The first night of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals belonged to Penn State.
The Nittany Lions became the first team to advance to the CFP’s version of a Final Four by holding Boise State and star running back Ashton Jeanty largely in check in a 31-14 win at the Fiesta Bowl Tuesday night. Three more teams are slated to move on to the College Football Playoff semifinals along with Penn State on Wednesday.
No. 4 seed Arizona State and No. 5 seed Texas kick off the action at the Peach Bowl, followed by No. 1 seed Oregon vs. No. 8 seed Ohio State at the Rose Bowl. The winners of those two games will face one another at the Cotton Bowl next week. No. 2 seed Georgia and No. 7 seed Notre Dame are still scheduled to wrap up a New Year’s Day full of high-stakes football with a quarterfinal matchup at the Sugar Bowl. A spot in the Orange Bowl against Penn State will be on the line when the Bulldogs and Fighting Irish play.
The stage is set for some dramatic postseason moments as college football’s first 12-team playoff continues towards the national championship game. Here’s everything to know about the current state of the bracket, including a full CFP schedule, updated results and how to watch what will hopefully be an exciting slate of games:
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College Football Playoff quarterfinals: Updated results, schedule
The CFP quarterfinal games are being played over the course of two days, with No. 6 seed Penn State kicking the action off on New Year’s Eve by beating No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The final three quarterfinal games will all take place on Wednesday, New Year’s Day.
All times Eastern
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State def. No. 3 Boise State, 31-14
Wednesday, Jan. 1
College Football Playoff first round results
Friday, Dec. 20
Saturday, Dec. 21
When are the College Football Playoff semifinals?
The CFP semifinal games will be played on January 9 and 10.
Thursday, Jan. 9
- Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL
Friday, Jan. 10
- Cotton Bowl: Peach Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
When is College Football Playoff national championship?
- Date: Monday, Jan. 20
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
- TV: ESPN
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