SMU in, but Bama, Miami out in CFP field reveal
Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State earned first-round byes as the first 12-team College Football Playoff field was named Sunday. Alabama and Miami were arbitrarily left out, leaving SMU breathing a huge sigh of relief as the last at-large team in.
Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State will host first-round on-campus games as seeds 5-8, respectively.
The Longhorns will face ACC champion Clemson (16th seed, 10-3), which catapulted into the CFP field from the No. 17 spot last week by knocking off SMU (11-2) on Saturday with a last-second 56-yard field goal to win the automatic berth.
Penn State (11-2), the sixth seed, will host SMU, with the winner facing Boise State in the quarterfinals.
Notre Dame (11-1), the seventh seed, will host Indiana (11-1), with the winner facing Georgia.
The Buckeyes (10-2), seeded eighth, will host ninth-seeded Tennessee (10-2), with the winner facing Oregon.