As of Sunday, December 8th, 2024, we have our first-ever 12 team College Football Playoff. The conference championship games put pressure on the teams playing with other Top 25 paying close attention, anticipating how the outcomes would affect their rankings and placement in the College Football Playoff. Big Game Football Factory is proud to announce that we have handcrafted Officially Licensed footballs for all participating teams.
College Football Playoff Teams
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Boise State
- Arizona State
- Texas
- Penn State
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- SMU
- Clemson
Championship Weekend
Tuscaloosa and Miami were the first and second teams to be shut out of the College Football Playoff when Clemson won the SEC Championship against SMU. Miami was more so hurt by their last two losses against unranked teams, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Both underdogs Arizona State and Boise State made a statement in their respective Big 12 and Mountain West championship games, earning unexpected first-round byes in the College Football Playoff. Georgia made themselves a force in an overtime win against Texas. Oregon’s win against Penn State also solidified their number one seed spot while maintaining their undefeated status this football season.
Clemson kicked their way into the College Football Playoff. Defeating No.10 SMU in the ACC Championship with a walk-off field goal which was not what the team from Tuscaloosa hoped for. Clemson came out strong with an early lead of 21-7 in the first quarter, while SMU steadily caught up to a tied 31-31 game. At the last second of the game, Clemson scored a 56-yard field goal, ultimately winning the championship game and securing their spot in the College Football Playoff.
Arizona State‘s performance on Saturday jumped them from a number 15 ranking to the number 4 seed in the College Football Playoff. After an Iowa State field goal in the second quarter, Arizona State led the tied 10-10 game by scoring 35 points. The Cyclones weren’t going down without a fight, though. They scored a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter, ending the score at 45 – 19.
There’s nothing more exciting than an overtime championship football game for fans. Georgia kept a tight game against Texas with a winning touchdown in overtime in response to a Texas 32-yard field goal. The Bulldogs hopped above Texas in the College Football Playoff by winning the SEC Championship and proving their power against the Longhorns twice now.
No.1 Oregon and No.4 Penn State engaged in an offensive rivalry in Indianapolis on Saturday. Both teams kept the points up in the first half, but Oregon kept a lead on the Nittany Lions the whole game. Despite a late effort by Penn State, the Ducks proved again why they are both still undefeated and ranked atop the college football world with a final score of 45-37.
Predictions and Schedule
All eyes will be on Oregon as they answer the question: Can they go 16-0 and finally get the coveted 2025 National Championship? Other questions to be answered are: Will Georgia keep its winning stride? How far will Boise State and Arizona State’s power go? Overall, attention will be on how the new format brings about more chaos and could produce a double-digit-seed semifinalist, as well as a winner. In this new ball game, underdogs are showing their stripes and stating their names in the college football world. Here is where and when to watch the Playoff First Round of games:
Playoff First Round:
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana on December 20th, 2024 at 8 pm ET. (ESPN, ABC)
- SMU vs. Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania on December 21st, 2024 at noon ET. (TNT, Max)
- Clemson vs. Texas in Austin, Texas on December 21st, 2024 at 4 pm ET. (TNT, Max)
- Tennessee vs. Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio on December 21st, 2024 at 8 pm ET. (ESPN, ABC)
Don’t miss checking out the all new officially licensed 2024-25 College Football Playoff team footballs handcrafted by our artisans here at Big Game. Be sure to follow us on all of our socials and keep up with the excitement with us as the College Football Playoff begins!