation at the most important position, where QB Carson Beck is a fifth-year player and returning starter and is the favorite for Heisman Trophy and probably the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Quarterfinal picks: Georgia over Clemson; Oregon over Florida State; Utah over Alabama; Ohio State over Texas
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Semifinal picks: Georgia over Oregon; Ohio State over Utah
Wes Huett: Georgia over Texas
What to know: Georgia will escape a gauntlet in the SEC and then face at least two of those same programs in the playoffs on the way to another national championship, its third in four seasons. The biggest surprise here is No. 7 Texas, which I think has a favorable run to the title game given the way some of the automatic seeds shake out. Watch out for Ohio State, though, because whoever wins the rugged Big Ten also is one to watch.
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Quarterfinal picks: Georgia over Ole Miss; Oregon over Florida State; Alabama over Utah; Texas over Ohio State
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Semifinal picks: Georgia over Oregon; Texas over Alabama
CFP playoff format: Schedule dates, TV, sites for 2024-25 College Football Playoff
First round
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Home of higher seed: Friday, Dec. 20: 7 p.m., ABC/ESPN
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Home of higher seed: Saturday, Dec. 21: 11 a.m., TNT
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Home of higher seed: Saturday, Dec. 21: 3 p.m., TNT
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Home of higher seed: Saturday, Dec. 21: 7 p.m., ABC/ESPN
Quarterfinals
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Fiesta Bowl: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, ESPN
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Peach Bowl: 12 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, ESPN
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Rose Bowl: 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, ESPN
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Sugar Bowl: 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, ESPN
Semifinals
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Orange Bowl: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, ESPN
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Cotton Bowl: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, ESPN
CFP National Championship
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, ESPN
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: College Football Playoff prediction: Who will win the CFP?
