How the new 12-team College Football Playoff will work
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Behold the trophy that 12 college football teams will have a chance to play for this season. Photo: James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The College Football Playoff is entering a new era as this season will be a 12-team format for the first time since the CFP was introduced in 2014.
Why it matters: More teams will have a shot at competing for a national championship as the field is expanded beyond the traditional four-team setup.
Driving the news: The first CFP ranking will be released at 7pm ET Tuesday on ESPN.
- This will be the initial look at how the committee has viewed teams' performances in eight to nine games throughout the season.
- While rankings can and often do reflect the AP Poll, you can expect some differences. Don't be fooled: the CFP's rankings are what determines whether a team will be in the playoffs.
How it works: CFP rankings will be released each Tuesday leading up to the final list on Sunday, Dec. 8.
- The five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically be in the playoffs. The top four of that group will be seeded No. 1-4 and will have a first-round bye.
- Teams No. 5 -12 will play each other in a bracket-style Round 1 on Dec. 20-21, with the higher-ranked school hosting the game.
- For example: No. 5 will play at No. 12, and No. 8 will play at No. 9, etc.
What's next: The winners will go on to play the four conference champions in the quarterfinals in the New Year's Six bowl games.
- Caveat: The Fiesta Bowl will take place on Dec. 31.
- The Peach, Rose, and Sugar bowls will be staggered throughout the day on Jan. 1.
The victors of the first four of the New Year's Six will play in the semifinals in the remaining two bowls on Jan. 9 (Orange) and Jan. 10 (Cotton) for a trip to the Jan. 20 National Championship in Atlanta.
What we're watching: The new format, while bringing a March Madness feeling to the winter, is also a potential challenge for college athletes who play fewer games than professional teams.
- Case in point: The No. 5 seed could play a potential 17-game season if they were to make it to the title game. That's the equivalent of a regular season slate for an NFL team.
The bottom line: In the past, a two-loss season almost certainly meant you'd be on the outside looking in, but with triple the amount of slots, anything can happen.
