We’re down to the final 12 teams in college football.
The College Football Playoff bracket was revealed on Dec. 9, and the newly-formatted tournament to determine the next champion in college football is set to begin.
First up, the first round.
Four games will take place, with berths in the quarterfinals on the line. Let’s check out the odds for each game at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Dec. 16, as well as what to know about each game.
No. 12 CLEMSON (+340) @ No. 5 TEXAS (-11.5, -440)
4 p.m. ET, TNT/MAX
O/U: 51.5
What to know: Clemson is the ACC champion, while Texas came up just short in the SEC title game against Georgia. So why are the Tigers on the road to take on the Longhorns? Well, they were passed up as one of the four conference champions to receive a bye, presumably due to having three regular-season losses, including a 34-3 defeat at the hands of Georgia. The Longhorns lost twice to the Bulldogs this season, once by 15 earlier this year, and a second time by three in overtime of the SEC Championship Game.
No. 10 INDIANA (+220) @ No. 7 NOTRE DAME (-7, -270)
8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
O/U: 51
What to know: Indiana won’t have to travel far to take on the Fighting Irish for this in-state battle. The Hoosiers are one of the surprise teams on the season, finishing the regular season 11-1. However, the Irish did the same, and after a shocking loss to Northern Illinois back in September, N.D. has been torching opponents, so much so that that loss is rarely mentioned. Over its last five games of the regular season, Notre Dame put up 47.2 points per game. Meanwhile, Indiana has been putting up major numbers itself — it beat Purdue 66-0 in its regular-season finale — but the Hoosiers do not have a ranked win on the season. In fact, they only played one ranked team, suffering a 38-15 loss to Ohio State in a game that was never really that close.
Did imbalanced scheduling have a big effect on the committee’s final rankings?
No. 11 SMU (+250) @ No. 6 PENN STATE (-8.5, -310)
Noon ET, TNT/MAX
O/U: 54
What to know: SMU lost to Clemson by three in the ACC title game, and became the final team to make it into the field, edging out three-loss Alabama. Its reward? A trip to Happy Valley, to face a Penn State team that lost two games this season to Ohio State and Oregon, by a combined 15 points. SMU does not have a win over a team that ended the regular season ranked in the top 25, and Penn State has one, over No. 20 Illinois.
No. 9 TENNESSEE (+230) @ No. 8 OHIO STATE (-7.5, -285)
8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
O/U: 47
What to know: A heavyweight matchup between two contenders from the SEC and Big Ten. Tennessee went 10-2 on the season, while playing in the gauntlet that is the SEC, while Ohio State has wins over two other CFP participants in Penn State and Indiana. Both of the Volunteers’ losses this season came on the road, and the Buckeyes lost once at home — but what an ugly loss it was. How will Ohio State rebound after a 13-10 defeat at the hands of rival Michigan to close the regular season? In a game in which the Buckeyes were favored by nearly three touchdowns?
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