The college football postseason is here, and while that means the season is drawing to a close, it also means another month of football thanks to bowl games happening nearly every day for the next few weeks.
Bowl season culminates with the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will crown the first champion of the new 12-team playoff on Monday, January 20. First, the field of 12 has to be narrowed to two teams. That journey begins with the CFP first round, which will conclude Saturday with three matchups.
Notre Dame beat Indiana on Friday, 27-17, to advance to the quarterfinals. The Fighting Irish will face Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
For the full schedule of bowl games through January, including the CFP first round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the national championship game, click here. Keep reading for the rundown of what college football action is on tap for today.
What college football bowl games are on today?
Saturday, December 21
12 p.m. – CFP First Round Game (TNT & Max)
4 p.m. – CFP First Round Game (TNT & Max)
8 p.m. – CFP First Round Game (ESPN/ABC)
When is the College Football Playoff?
The College Football Playoff will kick off with first round games on December 20 and 21 (see below for full schedule). The winners of those matchups will move on to the quarterfinals, set for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The semifinals will be January 9 and 10, and the national championship will be January 20.
2024-25 College Football Playoff predictions: Picks, odds, bracket, champion from NBC Sports experts
Best bets for Saturday’s college football bowl games
The team at NBC Sports has you covered for the entirety of bowl season, where the betting picture is complicated by player opt-outs and transfer portal moves. Below are odds, picks and more for Saturday’s CFP first round games:
- College Football Playoff: SMU at Penn State – prediction, odds, expert picks, QBs, betting trends, and stats
- College Football Playoff: Clemson at Texas – prediction Odds, expert picks, QBs, betting trends, and stats
- College Football Playoff: Tennessee at Ohio State – prediction, odds, expert picks, QBs, trends, and stats
